Hendricks has Been Nearly Unhittable When Facing Pirates

An afternoon baseball matchup pits two NL Central rivals against each other when the Pirates swashbuckle their way into Wrigley Field to take on the reigning World Series champs as +160 moneyline underdogs. Underachieving ace Gerrit Cole will go head-to-head with Kyle Hendricks in the matchup as the two righties look to put forgettable starts to the 2017 season behind them.

SHARK BITES
  • The Pirates have lost 4 consecutive games coming into this matchup.
  • Gerrit Cole had a 5.48 ERA in his 9 starts after the all-star break last season.
  • Kyle Hendricks was 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA in his 3 starts against the Pirates in 2016.

With a 9-2 record and an ERA of 1.32 in 14 home starts in the Cubs’ World Series-winning season, Kyle Hendricks was one of the best home-field pitchers in all of baseball and he’s a serious contender for the NL Cy Young Award in 2017.

The entire Pirates roster has earned just eight extra-base hits on Hendricks in 111 combined at-bats against the righty so if he’s sharp in his second start this afternoon, offense could be a little hard to come by.

Cole will have to be good if the Pirates have any hope of ending their losing streak today against one of the best-hitting teams in baseball but considering how poorly he’s pitched since the Midsummer Classic last year, I’m not expecting a no-hitter. As a Cole fantasy owner, I think he has a comeback season but I’m realistic about his ceiling today.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Chicago Cubs sport a record of 6-3 heading into this matchup, while the Pittsburgh Pirates sit at 3-6 on the season Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Chicago vs Pittsburgh injuries news.

It's a MLB baseball betting matchup between the No. 2-rated Chicago Cubs and the league No. 30-ranked Pittsburgh Pirates, according to the latest MLB power poll here at Odds Shark.

Statistical Matchup

Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features the Chicago Cubs No. 17-ranked scoring average of 4.11 runs per game, against a Pittsburgh Pirates offense rated No. 28 and scoring 3.11 runs per game. The Cubs have averaged 8.44 hits per game to date this season, more than the Pirates hitters have managed (7.67 per nine innings).

Defensively, Pittsburgh features the No. 11-rated defense on the road, allowing 4 runs per game. Chicago, meanwhile, comes in at No. 27 at home, scoring 2.33 runs per game.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

Betting Trends
  • Pittsburgh is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
  • Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
  • Pittsburgh is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
  • Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
  • Chi Cubs is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games
  • Chi Cubs is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
  • Chi Cubs is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games at home

Next Betting Matchups

Pittsburgh at Chicago, Saturday, April 15th

The Pirates have lost 4 consecutive games coming into this matchup with the Cubs.away Gerrit Cole had a 5.48 ERA in his 9 starts after the all-star break last season.away Kyle Hendricks was 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA in his 3 starts against the Pirates in 2016.home
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