The National League Central division continues to be no match for the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are 20-6 against division opponents and will be seeking to stretch that number to 21 when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Jameson Taillon and Kyle Hendricks are slated to get the nod for the Bucs and Cubs. Taillon will be making his third career start, with the other two coming against the New York Mets. The rookie limited the Mets to two hits and a walk over eight scoreless frames on Tuesday in New York, striking out five in the process.
Hendricks has lost two-straight starts while failing to reach the six inning mark in each. Hendricks is 0-1 with a bloated 6.63 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Chicago Cubs sport a record of 46-20 heading into this matchup, while the Pittsburgh Pirates sit at 33-35 on the season Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Chicago vs Pittsburgh injuries news.
The Chicago Cubs sit at No. 1 in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Pittsburgh Pirates sit at No. 27 on the same chart.
Statistical Matchup
On offense, it's a battle between the Chicago Cubs and its No. 2-rated batting order, averaging 5.36 runs per nine innings, against the No. 12 line up of the Pittsburgh Pirates at 4.6 runs per outing.
Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping betting factors and Chicago has the No. 1-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Pirates own the No. 20 mark in runs allowed.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Pirates endured a 4-3 loss at the hands of the Cubs on Saturday, with J Niese throwing 5.1 innings of 6-hit ball at Wrigley Field.
Next Betting Matchups
Pittsburgh home to San Francisco, Monday, June 20th
Chicago home to St. Louis, Monday, June 20th