Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs MLB Betting Preview

We aren’t even 10 games into the new MLB season yet and already there are a few surprises to be seen across the league. Of course, with each team still having 150-plus games to play, we can’t really declare these as major surprises until a little more time has passed. Perhaps the most shocking of all the early season upsets is that the defending champion Chicago Cubs are currently trailing the Cincinnati Red, as team seen as a potential basement dweller, in the NL Central. The general consensus was that the Cubs were going to come out, be dominant, and probably easily pick up another 100-win season. They have not had it all their own way early on, though, and they are seeing just how difficult it is to come out and defend the crown. Friday will see the Cubs welcome in their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, for a weekend series that should provide a lot of fun and excitement to MLB betting fans. The Pirates have stumbled out the gate a little, but should still be considered a threat in the division.

Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs Game Info:

When: Friday, April 14 at 2:20 PM EST Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago Starting Pitchers: Gerrit Cole Vs Kyle Hendricks TV: MLBN Radio: KDKA-FM 93.7 Live Stream: MLB.com Gameday MLB Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Pittsburgh Pirates

It has been an odd start to the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, as they got things rolling with a pair of losses to the Red Sox, followed by a sweep of the Atlanta Braves, which they then followed up by getting swept by those pesky Cincinnati Reds. It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride early on, but rather than having a day off to get over the Reds series sweep, Pittsburgh needs to head into Boston for a make-up game before making the trip to Chicago. Pittsburgh have yet to pick up a win on the road in the early part of the season, and they will be looking to change that over the next 4 days. Gerrit Cole (0-1, 6.55 ERA) will start, and will be looking to steady the ship after a rocky first couple of starts.

Why bet on the Chicago Cubs

Wednesday night was a special one in Chicago, as the players on the Cubs team received their World Series rings. It has been a bit of a celebration time for the Cubs at the start of the season, but the feeling now is that they are ready to get back down to the serious business of winning baseball games. At 5-3, it has not been a glorious start to the season, but a win versus the Dodgers on Thursday will mean that the Cubs will have won each of their opening 3 series, and you can’t really ask for much more than that. Kyle Hendricks (1-0, 6.00 ERA) will be looking for his second straight win when he starts on Friday afternoon.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

It may take the Cubs a little bit of time to get over their World Series hangover and kick it into high gear, and I have a feeling it might start this weekend. Pittsburgh Pirates 2 Chicago Cubs 5