The Chicago Cubs meet the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third and final game of their series on Thursday. Chicago won Tuesday’s opener 9-0, before Pittsburgh rallied for a 4-3 win on Wednesday. The Cubs (18-13), who lead the National League Central, have dropped three of four. The Pirates (12-19), who are fifth in the division, snapped a three-game losing streak with the win.
First pitch from PNC Park in Pittsburgh is set for 12:35 p.m. ET. The Cubs have won five of the last seven meetings against the Pirates. Pittsburgh is a -125 favorite on the money line (risk $125 to win $100) in the latest Cubs vs. Pirates odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over-under, is 8. Before making any Pirates vs. Cubs picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It enters Week 6 of the 2025 MLB season on a 17-11 run on top-rated MLB betting picks (+276). Anybody following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cubs vs. Pirates and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several MLB odds and betting lines for Cubs vs. Pirates:
- Cubs vs. Pirates money line: Chicago +105, Pittsburgh -125 at DraftKings Sportsbook
- Cubs vs. Pirates over-under: 8 runs
- Cubs vs. Pirates run line: Pittsburgh -1.5 (+170)
- CHC: The under is 3-1-1 in the Cubs’ last five games
- PIT: The under is 4-2-1 in the Pirates’ last seven games
- Cubs vs. Pirates picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Cubs vs. Pirates streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Pirates can cover
Pittsburgh is expected to send ace right-hander Paul Skenes (3-2, 2.39 ERA) to the mound. He has made six starts on the season, pitching 37.2 innings and allowing 26 hits, 12 runs – 10 earned – and four walks with 39 strikeouts. In his last outing on Friday, he earned a win in a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 6.1 innings, he allowed five hits, while striking out nine.
Shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa is among Pittsburgh’s top hitters this year. In 30 games, he is hitting .280 with three doubles, one triple and seven RBI. He has also stolen six bases. He was 2-for-4 in Tuesday’s loss to Chicago, registering his sixth multi-hit game of the year. In 12 career games against the Cubs, he has 10 hits, including a double and five RBI. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Cubs can cover
Chicago is expected to counter with right-handed pitcher Colin Rea (1-0, 0.96 ERA). The veteran spent the last three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, and went 12-6 with a 4.29 ERA last season. In his last outing, a 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, he pitched five innings, allowing just three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts to earn the victory.
Helping power the offense is right fielder Kyle Tucker. The eighth-year veteran is among the team’s leading hitters, batting .279 through 31 games, with eight doubles, two triples, seven homers and 27 RBI. In an 11-10 win over the Dodgers on April 22, he was 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases. He has hit the Pirates well. In four career games against them, he is batting .429 with a homer and six RBI. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Cubs vs. Pirates picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 9.4 combined runs, and it says one side of the money line has all the value. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s MLB picks.
So who wins Cubs vs. Pirates, and which side has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.