Pirates vs Cubs Odds, Lines, and Pick (April 3)

• Can the Chicago Cubs avoid opening the MLB season with two straight losses when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday afternoon
• The Cubs fell 5-3 to Pittsburgh on Opening Day,  and have now dropped five of six to the NL Central longshot Pirates
• We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends ahead of Saturday afternoon’s clash at Wrigley Field

The Pittsburgh Pirates will be aiming to open their season with consecutive wins for the first time in four years when they continue their series with the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

The Pirates kicked off their 2020 MLB schedule with a 5-3 road victory on Thursday, lifting the club to 5-1 in their past six dates versus Chicago. First pitch is scheduled for 2:20 pm ET on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field, and the Cubs have work to do to put the brakes on a five-game home losing streak dating back to mid-September, during which they have scored just five total runs.

Here’s a look at all the odds and trends ahead of Saturday’s clash between these NL Central rivals.

Pirates vs Cubs Odds

Odds as of April 2nd.

Nowhere To Go But Up

The Pirates have opened 2021 amid tempered expectations after finishing at the bottom of the overall MLB standings last season with just 19 wins. The team showed signs of a turnaround in spring training, compiling a 13-14 record while averaging five runs per game, good for third best in Grapefruit league action. However, that has not kept the Pirates from entering the regular season as distant longshots to win the NL Central, sporting odds as long as +6500.

Some Pirates Grapefruit League ranks:
BA — .253 (3rd)
Runs — 101 (2nd)
Hits — 160 (1st)
Total bases — 276 (2nd)
Home runs — 23 (3rd)

Yes, it's spring. But kind of an interesting showing for the offense thus far.

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) March 21, 2021

While the Pirates have been steady in recent dates with the Cubs, that success has primarily come on home turf. Indeed, wins at Wrigley Field have been increasingly rare for the club. Thursday’s victory by the Pirates represents just their second win in 15 visits to the North Side since September 2018, a run during which they have been held to three or fewer runs on nine occasions.

Pirates Career Stats vs Arrieta

Anderson Vies for Third Straight Win Over Cubs

However, the Pirates will be hoping that southpaw Tyler Anderson will be able to extend his past success against the Cubs when he makes his first-ever start for the Pirates on Saturday afternoon. Signed as a free agent during the offseason, Anderson compiled a respectable 4-3 record in 11 starts with San Francisco last season.

Rockies Offense EXPLODES in Windy City:

The @Rockies won the series today against the @Cubs in a team wide victory, 11-2 Rockies

• Tyler Anderson: 7 IP, 2ER, 9K
• Nolan Arenado: 3-6, 2 HR, 5 RBI
• Trevor Story: HR
• Chris Iannetta: HR

— Colorado Sports Updates ⁵²⁸⁰ (@COSportsUpdates) May 2, 2018

He has also allowed just four total earned runs while claiming victory in his past two starts against the Cubs, including a 7.0-inning, three-hit performance while leading the Rockies to an 11-2 win three years ago in his only previous appearance at Wrigley Field.

Can Cubs Bounce Back

The Cubs hit the diamond on Saturday as -188 favorites, looking to avoid opening their schedule with back-to-back losses for the first time since losing two in a row to Pittsburgh to kick off the 2014 campaign. The club was limited to just two hits by seven Pirates hurlers in Thursday’s 5-3 loss, which snapped the team’s three-game winning streak in Opening Day matchups. Chicago has also struggled in recent years when playing in the second game on their regular season, losing each of their past three, and is 3-7 in the team’s past 10.

The lowest scoring team among last season’s division winners, the Cubs sought to beef up their lineup with the offseason addition of Joc Pederson. The 28-year-old is just one year removed from hitting a career-best 36 home runs, but is on the rebound after hitting a meagre .190 and going yard just seven times last season. The former Los Angeles Dodgers was held hitless on Opening Day, but is batting .500 lifetime vs Anderson, and has scored at least one run in 12 of his past 19 appearances against the Pirates.

Cubs Career Stats vs Anderson

Prodigal Son Arrieta Returns to Wrigley

The Cubs’ other big offseason pickup is expected to be on the mound on Saturday, as Jake Arrieta makes his first start for Chicago since departing the team following the 2017 campaign.

The last major, or meaningful game between the Pirates and Cubs? The dreaded 2015 Wild Card game, when SP Jake Arrieta added to his CY Young season in PNC, which happens to also be the last postseason game the Pirates have played. pic.twitter.com/p1mBoWohXf

— Locked On Pirates (@LockedOnPirates) March 31, 2021

The 35-year-old returns to the North Side fold following a disappointing three-season stint in Philadelphia, that ended with last season’s middling 4-4 record and career-worst 5.08 ERA. Arrieta should be quite comfortable on the mound at Wrigley, where he has amassed a career 30-14 record in 60 appearances. The right-hander has earned a win in just one of his past four starts against Pittsburgh as a Cubs starter, but has given up just five total earned runs in his past five overall starts in the Windy City.

Pick: Chicago Cubs -188

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