Pirates vs Cubs Odds, Lines, and Spread (April 22)
By John Perrotto in MLB Baseball
Published:
- The Cubs are -157 home favorites over the Pirates on Friday
- Jose Quintana (0-1, 3.86) will start for Pittsburgh against fellow lefty Drew Smyly (1-0, 0.00)
- A look at the odds and matchups can be found below with a prediction
The Chicago Cubs will try to end a three-game losing streak when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 2:20 p.m. ET Friday at Wrigley Field.
The Pirates (6-7/2-5 road) won the opener of the four-game series 4-3 on Thursday night to end a three-game losing streak. The Cubs (6-7/3-4 home) had their record fall below .500.
Pirates vs Cubs Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +147 | +1.5 (-145) | Over 7.5 (-105) |
| Chicago Cubs | -157 | -1.5 (+125) | Under 7.5 (-115) |
Odds as of April 21st at Caesars Sportsbook
The Cubs are -157 favorites on the moneyline in a game that will be televised on MLB Network (out of market only), giving them an implied win probability of 61.09%. Both teams have long World Series odds, the Cubs +10000 and the Pirates +30000
They might have a hard time getting this one in as the weather forecasts calls for an 80% chance of showers and a possible thunderstorm. The high temperature will be 52 with winds from the east at 10-15 mph and gusting to 25 mph.
Bet $1 & Double Your Winnings On Your First 10 Bets!
Probable Pitchers
In a matchup of left-handers, Jose Quintana (0-1, 3.86) will start for the Pirates against Drew Smyly (1-0, 0.00). They also faced each other April 12 in Pittsburgh and will be pitching on four days of rest.
Quintana vs Smyly Pitching Stats
| 0-1 | Record | 1-0 |
| 3.86 | ERA | 0.00 |
| 6.55 | xERA | 1.81 |
| 1.61 | WHIP | 0.83 |
| 1.00 | SO/W | 5.00 |
In that game in Pittsburgh, Smyly pitched five scoreless innings for the win. Quintana was the tough luck loser as he charged with one run in 5.1 innings. It was the first start of the season for both.
Quintana wasn’t as sharp in his last start Sunday against the Washington Nationals at home, allowing three runs and five hits in four innings with three walks and two strikeouts.
Quintana pitched for the Cubs from 2017-20 but has never beaten his old team, going 0-4 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts. In 41 starts at Wrigley Field, he has a 20-10 record and 4.43 ERA.
16 straight outs. 8 Ks.
Just a day at the park for José Quintana. pic.twitter.com/cXRP97UH16
— MLB (@MLB) March 18, 2018
This will be the first road start of the season for Quintana, who struggled away from home last season when he went 0-2 with a 9.93 ERA in 12 games (five starts) for the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants.
The Cubs’ Jonathan Villar is 5-for 14 (.357) against Quintana with a double and a home run.
Smyly had another scoreless outing last Sunday against the Colorado Rockies in Denver but did not get a win. He finished one out short of reaching the minimum of five innings required for a start to get the victory, giving up four hits and one walk while striking out four.
Surprisingly, this will be the first time Smyly has pitched at Wrigley Field in his nine-year career. He signed a two-year, $10-million contract as a free agent with the Cubs in the 2017-18 offseason, missed the 2018 season following Tommy John surgery then was traded to the Texas Rangers prior to the 2019 season.
Smyly returned to the Cubs on a one-year, $5.25-million contract in March in free agency.
Drew Smyly this season
• 9.2 IP
• 5 K
• 0.00 ERA#ItsDifferentHere pic.twitter.com/xSAPNwf5qs— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) April 17, 2022
He is 2-1 with a 4.01 ERA against the Pirates in seven games (six starts). Smyly, who also made his first two starts of 2022 in the day, has allowed Bryan Reynolds to hit .308 (4 for 13) with two home runs.
Pirates Coming Off Thursday Night Win
On Thursday night, Daniel Vogelbach hit a two-run home run and Yoshi Tsutsugo had a two-run double to rally the Pirates to victory. The Pirates were down 3-0 when Vogelbach’s homer in third inning got them within a run. Tsutsugo then put Pittsburgh ahead in the fifth.
Yoshi for the lead!! pic.twitter.com/qWmKCmo6zM
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 22, 2022
The Pirates bullpen pitched six scoreless innings in relief of Bryce Wilson. Cubs relievers held Pittsburgh scoreless for the last 4.1 innings following Tsutsugo’s double. Chris Stratton pitched the ninth for the save.
The Pirates have won two of three games from the Cubs this season. However, Chicago has won the season series every year since 2015, going 77-49 in that span.
Pirates vs Cubs Last 10 Meetings
| Date | Home Team | Away Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/21/22 | Cubs | Pirates | PIT, 4-3 |
| 4/13/22 | Pirates | Cubs | PIT, 6-2 |
| 4/12/22 | Pirates | Cubs | CHC, 2-1 |
| 9/30/21 | Pirates | Cubs | CHC, 9-0 |
| 9/29/21 | Pirates | Cubs | CHC, 3-2 |
| 9/28/21 | Pirates | Cubs | PIT, 8-6 |
| 9/5/21 | Cubs | Pirates | CHC, 11-8 |
| 9/4/21 | Cubs | Pirates | CHC, 7-6 |
| 9/3/21 | Cubs | Pirates | CHC, 6-5 |
| 9/2/21 | Cubs | Pirates | CHC, 6-5 |
Pirates vs Cubs Prediction
Quintana has a history of success at Wrigley Field, but Smyly has looked sharp in his first two outings The chalk looks like the way to go in this one.
Pick: Cubs moneyline -157
BETMGM SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD1500 & GET $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS
BET365 SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS WITH CODE DIME365
FANATICS SPORTSBOOKBET & GET UP TO $1,000 IN BONUS BETS!
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $200 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $250 IF YOUR BET WINS
CAESARS SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD2DYW & BET $1 TO DOUBLE THE WINNINGS ON YOUR FIRST 10 BETS!
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, IL, KS, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, WY); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelplinema.org (MA); (877) 8-HOPENY (NY); 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ); (888) 789-7777 (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN); mdgamblinghelp.org (MD); morethanagame.nc.gov (NC); 1800gambler.net (WV)
Sports Writer
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
