It’s Wednesday, August 28, and it’s a special day as baseball fans get to experience the mustached phenom, Paul Skenes. The rookie hurler and the Pittsburgh Pirates (62-70) host the Chicago Cubs (67-66) in a National League Central battle.
Skeptics have looked to poke holes in Skenes' season but here are a few facts. The worst statistical outings for the NL Rookie of the Year favorite are comprised of three outings in which he has allowed 3 runs (twice) and 4 runs (once). That’s it. His ERA for the season is 2.16. Paul Skenes started the All-Star Game for the National League. He is must-watch TV.
Meanwhile, the Cubs are making a late push for a Wild Card spot. They have won 2 straight and currently sit 5.5 games out of that final postseason berth.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first-pitch, projected pitching matchup, lineup cards, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Baseball Show for the latest player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Cubs vs. Pirates live today
● Date: Wednesday, August 28, 2024
● Time: 12:35PM EST
● Site: PNC Park
● City: Pittsburgh, PA
● TV/Streaming: MARQ, SNP, MLBN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Game odds for Cubs vs. Pirates
The latest odds as of Wednesday Morning:
● Moneyline: Cubs +140, Pirates -165
● Spread: Cubs +1.5 (-155), Pirates -1.5 (+125)
● Over/Under: 8 runs
Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insights weekdays at 6AM ETright hereor wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Recent team stats for Cubs vs. Pirates
● The Cubs have won 2 in a row and are 7-3 in their last 10. Chicago is 31-37 away from Wrigley Field this season. Their overall run differential for the season is +32.
● Pittsburgh has lost 2 in a row. The Bucs are 4-6 in their last 10. Pittsburgh is 32-35 at PNC Park. Their overall run differential for the season is -42.
Probable starting pitchers for Cubs vs. Pirates
● Today’s pitching matchup (August 28): Kyle Hendricks vs. Paul Skenes
○ Cubs: Hendricks (3-10, 6.33 ERA) has allowed 71 earned runs and 117 hits while striking out 67 over 101 innings
○ Pirates: Skenes (8-2, 2.16 ERA) has allowed 25 earned runs and 73 hits while striking out 130 over 104 innings
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs vs. Pirates on August 28, 2024
● Paul Skenes has won his last 2 starts. He has pitched 12 innings and allowed a mere 2 earned runs (1.50 ERA) over those 2 starts while striking out 15.
● Jared Triolo of the Bucs is 2-5 (.400) in his career against Kyle Hendricks
● Kyle Hendricks is 0-1 in 3 starts this month. He has allowed 6 earned runs in 15.2 innings (3.45 ERA)
● The Cubs are 6-0-1 to the OVER in their last 7 games. They are 5-2 on the Run Line in those 7 games.
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for Wednesday’s Cubs vs. Pirates game
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Cubs vs. Pirates game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
- Spread: NBC Sports is leaning towards a play on the Cubs on the Run Line
- Total runs: NBC Sports is leaning towards a play on the Total OVER 8 runs
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and total picks for each of the games on today’s calendar!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
