| MATCHUP | Pittsburgh Pirates | Chicago Cubs |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 7-5 | 6-6 |
| Spread | +1.5 -175 | -1.5 144 |
| Moneyline | +119 | -143 |
| Total | Over 7 (102) | Under 7 (-123) |
| Where | Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois | |
| When | Friday, April 10, 2026 | |
| Time | 02:20 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
In this article, we will formulate a Pirates vs Cubs Prediction for this MLB matchup on Friday, April 10th in the opening game of this series. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
Chicago Cubs Preview
The Chicago Cubs have a 6-6 record this season and are sitting in the fifth place of the NL Central. They have a 3-3 home record and are coming off a 6-2 road win against the Rays. Their previous three games were a 9-2 road win against the Rays, a 4-6 and a 5-6 road loss against the Guardians.
The Cubs have a .223 batting average this season, .312 OBP and .368 Slugging percentage. Chicago’s pitching staff has a 3.43 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Nico Hoerner is the team’s best hitter with a .333 batting average, also leading the team in RBI with 9. Ian Happ adds a team-high 4 home runs.
Shota Imanaga (L) is the projected starting pitcher for the Cubs, and he has a 0-1 record, 4.50 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.
Pittsburgh Pirates Preview
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a 7-5 record this season and are sitting in the fourth place of the NL Central. They have a 3-3 away record and are coming off a 2-8 home loss against the Padres. Their previous three games were a 7-1 home win against the Padres, a 0-5 home loss, and an 8-2 home win against the Orioles.
The Pirates have a .244 batting average this season, .335 OBP and .380 Slugging percentage. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff has a 3.33 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Ryan O’Hearn is the team’s best hitter with a .350 batting average. Oneil Cruz leads the team in RBI with 12, also adding a team-high 4 home runs.
Carmen Mlodzinski (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Pirates, and he has a 0-0 record, 4.00 ERA and 1.56 WHIP.
Pittsburgh Pirates @ the Chicago Cubs Betting Trends: April 10, 2026
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Shota Imanaga Record this season: 0-1 ERA: 4.50
- Home Record: 0-1
- Last 5 against Pirates: 2-0
Why the Chicago Cubs will win
- The Cubs have won 13 of their last 14 day games at Wrigley Field following a road win.
- The Pirates have lost each of their last six games against NL Central opponents following a home loss.
- The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in 12 of their last 13 road games against National League opponents following a home loss.
- The Cubs have covered the run line in four of their last five games against the Pirates.
- The Cubs have won the first inning in four of their last five home games against NL Central opponents.
- The Cubs have led after 3 innings in each of their last four home games against opponents that held a winning record.
- The Cubs have led after 5 innings in eight of their last nine home games against NL Central opponents.
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Carmen Mlodzinski Record this season: 0-0 ERA: 4.00
- Road Record: 0-0
- Last 5 against Cubs: 0-0
Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win
- The Cubs have lost each of their last four games as favorites following a win.
- The Pirates have won six of their last eight games as road underdogs against the Cubs following a loss.
- The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last eight road games against the Cubs following a loss.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven home games against the Pirates following a win.
- The Pirates have led after 3 innings in each of their last five Friday games.
- The Cubs have trailed after 5 innings in three of their last four games against National League opponents.
Total Runs Facts
- Six of the last seven games between the Pirates and Cubs at Wrigley Field have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Five of the Pirates’ last six games as road underdogs have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in seven of the Cubs’ last eight games.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Pirates’ last four games as underdogs.
Chicago Cubs Player Prop Facts
- Seiya Suzuki has hit a home run in three of the Cubs’ last four games as favorites against NL Central opponents.
- Shota Imanaga has recorded six or more strikeouts in six of his seven previous home appearances against NL Central opponents.
- Seiya Suzuki has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 14 home appearances.
- Nico Hoerner ranks T4th in the league in Steals (5) this season.
Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts
- Bryan Reynolds has hit a home run in each of the Pirates’ last two road games.
- Oneil Cruz has recorded at least one hit in each of the Pirates’ last eight games.
- Oneil Cruz ranks T5th in the league in Home Runs (4) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Cubs rank 2nd in the league for hits allowed this season (79).
- The Cubs rank 26th in the league for hits this season (87).
- The Pirates rank 30th in the league for steals this season (3).
- The Pirates rank T5th in the league for walks this season (53).
Pirates vs Cubs Prediction
The Cubs are 8-1 in their last 9 meetings against the Pirates and are 5-1 in their last 6 meetings in Chicago.
In this Pirates vs Cubs Prediction, the Cubs are coming as -147 home favorites. The Cubs are coming off back-to-back wins and put Imanaga on the mound who bounced back after a terrible first start to the season and he was almost unhittable in his two starts against the Pirates last season. On the flip side, Mlodzinski has been decent this season but I cannot trust him on the road in this spot and the Pirates have a slightly weaker offense. Take the Cubs on the moneyline to get the job done at home in this one.