| MATCHUP | Pittsburgh Pirates | Chicago Cubs |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 74-73 | 81-66 |
| Where | Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois | |
| When | Friday, September 11, 2026 | |
| Time | 02:20 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Chicago Cubs Preview
The Chicago Cubs have a 81-66 record this season and are sitting in the 2nd place of the NL Central. They have a 41-31 home record and are coming off a 6-8 road loss against the Brewers. They will face the Braves and the Reds next.
The Chicago Cubs have a .251 batting average this season, .339 OBP and .429 Slugging percentage. Chicago’s pitching staff has a 4.22 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Pete Crow-Armstrong is the team’s best hitter with a .281 batting average, leading the team in RBI with 97, adding a team-high 41 home runs.
Shota Imanaga (L) is the projected starting pitcher for the Cubs, and he has a 9-10 record, 3.91 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.
Pittsburgh Pirates Preview
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a 74-73 record this season and are sitting in the 3rd place of the NL Central. They have a 36-39 away record and are coming off a 2-0 road win against the White Sox. They will face the Brewers and the Royals next.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a .253 batting average this season, .331 OBP and .403 Slugging percentage. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff has a 4.13 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Nick Gonzales is the team’s best hitter with a .305 batting average. Brandon Lowe leads the team in RBI with 83, adding a team-high 29 home runs.
Wilber Dotel (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Pirates, and he has a 1-4 record, 4.41 ERA and 1.32 WHIP.
Pittsburgh Pirates @ the Chicago Cubs Betting Trends: September 11, 2026
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Shota Imanaga Record this season: 9-10 ERA: 3.91
- Home Record: 5-6
- Last 5 against Pirates: 3-0
Why the Chicago Cubs will win
- The Pirates have lost each of their last 12 Friday games against NL opponents.
- The Cubs have won nine of their last 10 home games against the Pirates following a road loss.
- The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last five day games following a win.
- The Cubs have covered the run line in four of their last five games against the Pirates.
- The Cubs have led after 3 innings in six of their last seven home games.
- The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last eight Friday road games.
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Wilber Dotel Record this season: 1-4 ERA: 4.41
- Road Record: 0-1
- Last 5 against Cubs: 1-0
Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win
- The Pirates have won each of their last five road games.
- The Cubs have lost each of their last five games following a road loss.
- The road team has covered the run line in each of the Pirates’ last six games.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in nine of their last 10 home games following a road loss.
- The Pirates have led after 3 innings in each of their last four day games against the Cubs.
- The Pirates have led after 5 innings in each of their last five road games.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Pirates’ last six games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Eight of the Cubs’ last nine home games against NL Central opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
- There has been no run scored during the first inning in seven of Braxton Ashcraft’s last eight appearances as a starter.
- There has been no run scored during the first inning in each of Shota Imanaga’s last four appearances as a starter against the Pirates.
Chicago Cubs Player Prop Facts
- Nico Hoerner has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 appearances after not playing the previous day.
- Shota Imanaga has recorded six or more strikeouts in each of his four previous home appearances against the Pirates.
- Shota Imanaga has recorded a win in each of his last three appearances against NL opponents that held a winning record.
- Alex Bregman has hit at least one home run in three of his last four appearances after not playing the previous day.
Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts
- Spencer Horwitz has recorded at least one hit in each of his last eight appearances in day games against teams that held a winning record.
- Esmerlyn Valdez has hit at least one home run in three of his four previous appearances in day games against NL Central teams that held a winning record.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Cubs rank 1st in the league for runs scored this season (780).
- The Cubs rank 1st in the league for home runs this season (203).
- The Pirates rank T1st in the league for hits this season (1280).
- The Pirates rank 2nd in the league for home runs allowed this season (141).
Pirates vs Cubs Prediction
The Cubs are 4-1 in their last 5 meetings against the Pirates but have lost two of their last three meetings in Chicago.
In this Pirates vs Cubs Prediction, the Cubs are coming as -180 home favorites. I like the Cubs in this one with Imanaga on the mound, who might be up and down lately, but he is the better pitching option than the Pirates’ reliever. Pittsburgh has been struggling against lefties lately, with just 2 runs per game in their last 5 against southpaws, while the Cubs’ offense has been in very good form with 5.6 runs per game in their last 10. They are also in a desperate bounce-back spot after losing four straight games on the road, so I will take the Cubs on the moneyline in this one.