Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction and Picks - September 16, 2025
Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction and Picks - September 16, 2025
The Cubs are facing off against the Pirates in game two of their series at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; keep reading for our Cubs versus Pirates prediction. Chicago is second in the NL Central with a record of 86-64. Pittsburgh is last in the NL Central with a record of 65-86. The Cubs have an 8-3 record versus the Pirates this season. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EDT. Need some winners this baseball season? Check out our Free MLB Picks.
Cubs Look Ready For Playoffs
The Cubs are coming off another win on Monday versus the Pirates with a final score of 4-0. This is the fifth win in the last six games for the Cubs as they continue on their road trip. Chicago holds the top National League Wild Card spot and looks like it will be the favorite to retain that spot come the end of the month.
Chicago’s pitching this season has been impressive as they rank eighth overall in ERA at 3.83 and lead the league in walks. In their recent games, we have seen their pitching perform even better as they have an ERA of 2.76 in their last seven games. Chicago has performed well at the plate but thanks to their pitching, the Cubs have required very little run support to grab their wins this season.
Right-handed pitcher Cade Horton will be starting for the Cubs on Tuesday.
Cade Horton:
- has a 10-4 record with an ERA of 2.70 and 89 strikeouts in 21 appearances this season.
- has not allowed any runs on 3 hits with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts in 5.2 innings versus the Pirates in his career.
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Pirates’ Offense Looks Non-existent
The Pirates picked up a loss on Monday versus the Cubs with a final score of 4-0. This would be the ninth loss in the last ten games for the Pirates. Pittsburgh has been knocked out of the playoff race for awhile and have been rotating in more younger players to get exposure for next season.
Despite the Pirates ranking last in their division, they have one of the better pitching cores in the league. Pittsburgh is 11th overall in ERA at 3.87, third in home runs, and eighth overall in walks allowed. Unfortunately, their pitching has not been enough to counter their extremely poor batting. The Pirates are 30th overall in runs this season and are 28th in batting average at .230. The Pirates have averaged only 2.3 runs per game in their last ten games.
Right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes will be starting for the Pirates on Tuesday.
Paul Skenes:
- has a record of 10-9 with an ERA of 1.92 and 203 strikeouts in 30 appearances this season.
- has a 2-1 record with an ERA of 2.40 and 37 strikeouts in 6 appearances against the Cubs in his career.
Cubs vs. Pirates Prediction and Picks
Money Line Pick for Cubs vs. Pirates
- Pirates Money Line (-130) (4 units)
The Pirates are 7-0 as favorites in their last seven games at home. The Cubs have a 1-2 record against Paul Skenes when playing on the road. Skenes has been elite this season and while his team has not been able to produce runs to help with wins, Skenes has managed to carry the team to victories regardless. The Cubs are not fighting too hard to keep their wild card spot and the Brewers are becoming too far out of reach for them to hunt for the top of their division. This game looks like a good bounce-back game after scoring no runs yesterday for the Pirates.
Over/Under Pick for Cubs vs. Pirates
- Under 7 (-118 ) ( 5 units)
The Pirates have an over/under record of 2-8 in their last ten games. The Cubs have an over/under record of 3-6-1 in their last ten games on the road. We have two reliable pitching teams facing off against each other and because of that, I have to look towards a lower scoring game. I do not believe the Cubs will be able to do much against Paul Skenes and the Pirates’ offense has been unreliable, especially as of late.
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