The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Chicago Cubs on September 16, 2025. First pitch from PNC Park is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EDT; the game will be broadcast on SportsNet PT.
Find my MLB betting preview and Cubs vs Pirates prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, betting trends, injury reports and more.
My Cubs vs Pirates Prediction
- Cubs vs Pirates pick: Cubs ML
My Cubs vs Pirates best bet is on the Cubs to win outright. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Cubs vs Pirates Odds
| Cubs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -210 | 6.5 -125o / 105u | +115 |
| Pirates Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +170 | 6.5 -125o / 105u | -135 |
Cubs vs Pirates Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Cade Horton (CHC) | Stat | RHP Paul Skenes (PIT) |
|---|---|---|
| 10-4 | W-L | 10-9 |
| 2.0 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 6.2 |
| 2.70/3.99 | ERA /xERA | 1.92/2.52 |
| 3.63/4.31 | FIP / xFIP | 2.35/3.03 |
| 1.11 | WHIP | 0.92 |
| 12.8% | K-BB% | 23.7% |
| 43.8% | GB% | 44.4% |
| 96 | Stuff+ | 107 |
| 100 | Location+ | 112 |
Collin Whitchurch’s Cubs vs Pirates Prediction, Betting Analysis
My best bet today is on the Cubs. We’ve faded the Pirates during Paul Skenes’s starts plenty this season. He’s almost certainly going to win the NL Cy Young, but he’s just 10–9 this season. More importantly, the Pirates are only 16–14 in his starts, despite his brilliance.
Fading Skenes is dangerous because he typically delivers five-plus innings with just one or two runs allowed. The real question is whether the Pirates’ offense can provide enough support.
But the primary reason for fading Skenes today is workload management. Entering this start, he has 178 innings pitched, recently cleared 200 strikeouts, and likely has only two starts left this season. Last time out, the Pirates pulled him after just five innings and 64 pitches, despite the fact he was throwing a shutout with eight strikeouts.
Interim manager Don Kelly has openly stated the team wants to keep Skenes healthy down the stretch, and Skenes himself has acknowledged the same.
On the other side, Cade Horton has been solid for the Cubs lately. Given the quality of Pittsburgh's offense (the lack of quality, I should say), Horton should be able to keep the game close while Skenes is on the mound. Once we get to the bullpens, the Cubs are clearly the superior side.
It’s fun getting an 86-win team at plus money against a weaker 65-win team. This happened a couple of times this year.
Pick: Cubs ML (+115, bet365)
