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The Chicago Cubs will play host to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. The Cubs defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Sunday, completing the sweep to improve to 38-57 this season.
Looking at the Pirates, they now sit at 40-56 this year after their 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Miami Marlins on Sunday. Chicago has been poor at home this season, sporting just a 20-25 record as hosts. The good news for them is that they're riding an impressive four-game winning streak, and they're playing a team equally as bad as themselves.
"Cubs win! Cubs SWEEP! Final: #Cubs 4, Phillies 3." - Cubs
Adrian Sampson will be taking the mound Monday for the Cubs. He is 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA as a starter through five starts this season. Last time out, Sampson threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs while fanning just one batter. Recently the right-hander has been better, giving up just six earned runs in his last 16.33 innings.
The Pirates offense ranks third worst in runs per game and OPS, so expect Sampson to string together another decent outing on Monday.
"...Good on him for turning that into a 3.33 ERA. That's a mighty tough draw." - Michael Cerami
J.T. Brubaker will be taking the mound Monday. He is 2-8 with a 4.02 ERA this season. In his previous outing, Brubaker went seven innings, giving up three hits and no earned runs, while striking out nine. Lately, Brubaker has been more consistent, surrendering just three earned runs in his last 12 innings. Look for him to try and neutralize the Cubs' momentum in the opener.
Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Match Details
Fixture: Pittsburgh Pirates @ Chicago Cubs
Date & Time: Monday, July 25, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Odds
Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Best Picks
Christopher Morel will be taking his cuts against Brubaker on Monday. Versus righties this year, he has been very solid, holding a .902 OPS. Morel also has a 0.902 OPS at home. Even though he's projected at the bottom of the order, he should record at least one base knock in this one.
Pick: Christopher Morel Over 0.5 Total Bases (-130)
Adrian Sampson has faced some strong hitting teams in his past few starts, but he'll have a much weaker Pittsburgh offense to handle on Monday. The Pirates have just 17 total hits in their last three games, so expect Sampson to limit base runners tonight.
Pick: Adrian Sampson Under 5.5 Hits Allowed (-110)
Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Prediction
The Cubs are hot right now and the Pirates have been struggling recently. Look for the home team to ride the momentum from the last series to take Monday's series opener.
Prediction: Cubs -1.5 (+135)
