Game Breakdown: Pirates vs Cubs Head-to-Head Insights 9/13/2026

Pittsburgh Pirates logo

Pittsburgh Pirates

@
Chicago Cubs logo

Chicago Cubs

+135O/U: 7
(-110/-110)
-155

Pittsburgh Pirates Insights

  • Bubba Chandler – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+115/-145)
    Despite conventional wisdom, fastballs are typically a pitcher’s least effective pitch. Bubba Chandler has used his fastball a lot this year, though: 56.5% of the time, checking in at the 100th percentile.
    Explain: Fastballs are the one easiest pitches to hit and generate few strikeouts, so pitchers who rely too heavily on them tend to be less effective than they otherwise would be.
  • Billy Cook – Over/Under Total Bases
    Billy Cook is an extreme flyball batter and matches up with the strong outfield defense of Chicago (#1-best of all teams on the slate).
    Explain: This player’s skill set matches up poorly with the opposing team’s defensive strength, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.
  • Ryan O’Hearn – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-150/+120)
    Ryan O’Hearn has an 87th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (35%) and will have a big advantage hitting them in the direction of the game’s 7th-shallowest LF fences in today’s game.
    Explain: This player’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.

Chicago Cubs Insights

  • Chicago Cubs – Moneyline (-155)
    Out of all the teams playing today, the strongest infield defense is that of the the Chicago Cubs.
    Explain: Defense is an integral part of preventing hits and runs.
  • Alex Bregman – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-180/+140)
    In the last 7 days, Alex Bregman’s Barrel% has experienced a negative regression, plummeting from his seasonal rate of 5.7% down to 0%.
    Explain: Barrel% measures how often a player hits the ball at the optimal exit velocity and launch angle and is a terrific measure of underlying power.
  • Chicago Cubs – Moneyline (-155)
    The 5th-best projected offense of all teams today in terms of overall batting ability is that of the the Chicago Cubs.
    Explain: A pitcher who faces a strong opposing offense will be more likely to underperform his usual performance, particularly in terms of hits and runs, in that game.

Betting Trends

  • Over/Under 7.0 Game Total (-110/-110)
    The Chicago Cubs have hit the Game Total Over in 15 of their last 24 games (+6.40 Units / 24% ROI)
  • Pittsburgh Pirates – Over/Under 1.5 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total (+100/-130)
    The Pittsburgh Pirates have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 14 of their last 18 games (+10.60 Units / 52% ROI)
  • Rafael Flores – Over/Under 1.5 Hits Runs and RBIs (+125/-160)
    Rafael Flores has hit the Hits Runs and RBIs Under in 14 of his last 20 away games (+7.00 Units / 27% ROI)