Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 9/15/25, 3:15 PM  by Lou Aguila in MLB Picks

The Chicago Cubs are only 34-40 against the spread this season.

DraftKings offers a payout of $228 per $100 bet if the Cubs win by at least two runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Chicago is 7-3 against Pittsburgh in their last 10 head-to-head games.

Current Form:

After taking two out of three games against the Tampa Bay Rays at home, the Cubs will begin a 7-game road trip on Monday against the Pirates. With an 85-64 record, the Cubs inch closer to locking up at least a wild-card spot in the National League. Chicago boasts one of the best ERAs in baseball at 3.86 (10th in the league) while its slugging percentage of .427 ranks 7th in the MLB. Starter Jameson Taillon, who surrendered two earned runs over 4.1 innings in the Cubs’ 3-2 win over Atlanta, will hit the mound in Game 1.

The Pirates blew a 3-0 lead in Sunday’s 3-4 loss to the Washington Nationals, losing the series in the process. Pittsburgh, last in the NL Central with a 65-85 record, has lost 8 of its last 10 games. In this 10-game stretch, they have averaged 2.7 runs per game on a .190 batting average. Although they have managed to maintain a rock-solid 3.68 ERA, the lack of offensive firepower has prevented the Pirates from achieving a competitive record in this 10-game spell. On Monday, Pittsburgh will pin its hopes on Braxton Ashcraft, who sports a 4-1 record with a 0.96 ERA in his last five starts.