Cubs vs Pirates Picks and Prediction – 4/30/2025

The Chicago Cubs play the second game of a three-game series on the road Wednesday versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Chicago is 17-12 following a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. Chicago lost two out of three to Philadelphia in its just-completed series, but the Cubs lead the National League Central by one game over the Cincinnati Reds. Keep up to date with all the MLB action with our expert MLB picks.

Kyle Tucker is batting .289 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, 33 hits, and an on-base percentage of .397 to lead Chicago in all five categories. Seiya Suzuki is second in home runs with six. Chicago is batting .260 with a .444 slugging percentage. On Wednesday, Chicago will send Matthew Boyd to the mound. The left-hander is 2-2 with a 2.54 ERA, 24 Ks, and 10 BBs.

The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped to 11-18 following a 9-2 loss on Sunday to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pittsburgh lost two out of three to Los Angeles over the weekend, and the Pirates have dropped three of the last four. Pittsburgh is struggling at the plate, scoring an average of just 3.51 runs per game. The Pirates are six games behind first-place Chicago in the NL Central.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa is batting .280 to lead Pittsburgh. Oneil Cruz is the leader in home runs with eight, RBI with 16, and on-base percentage at .366. Bryan Reynolds is the leader in hits with 27. Pittsburgh is batting .224 with a .341 slugging percentage. On Wednesday, the Pirates will send Carmen Mlodzinski to the mound. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 6.95 ERA, 18 Ks, and 9 BBs.

Chicago will win on Wednesday, but the play here is OVER. The OVER has cashed in seven of the Cubs’ last 8 played in Pittsburgh and in five of the Cubs’ last six overall versus the Cubs. Chicago starter Matthew Boyd was hit hard last time out, allowing three runs on 10 hits across six innings. Pittsburgh starter Carmen Mlodzinski has been hit hard in three straight appearances, allowing 12 runs on 19 hits across 13.1 innings. Final Score Prediction: Chicago Cubs win but our best play is OVER 7-5.