MLB Betting – Cubs Throttle Pirates on Saturday Afternoon

A pair of NL Central Division rivals are set to go at it in the second of their three-game weekend series at Wrigley Field where the Pittsburgh pirates and Chicago Cubs will square off for the fifth time this season.

The Pirates entered Friday afternoon’s contest losers of four in a row after it got swept at home by the Cincinnati Reds. The Buccos have won just five of their 16 road games to date (-$94).

Last MLB bettors saw Chicago, it avoided an embarrassing home sweep at the hands of the Florida Marlins after it grabbed the 4-3 win in the series finale on Thursday. The Cubs have not made the most of their 16 home games going just 8-8 on the young season. Chicago enters Friday’s game the worst bet in all of baseball (-$1137).

Pittsburgh just swept Chicago at PNC Park for the first time since 2006, and today’s game will be a pitching rematch from the first game of that series.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs

Game Date/Time: Saturday, May 15th, 2:20 ET
Game Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
TV Broadcast: FOX – Pittsburgh, Comcast (Chicago), XM Radio

Lefty Paul Maholm will take to the starting bump for the seventh time this season looking to bounce back from the shortest outing he’s churned out since September of 2007.

He lasted just 3.1 innings against the Cardinals at home last Sunday after allowing six hits and four ER’s while striking out two and walking three. A 54-pitch fourth inning blew up his pitch count, and the veteran of the Pirates staff was forced to take his third loss of the season.

He’s 2-3 overall with a 4.61 ERA & 1.56 WHIP allowing 45 hits and 21 ER’s with a K/BB ratio of 23/19 through 41 total IP. He outdueled Ryan Dempster in the Pirates 3-2 win back on May 4th.

Ryan Dempster was in line to secure his fifth straight quality start his last time out in Cincinnati, but Reds 1B Joey Votto launched his 112th pitch of the game into the GAB bleachers to give the Reds the 5-3 lead. After the Cubs failed to do anything the rest of the game, Dempster was saddled with his third loss of the season.

The righty enters his sixth start of the season 2-3 with a 3.44 ERA & 1.07 WHIP allowing 39 hits and 19 ER’s with a K/BB ratio of 46/14 through 49.2 total innings of work. He’s pitched through the seventh inning in each of his L/5 starts.

Before this season’s loss, Dempster had led the Cubs to victories in five of his previous six starts against the Pirates.

MLB Baseball Insider Tip: Chicago is 15-5 the L/20 times they’ve welcomes Pittsburgh into beautiful Wrigley Field, and they’ve won 27 of the L/38 overall meetings regardless of venue.

The Cubs have a score to settle with the division rival Buccos after they swept them right out of PNC 10 days ago.

Pittsburgh’s current line-up has done absolutely nothing against Dempster save for Andy LaRoche who’s 5-for-13 in 18 overall at bats (.385). The story’s not quite the same for Chicago as Derrick Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Theriot, Alfonso Soriano, and Geovany Soto all boast batting averages of at least .333 against Maholm.

Saturday’s forecast for the Pirates is gloomy at best, so look for the Cubs to take the second game of this MLB betting series in dominating fashion.

My MLB Prediction: Chicago Cubs (Dempster)