Pirates vs. Cubs line, odds, start time, picks, best bets for Friday's National League Central matchup from proven model

The Pittsburgh Pirates (20-25) and the Chicago Cubs (25-20) meet in the second of a four-game series on Friday. The Pirates earned a 5-4 win on Thursday to even the season series at 2-2. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks (0-3, 10.04 ERA) will start for Chicago, while rookie right-hander Paul Skenes (0-0, 6.75 ERA) takes the mound for Pittsburgh.

First pitch is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET from Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Pirates are the -119 money line favorite (risk $119 to win $100) in the latest Pirates vs. Cubs odds, while Chicago is a -101 underdog. The over/under for total runs scored is 7.5. Before you make any Pirates vs. Cubs picks or MLB predictions, you need to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It enters Week 7 of the 2024 MLB season on a profitable 115-91 run on top-rated MLB picks dating back to last season, and it has excelled on top-rated run-line picks during that span, going 20-8 (+708). Anybody following has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows Chicago center fielder Cody Bellinger has been on a tear of late, with hits in eight of the past 10 games, including a 4-for-5 performance with two doubles, a homer and one RBI in a 7-2 win at Pittsburgh on May 10. He was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk in Wednesday's 7-1 win at Atlanta. In Thursday's loss to the Pirates, he doubled in a run. In 31 games this season, he is batting .262 with five doubles, one triple, seven homers and 22 RBI.

The model also knows right fielder Connor Joe has been a sparkplug for the Pirates. In 38 games this season, he is batting .285 with six homers, 22 RBI and 24 runs scored. He was 1-for-4 on Thursday against the Cubs and has a double, two homers and five RBI against them this season in three appearances. In 25 career games against Chicago, he is hitting .379 with eight doubles, one triple, six homers and 17 RBI.

The model has simulated Pirates vs. Cubs 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you the model is leaning Over on the run total, predicting a combined 9.9 runs, and it also says one side of the money line has ALL the value!

Who wins Pirates vs. Cubs, and which side of the money line has ALL the value? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the money line you should be all over, all from the model on a 115-91 roll on top-rated MLB picks!