Cubs vs. Pirates MLB Prediction and Betting Insights for April 10, 2026 The Chicago Cubs will host the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-game series starting on Friday, April 10, 2026. The matchup, set for 2:20 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field, features two teams with contrasting records. The Pirates enter the series with a 7-5 overall record, having split their last four games and posting a 3-3 road record. The Cubs, meanwhile, sit at 6-6, with a 3-3 home record in 2026. The game will be highlighted by the starting pitching matchup, with Chicago’s Shota Imanaga (0-1, 4.50 ERA) facing Pittsburgh’s Carmen Mlodzinski (0-0, 4.00 ERA). Imanaga has allowed just one earned run in 26 innings against the Pirates this season, while Mlodzinski has yet to record a win in 2026. The Cubs are favored on the money line at -143, meaning bettors would need to wager $143 to win $100, while the Pirates are listed at +120. The over/under total for the game is set at 6.5 runs. SportsLine’s Projection Model, which has historically performed well in MLB betting, simulated the game 10,000 times and concluded the total would likely exceed 6.5 runs. The model’s analysis suggests the Pirates have a strong chance to push the total over, as they’ve gone Over in four of their last five games. The Cubs, meanwhile, have also leaned toward the Over in five of their last six Friday games. The model’s projections for individual player performance add depth to the prediction. For the Pirates, Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, and Ryan O’Hearn are expected to collectively contribute over 1.8 total bases, while the Cubs’ Alex Bregman and Michael Busch are projected to exceed 1.7 total bases. The model’s simulation also indicated a high likelihood of the total runs surpassing 8.7, with the Over hitting 71% of the time.#wrigley_field #cubs #pirates #shota_imanaga #carmen_mlodzinski
