Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates goes Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 6:40 PM ET from PNC Park, with Pirates ace Paul Skenes facing Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga and Pittsburgh a slim home favorite in the BettorEdge community market. The draw is the pitching: the hardest-throwing right-hander in baseball, fresh off seven innings and eight strikeouts, against the one lefty who has quietly made this Pittsburgh lineup disappear. It is the middle game of a three-game NL Central set, and the Cubs already lead it after stealing the opener in extra innings. Below you get first pitch and how to watch, the pitching matchup, form and injuries on both sides, the head-to-head, the community odds with the real numbers, our best bets, and a confident pick.
Quick comparison
| Chicago Cubs | Pittsburgh Pirates | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 58-45 (2nd, NL Central) | 53-51 (3rd, NL Central) |
| Last game | Won 3-2 at Pittsburgh (10 inn) | Lost 3-2 to Chicago (10 inn) |
| Probable starter | Shota Imanaga (6-8, 3.91 ERA) | Paul Skenes (8-8, 3.57 ERA) |
| Key bats | Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki | Bryan Reynolds, Ryan O'Hearn, Nick Gonzales |
| Injury watch | Largely healthy in the lineup | Oneil Cruz (hand, 60-day IL) |
| Community moneyline | +114 | -122 |
Match: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates, MLB NL Central
First pitch: Saturday, July 25, 2026, 6:40 PM ET (5:40 PM CT, 4:40 PM MT, 3:40 PM PT)
Venue: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
Watch: Marquee Sports Network in the Cubs market, SportsNet Pittsburgh in the Pirates market, and MLB.TV out of market subject to blackout rules.
Match overview: date, time, and how to watch
This is a rivalry game with real standings weight. Chicago arrives at 58-45, second in the NL Central and firmly inside the National League playoff picture. Pittsburgh sits at 53-51, third in the division and hanging around the edge of the wild card race. The Cubs took Friday's opener 3-2 in ten innings, so a win here clinches the series with a game to spare, while the Pirates are trying to answer at home behind their best arm.
The Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates game starts Saturday, July 25 at 6:40 PM ET (5:40 PM CT, 4:40 PM MT, 3:40 PM PT). There is no exclusive national window here, so it is a local broadcast: Cubs fans can watch on Marquee Sports Network, Pirates fans on SportsNet Pittsburgh, and anyone outside those two markets can stream it on MLB.TV, where blackout rules apply. Check your provider for the exact channel in your area.
The pitching matchup: Skenes at home, Imanaga's history
Paul Skenes gets the ball for Pittsburgh at 8-8 with a 3.57 ERA and 130 strikeouts. The record is a product of thin run support more than any drop in stuff. His most recent outing was his best of the summer: on July 19 at Cleveland he threw seven innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts on 100 pitches in a 7-1 win that clinched the series, his first start of at least seven innings since May 12. He does this at home, in front of a PNC Park crowd, with a fastball and splinker combination that misses bats at an elite rate. Backing him at even-ish money is never comfortable, and the community number reflects that respect.
Shota Imanaga answers for Chicago at 6-8 with a 3.91 ERA, and the record undersells him too. The reason he is the story on the Cubs side is his history against this exact opponent. Over five career appearances against the Pirates, Imanaga is 2-0 with a 0.28 ERA, allowing one run across 32 innings with 32 strikeouts, seven walks, and just 13 hits, a run that includes a start of six no-hit innings. Small sample or not, no left-hander has given Pittsburgh more trouble. If the Pirates lineup, already down its biggest bat, cannot solve him again, the Cubs will not need many runs.
Form, key hitters, and the injury picture
Chicago has been the steadier team all year and it showed on Friday. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is the engine, a genuine two-way star who hit his 21st home run of the season to tie the opener in the sixth. Shortstop Dansby Swanson delivered the go-ahead single in the tenth, Seiya Suzuki drew a bases-loaded walk for the insurance run, and Ian Happ scored the winner from second. It is a deep, patient lineup, the kind that can grind at-bats against even a front-line starter and make him work.
Pittsburgh's offense has carried the club through the summer, but it is doing it shorthanded. Bryan Reynolds is the anchor, hitting .283 with 14 home runs, 59 RBIs, and an on-base mark that keeps the line moving. Ryan O'Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Nick Gonzales, and the emerging Esmerlyn Valdez have chipped in, but the group is playing without star Oneil Cruz, who is on the 60-day injured list with a hand fracture and is not expected back until at least early August. Losing that kind of thump against a lefty who already suppresses this lineup is the swing factor in the matchup. Always check the official lineup cards before first pitch, since MLB day-to-day statuses can change a few hours out.
Head-to-head and storylines
The most relevant history is one night old. On July 24, 2026, the Cubs beat the Pirates 3-2 in ten innings at PNC Park. Matthew Boyd and Jared Jones traded zeros early, Pittsburgh nudged ahead on a Henry Davis infield single, Pete Crow-Armstrong tied it with his 21st homer in the sixth, and the Cubs pushed across two in the tenth on Swanson's single and Suzuki's bases-loaded walk before holding on. That put Chicago up 1-0 in the series. These NL Central rivals have played a tight, back-and-forth season series, with the Cubs taking recent meetings, so this is familiar, feisty division baseball rather than a mismatch.
Chicago already has the series lead and the more complete roster. Pittsburgh has its ace on the mound and a home crowd, and it needs Skenes to be Skenes.
Stat spotlight
What to watch
- Imanaga's first look at this lineup. He is 2-0 with a 0.28 ERA across five career appearances against Pittsburgh. If the Pirates go quiet early again, the Cubs dictate the whole night.
- The Skenes strikeout count. He fanned eight in his last start, but the Cubs run deep, patient at-bats and put the ball in play, which can shorten an outing and cap the number.
- Life without Cruz. Pittsburgh's biggest power threat is on the 60-day IL with a hand fracture. Against a lefty who already smothers this lineup, that missing thump is the swing factor.
- The bullpens behind the aces. With a total of 8 and two front-line starters, the middle innings should stay tight, so whichever pen blinks first likely decides a one-run game.
Betting odds, market read, and the pick
Here is the BettorEdge community snapshot for Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates. These are community odds, priced by real bettors trading against each other with no built-in house margin, so you get a fair price set by the market rather than one padded with a book's juice. Baseball lines move with lineups, weather, and bullpen news right up to first pitch, so treat these as a snapshot and shop for the best number.
| Market | Chicago Cubs | Pittsburgh Pirates |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +114 | -122 |
| Run line | +1.5 (-129) | -1.5 (+129) |
| Total (O/U) | 8.0 (Over -105, Under -107) | |
| Skenes strikeouts | 6.5 (Over +110, Under -120) | |
Read the moneyline honestly. Pittsburgh at -122 implies winning a little under 55 percent of the time, and Chicago at +114 prices the Cubs as a road side the community sees winning a hair under half the time. That is a tight market for a game started by one of the most dominant pitchers alive, and the reason is context. Skenes is the better individual arm, full stop, but he is opposed by the one lefty who has neutralized this Pittsburgh lineup, and the Pirates are hitting without Oneil Cruz. The Cubs are also the better overall team by five games in the standings and they just won at PNC in extras.
The cleanest read is that the value sits with Chicago. The more complete team, behind the one pitcher who has owned this opponent, is being asked to win close to a coin flip at plus money, and that is a fair ask. Here is how we would actually play it, then one pick to build around.
Best bets
One honest caveat: this is a near coin flip by design, so treat the run line as the anchor and the total and strikeout prop as smaller leans, not convictions. Whatever side you land on, wait for the final lineups, because a scratched bat or a late bullpen note can move this one.
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The Skenes strikeout prop
The most-watched number in this game is Skenes' strikeout line, set at 6.5 in the community market. He cleared it comfortably with eight punchouts in his last start, and his season strikeout rate makes the over a live play in almost every outing. The catch is the opponent: the Cubs run deep, patient at-bats and put the ball in play, which can shorten a start and cap the strikeout count. That tension is why the community keeps the over honest at +110 while pricing the under at -120. On a traditional book you usually pay a tax to sit on the popular over. Here the no-vig market lets you take the side you actually believe without the house skimming the middle.
See every price move in real time. The community board shows the moneyline, run line, total, and player props with real posted money behind them, a signal no sportsbook will show you. Open it, find your number, and post it before the price moves.
Before you bet: run the numbers
Know the real math before you lock anything in. Turn any price into a true win rate with our implied probability calculator, strip the juice to find the fair number with the no-vig calculator, and check your return with the betting calculator. Want the wider slate? The MLB odds hub has community lines across the board. Then take your read to the marketplace and back it at a price a traditional sportsbook will not give you.
Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates FAQ
What time is the Cubs vs Pirates game?
First pitch is Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 6:40 PM ET (5:40 PM CT, 4:40 PM MT, 3:40 PM PT) at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
What channel is Cubs vs Pirates on?
It is a local broadcast: Marquee Sports Network in the Cubs market and SportsNet Pittsburgh in the Pirates market, with MLB.TV available out of market subject to blackout rules. Check your provider for the exact channel.
Who are the starting pitchers for Cubs vs Pirates?
The Pirates start Paul Skenes (8-8, 3.57 ERA, 130 strikeouts) and the Cubs start Shota Imanaga (6-8, 3.91 ERA), a lefty who is 2-0 with a 0.28 ERA in five career starts against Pittsburgh.
Who won the last Cubs vs Pirates game?
Chicago won the series opener 3-2 in ten innings on July 24, 2026 at PNC Park. Pete Crow-Armstrong homered to tie it and Dansby Swanson delivered the go-ahead single in the tenth.
Who is favored in Cubs vs Pirates?
Pittsburgh is a modest home favorite at around -122 in the community market, with Chicago near +114. The total sits at 8 runs.
What is Paul Skenes' strikeout line?
Skenes' strikeout total is set at 6.5 in the community market, with the over near +110 and the under near -120. He struck out eight in his most recent start.
How do I bet on the Cubs vs Pirates game?
Pick your side, moneyline, run line, total, or a prop, and place it on BettorEdge against another real bettor. New here? Verify your ID for $10 to get started with better odds and no house on the other side.
Is betting on BettorEdge legal?
Yes. BettorEdge is a peer-to-peer betting marketplace, legal across 45+ states, with identity verification built in. You are matched against other people, not a book that profits when you lose.
The bottom line
Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates starts Saturday, July 25 at 6:40 PM ET from PNC Park, with Paul Skenes against Shota Imanaga and the Cubs already up 1-0 in the series. Skenes gives Pittsburgh a real edge on the mound, but Imanaga has owned this lineup, the Pirates are without Oneil Cruz, and the community makes the home side only a slim favorite. The value read leans Chicago at plus money or on the run line, with a soft lean to the Under 8. Compare prices before the number moves, pick your side on BettorEdge, verify your ID for $10 to start, and enjoy the Saturday night baseball with your people. Better odds. You keep more.
Bet Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates on BettorEdge
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