Pirates vs. Cubs prediction and odds for Thursday, June 15 (Trust Marcus Stroman)

Marcus Stroman has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball during the 2023 season, and he’s got a chance to keep that strong stretch going on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

This is the series finale between the Chicago Cubs and Pirates, and Pittsburgh will send veteran lefty Rich Hill (6-5, 4.23 ERA) to the mound. 

Stroman (7-4, 2.42 ERA) has led the Cubs to an 8-6 record in his 14 starts, but is he the pitcher to trust in this matchup? 

Here are the latest odds and my best bet for Thursday’s NL Central matchup: 

Pirates vs. Cubs odds, run line and total

Pirates vs. Cubs prediction and pick

It’s hard to find a more consistent pitcher than Stroman this season. 

He’s allowed two or fewer runs in 12 of his 14 starts this season, and he’s posted a 1.26 ERA over his last five games. 

Hill has been solid as well in the month of June, giving up just three runs and 11 hits in 13.2 innings over his last two starts. 

However, this could be a tough matchup for him in Chicago. 

The Cubs are eighth in Major League Baseball in OPS against left-handed pitching, and Hill has put together some rough outings as well in the 2023 season. 

To end May, he gave up 16 hits and 11 runs across two starts against the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants. 

I’ll trust Stroman to lead Chicago to a win on Thursday. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.