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Starting Friday night, the Chicago Cubs travel to western Pennsylvania for a three-game set with the Pirates.
There’s a lot of excitement surrounding this series because Pittsburgh is sending 2023 top pick Paul Skenes to the mound for his Major League debut on Saturday.
However, another fireballer will look to shut down the Cubs in the opener on Friday as Jared Jones makes the start.
Jones is tied for fifth in the National League in strikeouts with 52, coming off a 10-K performance against Colorado.
The Cubs finished off a six-game homestand with a loss to the Padres, dropping two of three in the series. San Diego shut out Chicago, 3-0, on Wednesday, marking only the second time this season the Cubs have been blanked.
Heading to the hill for Chicago will be Javier Assad, who owns a 3-0 mark and 1.66 ERA this season. Assad is coming off his second scoreless outing after tossing six innings in a 5-0 victory over the Brewers last Sunday.
The Cubs have not won consecutive starts made by Assad this season, even though he has not allowed more than two earned runs in any appearance.
Chicago won six of the final seven visits to PNC Park last season, which included a 10-1 rout with Assad on the mound.
Considering Assad’s success this season and the Pirates’ 8-19 mark in their last 27 games, it’s a formula to back the Cubs as a road underdog in Friday’s series opener.
Pick: Cubs moneyline (+115, BetMGM)
