Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Predictions for Thursday, May 28, 2026

By: Cameron Ross Published 05/28/2026, 12:40 AM ET

Cubs vs Pirates Game Information

The Chicago Cubs stay on the road Thursday for game 4 of 4 in Pittsburgh against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Chicago Cubs have been mediocre this season, with 30 wins and 26 losses entering Thursday, following a Wednesday victory that ended a lengthy losing streak. The Pittsburgh Pirates remain at home on Thursday with 29 wins and 27 losses, having won 3 of the last 5 after Wednesday’s loss, ending a 3-game winning streak. Stay in the news with our MLB Picks.

Cubs Preview

The Chicago Cubs offense has been below average this season, with a .236 batting average; the team has scored 255 runs on 437 hits. Chicago has a .333 OBP and a .35 team slugging percentage. The Chicago pitching has been the biggest issue with the 4.23 team ERA. Alex Bregman leads the Chicago offense this season with a .259 batting average. Ian Happ has a .212 batting average, along with a team-leading 10 home runs. Nico Hoerner has a .252 batting average and leads Chicago with 31 RBI's this season.

Pirates Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates offense has been solid enough this season, with a .252 batting average. The Pirates have scored 270 runs on 482 hits. Pittsburgh has a .333 OBP and a .391 team slugging percentage. Pittsburgh has a 3.74 team ERA this season, but has allowed 15 total runs across its last 2 losses. Nick Gonzales leads the Pittsburgh offense this season with a .304 batting average. Brandon Lowe has a .269 batting average and leads the team with 14 home runs. O'Neill Cruz has a .265 batting average along with the team-leading 35 RBI's.

Cubs vs Pirates Pitching Matchup

Colin Rea will be on the mound Thursday for the Cubs, looking to stay afloat. Rea is 4-3 with a 4.83 ERA through 54 innings of action this year. Paul Skenes will counter for Pittsburgh. Skenes has been off his game this season with a 6-4 record and a 3.00 ERA through 60 innings of work.

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Cubs vs Pirates vs White Sox Pick

The Pittsburgh Pirates are the better team in this matchup, playing the better baseball as of late. Look for Pittsburgh to ride its ace on Thursday to a needed home victory. Take the Pirates to do the job on both sides of the dish to overwhelm a recently struggling Chicago team and secure the victory. Take Pittsburgh to bounce back from Wednesday's loss with a win at home against the Chicago Cubs.

Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates -175
Secondary: Under 7.5
Lean: Nick Gonzales Over 1.5 Bases

Final Score Prediction: Pittsburgh Pirates win 4-1.

This Preview was completed before Wednesday’s game finished.