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The National League Central-leading Chicago Cubs (69-50) begin a key divisional series against the Pittsburgh Pirates (61-60) on Thursday in what is listed as a pick'em matchup at sportsbooks. The Pirates will be trying to break a three-game losing streak to stay in the playoff race at home Burch Smith Jersey , where they have a 33-29 record this season. MLB betting line: The Cubs opened as -114 favorites (wager $114 to win $100); the total is at 8.5 runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Line updates and matchup report.MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 6.8-4.0, Pirates.MLB picks on every game.Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.Why the Cubs Can Pay on the MLB LinesThe Cubs avoided seeing the Milwaukee Brewers pull to within one game of the division lead Wednesday, when they beat them 8-4 at Wrigley Field to earn a split of their two-game set. Now they have to guard against a letdown after facing the Brewers and Washington Nationals in their past five games.This will be a good test for Chicago ace Jon Lester (12-5, 3.89 ERA), who has struggled since the MLB All-Star break. Lester is winless over his previous five starts Blaine Boyer Jersey , with his ERA rising more than a run from 2.58. Fortunately, he is 2-1 versus Pittsburgh in four outings this season and owns a better record on the road at 7-2 with a 3.48 ERA in 11 starts. That bodes well here. Why the Pirates Can pay on the MLB linesThe Pirates have won two of their past three meetings with the Cubs, and they are 5-6 in the season series overall through the first 11, according to the OddsShark MLB Database. These teams still play four more times at Wrigley in late September, but now is the time for Pittsburgh to go on a positive run in an effort to snag one of the two NL wild-card spots.Ivan Nova (7-6, 4.42 ERA) will toe the rubber opposite Lester, and he has gone 3-0 in his past six outings, with the Pirates winning five times during that stretch. Nova is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in two starts against Chicago this year Trevor Cahill Jersey , and he has performed better at home in 2018, with a 2-3 mark and 3.55 ERA in 10 games.Smart Betting PickThis is a huge game for Lester and the Cubs, who are attempting to win the NL Central for the third season in a row. Milwaukee and the St. Louis Cardinals are squaring off in a three-game series, starting Friday, and both teams have a chance to catch Chicago down the stretch. The Cubs cannot afford to lose in this spot, so look for them to win.MLB Betting TrendsChicago is 4-2 in its past six games on the road.The total has gone under in six of Chicago's past eight games.Pittsburgh is 1-4 in its past five games. All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox played the equivalent of two full baseball games on Friday evening as L.A. beat the American League champions, 2-1 in 18 innings in Game 3 of the World Series. L.A. is now down two games to one.Both teams have a quick turnaround following the seven-hour Melky Cabrera Jersey , 20-minute game as the two sides square off Saturday at 8:09 p.m. ET.Fox will televise the game, with the MLB on Fox Pregame show starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. No postgame is scheduled on Fox or FS1, but MLB Tonight will have an hour-long postgame show on the MLB Network.Here's a quick glance at a few players and things to watch for Game 4. Who and What to WatchWho Starts for Boston?Nathan Eovaldi was going to get the ball for Game 4, but he just threw six-plus innings in relief (after pitching a frame in Games 1 and 2). He will be taking the night off.The Red Sox can send out one oftwo left-handers in Drew Pomeranz or Eduardo Rodriguez. However, Pomeranz has a 6.09 ERA, and Rodriguez has a 5.40 ERA in September after missing a month-and-a-half with an ankle injury. He also allowed five earned runs each in two of his September starts.Rodriguez is the stronger option of the two. Despite the rough end to his regular season, the 25-year-old had a 3.82 ERA and punched out 146 batters in 129.2 innings. He pitched on Friday, but Rodriguez was on the mound for a six-pitch strikeout only before exiting. Baseball analyst Peter Gammons noted that Rodriguez is still well-rested:Peter Gammons pgammoEduardo Rodriguez has thrown 9 pitches since Oct. 17Manager Alex Cora's best bet is to send out Rodriguez and see how long he can go. ESPN Fantasy Baseball writer Tristan H. Cockcroft backed Rodriguez over Pomeranz and noted how many innings he thought E-Rod could provide:Tristan H. Cockcroft SultanofStatIncidentally http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey , I鈥檇 be going with Eduardo Rodriguez tonight if I had my pick, with the hopes of getting maybe 3-4 innings. Asking Drew Pomeranz to provide that after so much time off seems like a bad idea.Pomeranz hasn't started a game since July 31 and hasn't pitched since September 30. That's a lot of time off, but the Sox may need to turn to him at some point, especially if this game goes to extra innings again. If he somehow recaptures his solid 2017 form (3.32 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 173.2 innings), then that will be a massive bonus for the Sox.Can Some Hitters Break From Their Slumps?Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts went hitless in eight Game 3 at-bats and now has just one hit and one intentional walk in 16 plate appearances.Boston second baseman Ian Kinsler is 1-for-10 with three strikeouts, and third baseman Rafael Devers is 1-for-9.Boston's biggest problem isn't the bats right now, though, as the team must figure out how to piece together a Game 4 win with their exhausted pitching staff.The L.A. side has some cold hitters Ian Kinsler Jersey , and that may be the team's biggest concern.Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson are both 1-for-10, Chris Taylor is hitless in nine at-bats and Matt Kemp and Enrique Hernandez each have just one hit. Only one Dodger with 10 or more World Series plate appearances is hitting above .231 (third baseman Justin Turner at .294).The Dodger bats may break out Saturday as the Red Sox figure out a way to navigate Game 4 under difficult circumstances. L.A. is still one of the best hitting teams in baseball, as the Dodgers were third in the league in OPS behind only the Red Sox and New York Yankees.L.A. was No. 1 in the National League in runs, homers, RBI and OPS, and that was with slugging shortstop Manny Machado a member of the Baltimore Orioles for the better part of four months.Look for some Dodgers to break out Saturday.