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The Dodgers make the trip to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates! These two teams are playing differently, with the Dodgers being red-hot and the Pirates struggling to find consistency as a team. Our MLB odds series has our Dodgers-Pirates prediction, odds, and pick for Wednesday.
The Dodgers were the team that everyone was talking about before the season. They currently have a 38-23 record and have won five out of their last six games and two straight heading into this series. Their offense and pitching are both currently top-10 units in the MLB. On offense, there are stars galore with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Max Muncy. Their pitching is then led by Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and James Paxton on the mound. They got back on track recently and are red-hot heading into this series against the Pirates.
The Pirates have started the season being inconsistent at 27-32, and they have been alternating wins and losses recently. They have struggled behind the plate, but their pitching has been solid and just over the middle of the pack this season. Connor Joe, Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, and Jack Suwinski have been solid behind the plate despite the offense as a whole struggling at times. Bailey Falter, Jared Jones, and Mitch Keller have been solid for the pitching staff. It is also worth noting that Paul Skenes has started four games and has been great in that capacity so far. The Pirates have not been able to find any consistency so far this season and it does not get easier against the Dodgers.
Dodgers-Pirates Projected Starters
James Paxton vs. Paul Skenes
James Paxton (5-0) with a 3.29 ERA and 1.38 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched three innings and gave up zero runs on two hits with zero walks and three strikeouts in a Dodgers win.
2024 Road Splits: (3-0), 3.68 ERA
Paul Skenes (2-0) with a 2.45 ERA and 0.91 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched six innings and gave up two runs on three hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in a Pirates win.
2024 Home Splits: (0-0), 3.60 ERA
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Pirates Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+155)
Moneyline: -104
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-188)
Moneyline: -112
Over: 8.5 (-11)
Under: 8.5 (-110)
Article Continues Below
How to Watch Dodgers vs. Pirates
Time: 6:40 pm ET
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh / Spectrum SportsNet
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Dodgers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Dodgers are starting James Paxton on the mound where he has a 5-0 record, a 3.29 ERA, and a 1.38 WHIP. Through 49 innings, the 35-year-old has allowed 19 runs on 44 hits with 28 walks and 31 strikeouts. The Dodgers are 8-2 in the 10 games that he has started in this season. Paxton has had a solid season for the Dodgers on the mound but has not been a difference-maker. He still gets a favorable matchup against a struggling Pirates offense behind the plate, which plays into his favor.
The Dodgers have the most talent on offense in the MLB, but they have dipped a bit recently with a .253 batting average, which is fourth in the league. This is after they finished with a .257 batting average last year before all of the additions they made. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Teoscar Hernandez lead the way in most of the important batting categories. Ohtani leads the way in batting average at .322 and in home runs at 14. Betts then leads the way in OBP at .412 and in total hits at 76. Hernandez also leads the way in total RBI at 38. The Dodgers have so much depth on offense, but they get a tough matchup against rookie sensation Paul Skenes.
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Pirates are starting Paul Skenes on the mound in this game and he has a 2-0 record, a 2.45 ERA, and a 0.91 WHIP. Through 22 innings, he has allowed six runs on 15 hits with five walks and 30 strikeouts. He has started four games this season, and the Pirates have gone 3-1. Paul Skenes had so many expectations as a rookie coming in as the top pick and so far he has played great and lived up to expectations. This is a massive challenge against the Dodgers and their all-star lineup of bats for the young rookie.
The offense for the Pirates has struggled this season. They are 25th in the MLB in team batting average at .229 after having a team batting average of .239 last season. Connor Joe, Andrew McCutchen, and Bryan Reynolds are the leaders in almost every batting category. Joe leads in batting average at .280 and in OBP at .354. McCutchen leads the way in home runs, while Reynolds leads the way in RBI at 32 and in total hits at 60. This offense gets a tough matchup against James Paxton on the mound, who has been very good when needed for the Dodgers on the mound.
Final Dodgers-Pirates Prediction & Pick
The Dodgers are head and shoulders the better team in this matchup. However, ride with the rookie sensation in Skenes to keep it close. The Dodgers are still great on offense and Paxton is solid, but Skenes has been red-hot out of the gate and should help the Pirates cover at home, even if the Dodgers win.
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Final Dodgers-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Pirates +1.5 (-188)
