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The Washington Nationals will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates at beautiful PNC Park in the second contest of a four-game series on Friday night. Check out our MLB odds series, where our Nationals-Pirates prediction and pick will be made. Let the games begin!
The Nationals are coming off a brutal 9-4 loss at the hands of the Pirates on Thursday, as Washington got off to a hot start in the first inning by going up 3-0, but were outscored by Pittsburgh 9-1 the rest of the way. The ‘Nats will give the nod to 29-year-old Erick Fedde from Las Vegas, as he pitched five innings on Apr. 10th in a win versus the Mets. Fedde was rather productive, as he only gave up two runs while fanning five batters in a no-decision.
The Pirates have been an up and down bunch to start off the 2022 campaign, but are coming off their first two-game winning streak and have improved to 3-3. Pittsburgh sends right-handed hurler Mitch Keller to the rubber, as he would love to right his wrongs coming off a shaky debut to his season six days prior. Keller is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA to begin the 2022 MLB campaign.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Nationals-Pirates MLB odds:
MLB Odds: Nationals-Pirates Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-196)
Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (+162)
Over: 9 (-114)
Under: 9 (-106)
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Why the Nationals Could Cover the Spread
After finishing 2021 with a record of 65-97 and barely avoiding the dreaded 100 loss mark, the Nationals have looked like a similar team at times so far through eight games into the young season. At 3-5, Washington ranks as the 20th team in the majors with a .220 batting average and are even worse in slugging percentage at 27th with a .317 mark, but have surprisingly been able to generate a decent amount of runs. With 30 runs scored, Washington is technically a top-ten squad in crossing the plate, as the Nationals have the ninth-most runs to their name within Major League Baseball.
If it wasn't for the slumping outfield, then Washington could be telling a different story at the plate. The ‘Nats need more production from one of their main hitting pieces in OF Victor Robles, as the 24-year-old playmaker is in a deep rut at the dish. Robles is 0 for his last 15 with six strikeouts, as manager Dave Martinez elected to give his centerfielder the day off on Thursday in order for him to clear his head and get back to the basics.
While the Nats' offense needs to show up in a big way on Friday, the outcome of this National League matchup will come down to pitching. If Fedde can have a repeat of his recent success like he did against a more than decent New York Mets lineup, then he should have no issues in remaining prolific versus a lesser Pirates group. The key will be for Fedde to find the strike zone early and often, especially in the first pitches of at-bats.
Why the Pirates Could Cover the Spread
Well, have you heard the Pirates have gone streaking? While Pittsburgh's 2021 record was even worse than Washington's at 61-101, the Pirates' expectations could not be any lower and any sign of improvement in 2022 will go a long way in shortening the rebuilding process in the Steel City.
While the Pirates may be the worst among the professional teams in Pittsburgh, there are still glimmers of hope within the roster that can provide even the most depressed of fans some excitement. On Thursday, one of the key contributors in Pittsburgh avoided arbitration, as Bryan Reynolds signed a two-year, $13.5 million-dollar contract to remain in the black and yellow. In fitting fashion shortly after the signing, Reynolds is already holding up his end of the deal by smacking a two-run homer while finding his way on base on four separate occasions in the 9-4 rout over Washington yesterday.
Reynolds has been terrific for the most through six games played, as the left-fielder is slashing .280 while already having a pair of home runs to his name. In fact, the Pirates as a whole have experienced some sort of offensive explosion thus far, as they are 2nd in the league in batting average, 4th in on-base percentage, and 4th in slugging percentage.
It has become clear that the Pirates are going to find ways to rip the cover off of the baseball, so a quality start from RHP Mitch Keller will be the X-factor in whether or not Pittsburgh covers the spread. If Keller can have a bounce-back game by keeping the baseball in the park and avoiding free passes to first base, then the Pirates may be in line to win their third straight contest.
Final Nationals-Pirates Prediction & Pick
The bats stay hot in Pittsburgh! The Pirates find a way to get to Fedde early, and won't have any trouble in coming up short in this one. The Nationals must walk the plank on Friday evening!
Final Nationals-Pirates Pick: Pirates -1.5 (+162)
