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The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road to take on the New York Yankees on Friday night. Below we will continue our MLB odds series as we hand out a Pirates-Yankees prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Pirates-Yankees Projected Starters
Jared Jones vs. Carlos Rodon
Jared Jones (6-8) with a 4.14 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 117.1 innings pitched, 125K/37BB, .231 oBA
Last Start: at Cincinnati Reds: Loss, 5 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
2024 Road Splits: 9 starts, 5.96 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 48.1 innings pitched, 52K/13BB, .250 oBA
Carlos Rodon (16-9) with a 3.98 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 169.2 innings pitched, 190K/53BB, .235 oBA
Last Start: at Oakland Athletics: Win, 6 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
2024 Home Splits: 13 starts, 3.09 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 75.2 innings pitched, 86K/23BB, .202 oBA
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Yankees Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-150)
Moneyline: +136
New York Yankees: -1.5 (+125)
Moneyline: -162
Over: 7.5 (-120)
Under: 7.5 (-102)
How to Watch Pirates vs. Yankees
Time: 7:05 PM ET/4:05 PM PT
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh, YES Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Pirates need to hit the ball well. Jared Jones is not finishing the season well, so the Pirates have to hit the ball to win this game. The good news is the Pirates are a better team against left-handed pitching. They hit for a higher average, a higher slugging percentage, and they are just overall better. Facing Rodon will not be easy for the Pirates, but with him being a left-hander, the Pirates have a great chance to do some damage.
Keeping the Yankees lineup in check is going to be huge. Yes, Jones is not throwing the ball well, but he has a lot of talent. Jones throws the ball hard, and his offspeed is actually good. He is in the 84th percentile in whiff percentage, and 72nd percentile in chase percentage. If opposing teams are not careful, Jones is the type of pitcher to strike out 10+ batters. If he is at his best in this game, which is his final start of 2024, the Pirates will win.
Why The Yankees Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Yankees have a dangerous lineup, and that is going to be evident in this game. With Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and the rest of the guys, the Yankees are going to put up runs in this game. New York is a top team in slugging percentage, and their outs are loud. Jared Jones has been really struggling since returning to the mound, so the Yankees have a good matchup. If New York can continue to hit the ball well, they will lock up the top seed in the AL.
Carlos Rodon is the pitcher the Yankees hoped he would be when signing him. He is pitching well this season, and his September is very solid. This month, Rodon has made four starts. In those starts, Rodon has thrown 23.1 innings, struck out 29, walked 6, allowed just 17 hits, and he has a 1.93 ERA. The Pirates are not a good hitting team, so Rodon should be able to shut down Pittsburgh in this game.
Final Pirates-Yankees Prediction & Pick
This is a good pitching matchup, but Carlos Rodon has just been the better pitcher. He is hot at the right time, and the Yankees need him to continue that. I will be taking the Yankees to not only win this game but cover the spread, as well.
Final Pirates-Yankees Prediction & Pick: Yankees -1.5 (+125)
