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The Yankees visit the Pirates in Pittsburgh! The Yankees have opened the season playing well, while the Pirates have struggled to find much consistency in comparison. This is an intriguing matchup between the two teams in Pittsburgh. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Yankees-Pirates prediction and pick.
Yankees-Pirates Projected Starters
Max Fried vs. Mitch Keller
Max Fried (0-0) with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.93 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed six runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts in a Yankees win.
Mitch Keller (1-0) with a 1.50 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed one run on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Yankees-Pirates Odds
New York Yankees: -1.5 (+112)
Moneyline: -148
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-134)
Moneyline: +126
Over: 7.5 (-115)
Under: 7.5 (-105)
How to Watch Yankees vs. Pirates
Time: 4:12ET/1:12 pm PT
TV: YES Network/SportsNet PT
Article Continues Below
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Why The Yankees Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Yankees were the best team in the AL and one of the best teams in baseball last season, and they had a record of 94-68. They have a 3-2 record to start the season. Their bats were a top-10 unit in the league last season, and they are elite once again to start this year. Their pitching was elite last season, but they have not opened the season playing as well. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe, Aaron Judge, Austin Wells, Cody Bellinger, and Jasson Dominguez have been elite on this offense behind the plate. Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Will Warren have held it down for the Yankees on the mound, and they will be huge for the Yankees all season.
The Yankees are starting Max Fried on the mound, and after one start, he has a 0-0 record, a 3.86 ERA, and a 193 WHIP. He has allowed six runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts through 4.2 innings in a 20-9 Yankees win over the Brewers. He also has a K/BB ratio of two. Fried is a talented pitcher, and he should have a solid matchup against a Pirates offense that should be better but has been unimpressive.
The Yankees' biggest key is the offense; they have been great this year after last season. They had a .248 batting average last season but have been red-hot with a .266 average. Aaron Judge leads the team in almost every batting category this season. Judge leads the team in batting average at .368, in home runs with four, in RBI with 11, in OBP at .455, and in total hits with seven. The Yankees have depth and talent across this offense, but the matchup against Keller is difficult. Still, the Yankees have the advantage here because of how good the offense has been.
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Pirates finished last season with a 76-86 record and started this year with a 2-5 record. They struggled behind the plate and on the mound last year. The bats have gotten off to a slow start this season, but the pitching has been red-hot. Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Tommy Pham have been decent despite some of the team's struggles behind the plate. The pitching staff has been great, with Bailey Falter, Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes, and Andrew Heaney, and they have the makings of one of the best in the MLB this season.
It seems like the Pirates are starting Mitch Keller on the mound. He has a 1-0 record, a 1.50 ERA, and a 1.00 WHIP. He allowed one run on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts through six innings in his first start. He also has a K/BB ratio of four. Mlodzinski does not get the headlines that some of the other pitchers on the roster do, but this is a tough matchup against a Rays offense that has started the year red-hot.
The Pirates' offense has struggled this season. They are 23rd in the MLB in team batting average at .197 after having a batting average of .234 last season. Kiner-Falefa, Cruz, and Adam Frazier lead the team in the most critical batting categories. Kiner-Falefa leads the team in batting average at .333, in OBP at .462, and in total hits at seven. Oneil Cruz leads in home runs with two, and Frazier leads in RBI with four. Fried has a significant advantage on this side of the field because the Pirates have struggled behind the plate to play well on offense.
Final Yankees-Pirates Prediction & Pick
The Yankees are the better team overall, but I trust the Pirates to keep this close and cover at home, mainly due to Keller on the mound. He started the year playing well, and I think he can prevent this from being a bad loss. The Yankees win, but the Pirates cover.
Final Yankee-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates +1.5 (-134)
