The Pittsburgh Pirates have won seven in a row as they host the Los Angeles Dodgers. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Dodgers-Pirates prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The Pirates are leading their division and sitting at 16-7 on the year. The hot start is a little bit surprising, but the team is rolling right now, coming off of sweeps of the Reds and Pirates. Max Muncy started slow for the Dodgers but has been hot as of late. He is heading to the paternity list though, and the Dodgers will need to replace that bat. They come in after taking three of four against the Cubs and look to take over the top spot in the NL West.
Here are the Dodgers-Pirates MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Pirates Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+132)
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-160)
Over: 8.5 (-118)
Under: 8.5 (-104)
How To Watch Dodgers vs. Pirates
TV: SNLA/ATTP
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 6:35 PM ET/ 3:35 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
The Dodgers have won four of their last six to get back over .500 for the year. They have done a good job scoring this year, with 121 runs, tied for fourth in the majors. They are not hitting wonderfully though, as they are hitting just .229 as a team, which is 25th in MLB. LA has walked a league-high 107 times on the year, which brings their on-base percentage to .327 on the year. Pitching has not been up to snuff though. The Dodgers have a team ERA of 4.37 which is 19th in MLB. The bullpen has been bad, with a 5.05 ERA as a bullpen, and just four saves on the year.
In the hittin' department, among qualified batters, only James Ouitman is hitting over .311, and with his 10 walks on the year, he has an on-base percentage of .400. He has 19 RBIs on the season with seven home runs, but will need to continue to boost that production with Muncy out. Freddie Freeman could also be a help there. While he is hitting .281 with an OBP of .369, he has just seven RBIs on the year. Most of those are coming on his three home runs this year. Freeman has power and normally drives in a lot more runs, so if he can get back to form, that could be a replacement for Muncy as well.
The Dodgers may need to lean heavier on Brusdar Graterol and Shelby Miller out of the pen. They have been the two best bullpen arms on the season, both with ERAs below 2.6 and both have already pitched more than ten innings. Also, unlike most of the bullpen, they have yet to give up home runs on the year. Neither of them has a WHIP below 1.00, but both have been able to get out of jams. The other option is to see their starters go later into games.
That task will fall to Noah Syndergaard. In four starts this year he has gotten through six innings twice, but he is currently 0-3 on the season. In the last three starts, he has given up two or more runs in each of them, including home runs in each of them. He has not been terrible but has not been getting the run support needed to win games. Last time out it was just 74 pitches in the six innings, so if he can be efficient again, he could go deep enough to help the Dodgers out.
Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread
The Pirates are off to their best start since 1992. Last night it was Vince Velasquez getting them the win. He has three quality starts in a row now, allowing just three earned runs in the past 19 innings. He has been striking out guys with his quality sliders and kept the Reds off balance. The Pirates have been pitching wonderfully. They currently sit eighth in baseball with a team ERA of 3.63. The bullpen is shutting out games as well, as the Pirates lead all of baseball in saves with 12 on the season in their 16 wins. David Bednar has eight of those saves to lead all of baseball. He has a .82 ERA on the season and a 14-strikeout per one-walk ratio.
It is not just the pitching staff doing the work. The Pirates are doing it on the offense side as well. First, they are 11th in all of baseball with 27 home runs on the year. Jack Suwinski has been on fire as of late. He is 11 for his last 32 at-bats, with five home runs. In his 60 plate appearances this year he has a slash of .255/.383/.639 on the year. He also has been contributing on the bases. He stole two bases in the most recent game against the Reds. On the season the Pirates are second in all of baseball in stolen bases. Ji Hwan Bae leads the team with five stolen bags, but Bryan Reynolds, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Andrew McCutchen, and Oneil Cruz all have three stolen bases each.
Tonight it will be Johan Oviedo on the mound. He is currently 2-1 on the season with a 2.22 ERA. In his last three starts, he has given up two runs total, going a combined 19.2 innings. He is also striking out guys, with 21 strikeouts in those three starts. Minus a rough first start of the season against Boston, and a lack of run support in his loss to the Cardinals, Oviedo has been near perfect on the mound and will look to continue that today.
Final Dodgers-Pirates Prediction & Pick
The Pirates are winning in every aspect of the game. They are hitting well, hitting home runs, stealing bases, and pitching great. They look like a tough team to beat. The Dodgers are a good team that just does not have it all clicking right now. They will need to find a way to manufacture runs today. With Thor struggling for the Dodgers, and the Pirates having better pitching, they get the cover tonight.
Final Dodgers-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Pirates +1.5 (-160)
Follow Us
Subscribe