The San Diego Padres and the Pittsburgh Pirates will square off for the third time in this four-game set. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Padres-Pirates prediction and pick.
The series between these two teams is currently split at one a piece as each team has pulled off a four-run victory in back-to-back games. They key to this game will be the highly-touted followup from Joe Musgrove's recent no-hitter.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Padres-Pirates odds.
MLB Odds: Padres-Pirates Odds
San Diego Padres -1.5 (-118)
Pittsburgh Pirates +1.5 (-102)
Over 7.5 Runs (-110)
Under 7.5 Runs (-110)
Why The Padres Could Cover The Spread
The San Diego Padres won the first game of this series 6-2 before dropping game two. The Padres scored three runs in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh in the series opener. They lost game two behind a dreadful performance from Blake Snell, who lasted just 0.2 innings in the loss. The pitching has been dominant for San Diego to open the year, allowing just 2.75 runs per game, which is the second-best mark in baseball. The offense has struggled to score runs this far, but that will almost certainly change in the near future. The Padres are 4-1 ATS on the road in 2021.
Right-hander Joe Musgrove will be making his third start of the season for San Diego and first start since throwing a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers. He was just a hit-by-pitch away from throwing a perfect game. Musgrove struck out an impressive 10 batters in the no-hit performance. He is currently 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts this season. He has yet to give up a home run or a walk and now gets his first chance to go up against his former team.
Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread
The Pittsburgh Pirates bounced back in a big way in game two of this four-game series on Tuesday. They followed a 6-2 loss up with an 8-4 victory on Tuesday. The Pirates scored five runs in the first two innings and registered 12 hits as a team in the win. Jacob Stallings led the way for Pittsburgh with three RBI. The Pirates have been solid at home, winning five of their last seven games in Pittsburgh. They've scored 5.40 runs and have allowed just 3.40 runs per game at PNC Park in 2021.
Left-hander Tyler Anderson will man the mound for Pittsburgh. Anderson has gotten off to a slow start in 2021, going 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA to open the season. He is actually striking out a career-high 10.45 batters and allowing a career-low 1.74 walks per nine innings this far, though. In nine career starts against the Padres, Anderson is 3-2 with a 2.61 ERA. Tyler Anderson will look to get his season back on track against a familiar foe.
Final Padres-Pirates Prediction & Pick
We have a great pitching matchup on our hands in what's set to be a low scoring affair. Joe Musgrove has been absolutely dominant and will have added motivation against the team that just traded him away in the offseason. Tyler Anderson has been stellar against San Diego over his career and should enter this matchup with some added confidence. The Padres offense has struggled this season and the bullpen has been lights out. Pittsburgh's offense will almost certainly regress tonight. Runs will be at a premium in this matchup.
FINAL PICK: Under 7.5 Runs (-110)
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