The Philadelphia Phillies will travel to the Pittsburgh Pirates today for the first matchup of a four-game series at PNC Park. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Phillies-Pirates prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Philadelphia is right in the middle of the playoff race, at 51-47, sitting half of a game out of the Wild Card. Losing superstar Bryce Harper for an extended period of time is a huge blow, but the team will likely receive some reinforcements with the trade deadline coming up.
Pittsburgh is in a vastly different spot than Philadelphia. The Pirates are at 40-58, a distant 11.5 games behind the last playoff spot. This team is open for business for the playoff contenders, with some interesting pieces likely to net a strong return of prospects.
Here are the Phillies-Pirates MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Pirates Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (-120)
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (+100)
Over: 8 (-108)
Under: 8 (-112)
*Watch MLB Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
Philadelphia is sending one of the game's best to the mound in this one. Zack Wheeler has registered a 2.78 ERA, striking out 9.6 batters per nine innings. This performance is coming on the heels of a second-place finish in the 2021 Cy Young voting. Philadelphia's bullpen has long been a bugaboo of this team, but that narrative has changed, with a 3.81 ERA ranking 13th in MLB. Seranthony Dominguez (1.75 ERA), Brad Hand (2.05 ERA), and Corey Knebel (12 saves) have been the standouts of the group.
Despite losing Bryce Harper, this offense still possesses capable pieces. Kyle Schwarber has been outstanding despite a recent blip on the radar, with 31 home runs and 61 RBI. Schwarber, along with Rhys Hoskins (19 home runs) has picked up the slack left by Harper's prolonged absence. Still, there are a couple of places where Philadelphia could look to upgrade, mainly the middle infield spots. Third baseman Alec Bohm seems to have put a disappointing 2021 behind him, hitting .293 with 23 extra-base hits. There is enough firepower in this offense to continue to tread water until help arrives, whether that be Bryce Harper or a trade deadline acquisition.
Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread
Pittsburgh has struggled this season, already selling Daniel Vogelbach and Michael Perez as a prelude to their next week. Bryan Reynolds, another popular trade rumor, has 15 home runs and a .254 average. Jack Suwinski and Michael Chavis have combined for 24 home runs, although both totals have come with high strikeout rates and low batting averages. Oneil Cruz has begun rounding into form, hitting .250 with three home runs in his last 15 games after struggling initially. If you look hard enough, there are major league quality hitters littered throughout this lineup. Despite the second-worst team batting average with a .220 clip, the team ranks 16th in home runs, so there is a path to scoring runs.
Zach Thompson will toe the slab for the Pirates tonight. Thompson has been solidly average, with a 4.64 ERA in his 17 appearances (16 starts). Thompson is one of a few bright spots on a dismal pitching staff. Thompson has only pitched 75.2 innings, so a long start is likely out of the question. A 4.64 bullpen ERA is third-worst in the league, but closer David Bednar (17 saves), another trade candidate, is as dominant as they come. Other than Bednar, Tyler Beede (2.93 ERA), and Chase De Jong (2.06 ERA) no Pirates reliever with at least 25 innings has an ERA below 3.
Final Phillies-Pirates Prediction & Pick
This one is as close to a no-brainer as it gets.
Final Phillies-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Phillies -1.5 (-120), over 8 (-108)
Follow Us
Subscribe