The Pittsburgh Pirates will continue their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Pirates-Dodgers prediction and pick.
These teams have pretty much had opposite seasons. The Pirates, to no one's surprise, are one of the most mediocre teams in the MLB. If anything, many expected them to be worse than their 20-27 record. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have fulfilled every single expectation set for them in the preseason. Some pegged the Dodgers as World Series favorites before the season began, and Los Angeles has certainly lived up to the billing. LA is currently 33-15, a record that is tied for the best in the entire MLB. Regardless of the records at play, this should be an entertaining matchup, so let's get into the pick.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Pirates-Dodgers MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Dodgers Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (+136)
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-164)
Over: 8 (-118)
Under: 8 (-104)
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Why The Pirates Could Cover the Spread
The Dodgers will deploy starting pitcher Julio Urias in this game. Urias has been more than solid this season, but there's good reason to believe that the Pirates could get to him in this game. There are six batters in the Pittsburgh lineup that own a .333 batting average or higher against Urias, so the Pirates are clearly comfortable hitting against him. Urias also gives up a slightly above-average barrel percentage, and four Pittsburgh batters have above-average numbers in that category. It's entirely possible that the Pirates turn this into a bad outing for Urias.
Despite their poor overall record, Pittsburgh has actually been pretty good at covering the spread this season. The Pirates are 24-23 against the spread on the season, a number that has the Pirates ranked just outside the top ten in the league in that category. They've also gone 11-11 against the spread on the road, so that part of playing away from home won't be a huge disadvantage.
Why The Dodgers Could Cover the Spread
Los Angeles has nearly every single advantage in this game, especially when it comes to starting pitching. The Pirates will count on Mitch Keller to make this start, something that typically goes terribly for Pittsburgh. Keller has some of the worst numbers in the MLB, as he's earned a 6.05 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP on the season. He's also earned a 1-5 record on the year. Usually win-loss records aren't a good indicator of how well a pitcher has performed, but in this instance, they're absolutely correct in showing just how bad Keller has been. He seldom gives his team a chance to win, and it's unlikely he will against one of the best offensive teams in the entire MLB.
The Dodgers will benefit from playing this game on their home field. Los Angeles has earned an excellent 15-6 record in Dodger Stadium, while earning slightly better batting stats on their home turf. Unsurprisingly, Keller has earned worse numbers on the road, earning a higher ERA and WHIP when playing on the road. Overall, this looks like a fantastic spot to pick the Dodgers to continue their elite play at home.
Final Pirates-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
This is an easy pick. The Dodgers should win in blowout fashion and avenge their embarrassing Monday night loss. Lock in Los Angeles and don't look back.
Final Pirates-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-164)