The Pittsburgh Pirates head out on the road to take on the Boston Red Sox in a Monday night game at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Let's check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Pirates-Red Sox prediction and pick, laid out below.
Pittsburgh (1-2) is looking to rebound after losing their opening series to the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates were lackluster all around, as their pitching staff posted a 4.68 ERA and their lineup managed just a .196 batting average against Cincinnati. They will look to turn things around during the first game of their series on the road against the Red Sox.
Boston (2-1) was able to take two of three from the division-rival Baltimore Orioles. They may have won the series, but their pitching staff struggled mightily with an outrageous 7.67 ERA.
Fortunately, the Red Sox offense was on fire, scoring 27 runs with a team batting average of .327. The Red Sox will need more of that coming into this series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Here are the Pirates-Red Sox MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Red Sox
Pittsburgh Pirates: +126
Boston Red Sox: -148
Over: 9.5 (+102)
Under: 9.5 (-124)
How To Watch Pirates vs. Red Sox
TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, New England Sports Network
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 7:10 PM ET/4:10 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Pirates Could Win
The Pittsburgh Pirates may have not looked so hot against their division rivals, but they did at least have some bright spots. Their pitching staff was able to limit the Reds to 13 total runs across three games- and that was in a hitter-friendly ballpark in Great American Ball Park.
The Pirates had trouble putting runs on the board to begin the season, but they will have ample opportunities to give their pitching staff run support in this series.
Oneil Cruz, batting .400 with one home run and three RBIs, has provided much of the Pirates offense thus far. Pittsburgh will have the added benefit of taking on a Red Sox pitching staff that had trouble limiting the Orioles in their last series, surrendering 23 runs.
Why The Red Sox Could Win
The Boston Red Sox aim to start this series with the Pirates right where they left off against the Orioles. They have been absolutely red hot at the plate, scoring 27 runs on 36 hits with a team batting average of .327. Adam Duvall has been the Red Sox' best bat, hitting .571 with two home runs and eight RBI's.
The Red Sox have a great offense but the same cannot be said for their pitching staff. They have given up 23 runs with a 7.67 ERA in those three games.
Boston does get a good matchup against the Pirates, who have been abysmal at the plate with just three runs in their last two games. Ultimately though, if the Red Sox pitching staff doesn't make the right adjustments, even the Pirates can make them pay.
Final Pirates-Red Sox Prediction & Pick
The Pirates should have more success at the plate in this series against the Red Sox. Even if they do, I don't expect them to fend off the Red Sox lineup for the entire game.
Both teams will put some runs on the board, which should make for an exciting game. However, I'll take the better lineup of the Red Sox over the slightly better pitching staff of the Pirates in a game that should hit the over.
Final Pirates-Red Sox Prediction & Pick: Red Sox -148
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