The Pittsburgh Pirates will travel to take on the Cincinnati Reds in a Thursday afternoon Opening Day matchup at Great American Ballpark. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Pirates-Reds prediction and pick, laid out below.
Pittsburgh struggled mightily last season, posting a 62-100 record, good for last place in the NL Central. The Pirates were a shocking 25 games out of the final Wild Card spot. Manager Derek Shelton has been provided with some young talent coming through the farm system.
Cincinnati also disappointed last season, finishing with an identical 62-100 record. The rebuild has just begun for the Reds, and this will be some painful seasons in the near future. David Bell has been relatively successful outside of last season at the helm of Cincinnati.
Here are the Pirates-Reds MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Reds Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-176)
Cincinnati Reds: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 8 (-110)
Under: 8 (-110)
How To Watch Pirates vs. Reds
TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, Bally Sports Ohio
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 4:10 PM ET/1:10 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread
Despite the contract negotiation and trade issues, Bryan Reynolds remains a Pittsburgh Pirate, which is a bright spot on a pretty bleak roster. Reynolds hit 27 home runs and 19 doubles in 145 games last season. Oneil Cruz possesses some of the best raw power in the game and posted a 2.3 bWAR in just 87 games last season. Cruz belted 17 home runs and stole 10 bases while providing exciting defense at shortstop. Carlos Santana and Andrew McCutchen were both added this offseason, marking the second go-around for McCutchen in Pittsburgh. Santana is still an on-base machine, walking 71 times in 131 games last season. McCutchen hit 42 extra-base hits for Milwaukee last season. Ke'Bryan Hayes stole 20 bases last season and provides some of the best infield defense in the league at third base.
Mitch Keller, who enjoyed a bit of a breakout last season with a 3.91 ERA in 159.0 innings, will be the Opening Day starter for Pittsburgh. Keller's average fastball velocity went up two miles per hour last season. David Bednar is an interesting trade candidate, but in the meantime is a strong closer out of the Pittsburgh bullpen. Bednar struck out 60 in 51.2 innings, with 19 saves and a 2.61 ERA last season.
Why The Reds Could Cover The Spread
Former Rookie of the Year Jonathan India is looking to bounce back after a subpar 2022 season. In 2021, India was fantastic, hitting 34 doubles and 21 home runs, stealing 12 bases, and posting a 4.1 bWAR in 150 games. Catcher Tyler Stephenson was limited to just 50 games last season, but hit .319 with six home runs and nine doubles in his limited time. With Joey Votto beginning the season on the Injured List, a ton of young players will get a chance to start the season for Cincinnati. Will Benson is one to keep an eye on, with envious power snake-bitten by so-so contact skills.
Hunter Greene, armed with a triple-digit fastball, has earned the Opening Day start for Cincinnati. Greene struck out 164 in 125.2 innings, posting a 4.44 ERA as a rookie last season. Alexis Diaz quietly put up a dominant season in relief, posting a 1.84 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 63.2 innings. Diaz ended up fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.
Final Pirates-Reds Prediction & Pick
These are two bad teams, but Pittsburgh has the better offense.
Final Pirates-Reds Prediction & Pick: Pittsburgh +1.5 (-176), over 8 (-110)
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