The Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees will finish their two-game series with a Wednesday night matchup at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Pirates-Yankees prediction and pick, laid out below.

Pittsburgh endured a heartbreaking loss last night, another dagger in the 55-93 record the team has suffered through. Being almost 40 games under .500 has placed this team in last place in the NL Central, and in serious danger of securing the worst record in the league.

New York staged a breathtaking walk-off victory last night to bring their record to 89-58, first place in the AL East. The team holds a five-and-a-half-game lead over second-place Toronto. With 15 games remaining, New York's magic number is down to ten.

Here are the Pirates-Yankees MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Pirates-Yankees Odds

Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (+115)

New York Yankees: -1.5 (-138)

Over: 7.5 (-118)

Under: 7.5 (-104)

Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread

Pittsburgh will send former Yankees farmhand Roansy Contreras to the mound in this one. Contreras was acquired in the Jameson Taillon deal prior to 2021, registering a 3.24 ERA in 18 appearances (15 starts), striking out 74 in 83.1 innings this season. Opposing hitters have managed a lowly .222 batting average against Contreras, highlighted by a .167 batting average against Contreras' slider. Of Contreras' 74 strikeouts, 45 of them have come against the slider.

Pittsburgh's bullpen has been brutal this season, including a five-run meltdown in the ninth inning last night. Journeyman reliever Chase De Jong has turned in his best season in the big leagues, with a 2.40 ERA in 63.2 innings. Batters are hitting .186 against De Jong this season. Wil Crowe, who was on the losing end of last night's game, ballooned his ERA to 4.15, but was at a 3.54 ERA entering the game. Closer David Bednar should return from his rehab assignment soon. Bednar owns a 2.70 ERA with 17 saves and 63 strikeouts in 46.2 innings.

Bryan Reynolds went 4-5 last night with a home run, bringing his season total to 24, with a .261 batting average. In his last 15 games, Reynolds is hitting .333 with three home runs. Rookie shortstop Oneil Cruz has hit 17 home runs in 75 games, adding ten doubles and seven stolen bases. Rodolfo Castro belted his 11th home run in the defeat last night. Ke'Bryan Hayes leads the team with 23 doubles and 17 stolen bases, adding three triples and seven home runs. Rookie jack Suwinski ranks third on the team with 16 home runs while Michael Chavis is fourth with 14 home runs. Kevin Newman has battled injuries this season but is hitting .275 with seven stolen bases in his 68 games.

Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread

Offense has been the story for New York this season, highlighted by Aaron Judge's historic output. Judge leads the MLB with 60 home runs and 128 RBI, and now is leading the American League with a .316 batting average. With the Triple Crown in his sights, Judge has all but secured the AL MVP with the season winding down. Judge also ranks second on the team with 16 stolen bases.

Last night's hero Giancarlo Stanton belted his 27th home run of the season, ranking third on the team. Anthony Rizzo has been solid since his return from the Injured List, hitting a double in the ninth inning last night. Rizzo is second on the team with 31 home runs. Gleyber Torres is tied for second on the team with 25 doubles, adding 21 home runs. Josh Donaldson leads the team with 26 doubles, adding 15 home runs. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has enjoyed a solid season, his first in New York, leading the team with 20 stolen bases. New York leads the league with 233 home runs and 559 walks and ranks seventh with 93 stolen bases.

Luis Severino will make his return to the mound in this one, his first start since before the All-Star break. In his 16 starts this season, Severino has pitched to a 3.45 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 86 innings. Severino has struck out 27.2 percent of the batters he has faced while holding opponents to a .211 batting average.

New York's bullpen suffered again last night but still has the third-best bullpen ERA in the league with a 3.06 mark. Aroldis Chapman turned in a scoreless inning to earn the win, lowering his ERA to 4.41. Ron Marinaccio owns a 2.31 ERA in his 39 innings, striking out 49 batters. Clay Holmes struggled again last night but still has a 2.67 ERA with 20 saves on the season. Should Holmes regain his early season form, he can once again be a dominant closer.

Final Pirates-Yankees Prediction & Pick

Hopefully, we can be spared of the late-inning dramatics, but New York should be able to complete this sweep.

Final Pirates-Yankees Prediction & Pick: New York -1.5 (-138), over 7.5 (-118)