The San Diego Padres are on the road to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday night. This game will continue our MLB odds series as we hand out a Padres-Pirates prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Padres-Pirates Projected Starters
Michael King vs. Marco Gonzales
Michael King (9-6) with a 3.26 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 124.1 innings pitched, 144K/45BB, .214 oBA
Last Start: at Baltimore Orioles: Win, 6.1 innings, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
2024 Road Splits: 13 games, 12 starts, 2.62 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 75.2 innings pitched, 73K/24BB, .207 oBA
Marco Gonzales (1-1) with a 3.72 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 29 innings pitched, 20K/9BB, .299 oBA
Last Start: at Arizona Diamondbacks: No Decision, 2.1 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 1 strikeout
2024 Home Splits: 2 starts, 3.38 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 10.2 innings pitched, 8K/1BB, .268 oBA
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Padres-Pirates Odds
San Diego Padres: -1.5 (+118)
Moneyline: -146
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-138)
Moneyline: +124
Over: 7.5 (-124)
Under: 7.5 (+102)
How to Watch Padres vs. Pirates
Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT
TV: FS1
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Padres Will Cover The Spread/Win
Michael King is having a great season. King is coming off a very good month of July, as well. He finished July with a 1.82 ERA, and opponents hit just .131 off him during the month. The Pirates really struggle at the plate, so it is going to be tough for them to get anything going against King. As long as King continues to pitch his game, he should be able to shut down the Pirates with Ease Wednesday night.
The Padres have one of the best offenses in the MLB. They are at the top of the league in batting average, and their slugging percentage is good, as well. The Padres have an even higher expected batting average than their actual batting average, which is very impressive. Marco Gonzales can get hittable at times, so San Diego has a chance to put up quite a few runs in this game. If they can push across those runs, they will win.
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
Marco Gonzales does get hittable at times, but he is having a good season. He had a rough start against the Diamondbacks, but he entered that game with a 2.70 ERA in five starts. Despite what his numbers say, Gonzales is having a pretty good season. One thing Gonzales has done well this season is get hitters to chase pitches off the plate. He needs to get San Diego to chase in this game, as well. Getting the Padres to extend the zone will help Gonzales lead the Padres to a win.
Pittsburgh does not have the best offensive numbers, but they are towards the top of the league in barrel percentage. In turn, they are towards the top in hard hit percentage and average exit velocity. These numbers plus their expected batting average suggest the Pirates get a bit unlucky. The Pirates just have to stick to their approach and they will have a chance to win this game.
Final Padres-Pirates Prediction & Pick
Pittsburgh is a sneaky good team, but the Padres are just better. Their offense is much better, and Michael King can flat out pitch. For that reason, I am going to take the Padres to win this game. With that in mind, I will be taking the Padres to cover the spread.
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Final Padres-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Padres -1.5 (+118)