The Pittsburgh Pirates (27-27) take on the San Francisco Giants (28-27) in a rubber match Wednesday afternoon. Check out our MLB odds series as we give you a Pirates-Giants prediction and pick while letting you know how to watch, as well.
The Pirates are hitting .231 in this series. Jack Suwinski and Tucupita Marcano have three hits each. Suwinski has two home runs, both splashing into McCovey Cove in the same game (first to do that since Barry Bonds). Connor Joe has the other home run for the Pirates in the two games played. Pittsburgh’s ERA is a little inflated after game one, but they only allowed one run in game two. They have walked 11 batters in 17 innings while only striking out 12.
The Giants have five different players with three hits in the series while four players have two hits. Austin Slater and Patrick Bailey have home runs in the series and they both have four RBI. A strong performance in game one has propelled the Giants to a .315 batting average. On the mound, the Giants have a 2.50 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP in the two games. They have just two walks in 18 innings pitched and their bullpen has essentially allowed two runs in 11 innings pitched. San Francisco is pitching the ball really well in this series.
Mitch Keller and Alex Wood are the starting pitchers in this game.
Here are the Pirates-Giants MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Giants Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (+164)
San Francisco Giants: +1.5 (-200)
Over: 8 (-105)
Under: 8 (-115)
How To Watch Pirates-Giants
TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, NBC Sports Bay Area
Stream: MLB TV Subscription
Time: 3:45 PM ET/12:45 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread
Mitch Keller has been the Pirates ace this season. He has thrown 68 2/3 innings on the season and has struck out 85 while walking just 16. He has also given up only 54 hits. Keller has a 3.01 ERA and 1.02 WHIP on the year. The Pirates are 8-3 when Keller takes the mound for them, so he gives them a great chance to win every game. Keller has a 2.45 ERA in the month of May and that includes his last start of giving up six runs in six innings.
Keller ranks really well in average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, xERA, and xBA. He is a tough matchup for opposing hitters and he keeps them off balance with a solid mix of five pitches and a sixth thrown in there occasionally. If he can go have a good game, the Pirates will cover the spread.
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
The Giants have a solid pitcher on the mound in Alex Wood. He has allowed more than two earned runs in his outings just one time this season. He is not one that usually goes deep into games, but the Giants could really use a five to six inning performance out of him Wednesday afternoon. San Francisco is 5-2 in games that Alex Wood pitches in, so he is always competing on the bump. If he can perform well, the Giants will keep this game close.
Final Pirates-Giants Prediction & Pick
This game should end up being pretty close. There are two solid pitchers ont he mound and they will be competitive. Expect a low-scoring affair with the Giants covering the spread.
Final Pirates-Giants Prediction & Pick: Giants +1.5 (-200), Under 8 (-115)