It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Pirates-Astros prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Pirates Astros.
Paul Skenes arrived on the scene several weeks into the 2024 MLB season. For that reason alone, he probably isn't the favorite in the National League wild card race. However, if Skenes remains at his current level of form, carries it through to the very end of the regular season, and leads the Pittsburgh Pirates to a wild card berth, he just might be able to pull off the Cy Young dream in his rookie campaign. Some would object to giving the award to a player who did not pitch a full big-league season, but if Skenes can carry the Buccos to October, the Cy Young argument would gain a lot of strength and become a lot more reasonable. Chris Sale and Zack Wheeler are going to be hard to beat, but if Skenes — whose ERA is under two — can maintain his elite caliber of performance, this Cy Young conversation will become that much more complicated and compelling. Let's see what Skenes does against the Houston Astros on Monday.
Pirates-Astros Projected Starters
Paul Skenes vs. Jake Bloss
Paul Skenes (6-1) has a 1.93 ERA. His only loss came in his most recent game. He pitched into the ninth inning and gave up just two runs on only four hits. The problem is that his Pittsburgh team scored only one run. That's how most opponents have to beat Skenes: Shut down the opposition and hope it will be enough. Skenes, as is well-documented, has an assortment of different pitches and has been able to mix speeds expertly. He can get over 100 miles per hour on his fastball, which sets up his off-speed pitches extremely well. He has electric stuff and late movement, and he already has shown an understanding of how to pitch in sequence to get hitters off balance. He is a quick study and a guy who is dazzling the whole baseball world with his instant, large-scale success.
Last Start: Tuesday, July 23 versus the St Louis Cardinals: 8 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 HR, 0 BB, 8 K
2024 Road Splits: 5 starts, 31 1/3 IP, 14 H, 3 R, 2 HR, 5 BB, 48 K
Jake Bloss (0-1) has a 6.94 ERA. With so many Houston pitchers being injured or unavailable this season, Bloss has had to be thrown into the fire. He needs to be able to eat innings for this team, and he needs to be able to stay away from the home run ball. He did not do either of those things in his most recent outing against the Oakland A's. He got only 12 outs, and he was crushed for four home runs in four innings of work. Houston needs Bloss to be better in the remaining two months of the season.
Last Start: Tuesday, July 23 versus the Oakland Athletics: 4 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 HR, 1 BB, 5 K
2024 Home Splits: 2 starts, 7 2/3 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 6 K
Here are the Pirates-Astros MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Astros Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (+104)
Moneyline: -156
Houston Astros: +1.5 (-125)
Moneyline: +132
Over: 7.5 (-105)
Under: 7.5 (-115)
How to Watch Pirates vs Astros
Time: 8:10 ET/5:10 PT
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh (Pirates) / SpaceCity Home Network (Astros) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
Paul Skenes versus Jake Bloss is a mammoth pitching mismatch in favor of the Pirates. It's that simple.
Why The Astros Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Astros are coming off a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. They will be angry and motivated for this game. Pittsburgh generally does not hit well, so Jake Bloss has a decent chance of being able to hold down Pittsburgh. The Astros can win if they are tied after seven innings. Skenes would likely need to leave. The Astros can win in the final innings with their bullpen.
Final Pirates-Astros Prediction & Pick
Paul Skenes has earned the benefit of the doubt from us. He will lose only if the Pirates get shut down, and Jake Bloss is not likely to shut them down. Take Pittsburgh.
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Final Pirates-Astros Prediction & Pick: Pirates -1.5
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