It is weekend interleague baseball as the Pittsburgh Pirates visit the Toronto Blue Jays. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Pirates-Blue Jays prediction and pick.
The Pirates come into the game sitting at 26-30 on the year, which is fourth in the NL Central this year. They are coming off playing a doubleheader against the Tigers, losing game one of the series 8-0, but making the comeback and winning the second game 10-2. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are 26-29 on the year, which is last in the AL Central. They are coming off a sweep of the Chicago White Sox, scoring well in the series to take all three games.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Blue Jays Odds
New York Mets: +1.5 (-152)
Moneyline: +138
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+126)
Moneyline: -164
Over: 8.5 (-105)
Under: 8.5 (-115)
How to Watch Pirates vs. Blue Jays
Time: 7:07 PM ET/ 4:07 PM PT
TV: SNP/SN1
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Pirates are 22nd in the majors in runs scored while sitting 25th in batting average, 25th in on-base percentage, and 26th in slugging percentage. Bryan Reynolds has led the way. He is hitting .254 on the year with a .328 on-base percentage. He has 12 doubles, a triple, and seven home runs. This has led to 29 RBIs and 20 runs scored. Further, he has stolen four bases. Connor Joe has also been solid. He is hitting .286 on the year with a .357 on-base percentage. Joe has 13 doubles and six home runs leading to 23 RBIs. He also leads the team with 30 runs scored.
Oneil Cruz leads the team in homeruns. He has hit .246 on the year with a .300 on-base percentage. Cruz also has seven home runs and 20 RBIs, while scoring 22 times. Meanwhile, Andrew McCutchen continues to produce. McCutchen is hitting just .234 but has a .337 on-base percentage. He has eight home runs and 18 RBIs while scoring 26 runs this year.
The Pirates are 16th in team ERA while sitting 15th in WHIP and 17th in opponent batting average. Bailey Falter will be on the mound for the Pirates. He is 3-2 on the year with a 3.55 ERA. Falters has been solid in May. In four starts, he has pitched 26.1 innings, giving up eight runs, good for a 2.73 ERA and a 1-0 record. Still, the Pirates are just 2-2 in those games that Falter has started.
Why The Blue Jays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Blue Jays are 23rd in runs scored this year, while sitting 18th in batting average, eighth in on-base percentage, and 20th in slugging. Daulton Varsho has been driving in a ton of runs. He leads the team with 30 RBIs this year but is struggling to hit. He is hitting just .205 with a .293 on-base percentage. Varsho has nine doubles and ten home runs though plus he has scored 31 times. Meanwhile, Vladimir Guerrero is also driving in runs and hitting well. He is hitting .294 on the year with a .389 on-base percentage. Guerrero has ten doubles and five home runs leading to 25 RBIs and 24 runs scored.
Also scoring well is Justin Turner. Turner has scored 89 times this year and is hitting .217 on the season. Turner has nine doubles and four home runs on the year. This has led to 20 RBIs. Bo Bichette is right ahead of him with 25 RBIs. Bichette is hitting .251 on the year but with a .298 on-base percentage. He has nine doubles and four home runs, leading to his 25 RBIs and 19 runs scored.
Blue Jays pitching is 21st in the majors in team ERA while sitting 22nd in WHIP and 25th in opponent batting average. Jose Berrios will be on the mound for the Blue Jays in this one. He is 5-4 with a 2.94 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Last time out, he went seven innings giving up just two runs. His last three starts have been great. He has given up seven runs in 20 innings of work. This is a nice rebound from giving up eight runs in 3.2 innings. Current members of the Pirates have 54 career at-bats against Berrios. They are hitting a lifetime .222 on the year with two home runs and seven RBIs.
Final Pirates-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick
Neither offense is very good this year, and both teams have had to rely on solid pitching performances to get wins. Both pitchers have been solid as of late. Bailey Falter has been great in his last four starts, while Berrios has been solid in his last three starts. The best play in the game is not on a side, but taking the total. Take the nder in this one.
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Final Pirates-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick: Under 8.5 (-115)
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