The Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies face off in the second of a four-game set on Friday evening. The series starts Thursday with a pitching matchup between Jared Jones and Ranger Suarez. The Friday game will feature Bailey Falter and Cristopher Sanchez. The two teams split the season series in 2023, winning three games each. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Pirates-Phillies prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Bailey Falter had a rough first outing against the Marlins, giving up six earned runs on five hits in four innings. It didn't look like it would get much easier for him against the Orioles in his second start, but he twirled a gem. Falter had six innings of one-hit ball, leading the Pirates to a 5-4 win over Baltimore. It's been an impressive start for the Pirates, leading the NL Central with a 9-3 record. The Pirates continue their road trip with a series in Queens against the Mets, before returning home to take on the Red Sox from April 19th-21st.
Cristopher Sanchez hasn't had the same success as Falter in the win/loss department, as the Phillies dropped both starts. Sanchez pitched 9 1/3 innings so far this season, allowing 11 hits and five earned runs. He showed glimpses of his strikeout potential in his first start, tallying eight strikeouts over five innings. The Phillies hope to turn things around soon, and they will get that chance after the four-game series with the Pirates. Philadelphia remains home for two series against the Rockies and White Sox next week.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Phillies Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-137)
Moneyline: +142
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+114)
Moneyline: -168
Over: 9.5 (+100)
Under: 9.5 (-122)
How to Watch Pirates vs. Phillies
Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Phillies have a good home-field advantage at Citizens Bank, but it hasn't come true so far this season. The Phillies are 2-4 at home, punctuated by losing two of three games against the Reds in their final series before going on the road for six games. The Pirates have won four of their last five games on the road and are 6-1 overall.
The Pirates are a good team against left-handed pitching, which could make life difficult for Sanchez. In his last start, Sanchez showed some control issues, with three walks and six hits. He allowed just three earned runs, but with that many base runners, he was lucky his ERA wasn't higher. The Pirates are batting .273 against left-handed pitching, averaging 7.5 runs per nine and a .388 on-base percentage.
Why The Phillies Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Phillies offense has been an Achilles heel, averaging just 3.8 runs per game. They are batting .232 as a team, but their fortunes turn around against left-handed pitchers like Falter. The Phillies are batting .276 with a .358 on-base percentage against lefties. They are still averaging just 4.6 runs/9, but their run-scoring luck will turn around with those numbers.
Final Pirates-Phillies Prediction & Pick
It's hard to pick a side in this game, as the Phillies will likely end as the better team, but the Pirates look superior currently. It's just a matter of time before the Phillies turn it around, and it could come in this series before facing two of the league's worst teams. The play in this game is the over, as both teams excel against left-handed pitching and Sanchez was lucky with the amount of runs he allowed last start. Falter isn't likely to have another game with six shutout innings, either.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Pirates-Phillies Prediction & Pick: Over 9.5 (-122)
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