The Pirates make the trip to Cincinnati to face the Reds! These two teams have been having very similar seasons. The Pirates are switching wins and losses, while the Reds have been losing more recently. Our MLB odds series has our Pirates-Reds prediction, odds, and pick for Tuesday.

Pirates-Reds Projected Starters 

Mitch Keller vs. Hunter Greene

Mitch Keller (8-4) with a 3.11 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP

Last Start: Pitched seven innings and gave up zero runs and two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in a Pirates win.

2024 Road Splits: (4-3) 3.83 ERA

Hunter Greene (5-2) with a 3.35 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP

Last Start: Pitched 6.1 innings and gave up zero runs and two hits with zero walks and nine strikeouts in a Reds loss.

2024 Home Splits: (2-2) 4.02 ERA

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Pirates-Reds Odds

Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (+168)

Moneyline: +102

Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-205)

Moneyline: -120

Over: 8.5 (-105)

Under: 8.5 (-115)

How to Watch Pirates vs. Reds

Time: 7:10 pm ET

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh / Bally Sports Ohio

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Pirates have been inconsistent this season on their way to a 37-40 record. They have struggled behind the plate, but their pitching has been average and in the middle of the pack this season. Connor Joe, Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, and Jack Suwinski have been solid behind the plate despite the offensive struggles as a whole. Bailey Falter, Jared Jones, and Mitch Keller have been solid for the pitching staff. It is also worth noting that Paul Skenes has been great in a limited capacity. The Pirates have struggled to find consistency this season.

The Pirates are starting Mitch Keller on the mound. He has an 8-4 record, a 3.11 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP. Through 92.2 innings, he has allowed 34 runs on 87 hits with 24 walks and 85 strikeouts. He has started 15 games this season, and the Pirates have gone 10-5 in those games. He has been great on the mound and in this game he gets a great matchup against a struggling offense like the Reds.

The offense for the Pirates has struggled this season. They are 26th in the MLB in team batting average at .227 after having a batting average of .239 last season. Bryan Reynolds is the leader in almost every batting category. Reynolds leads in batting average at .275, in home runs at 12, in RBI at 43, in OBP at .343, and in hits at 85. This is a difficult matchup because Hunter Greene has been great for the Reds on the mound and the Pirates have struggled as a team behind the plate all year.

Why The Reds Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Reds have struggled to find consistency and have a 36-41. They come into this series losing three out of their last four games. Cincinnati has struggled to get going behind the plate, ranking near the bottom of the MLB. Their pitching has been red-hot and has jumped into the top 10 of the MLB overall. Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz, Will Benson, Jeimer Candelario, and Jake Fraley have been standouts in a struggling offense this season. Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene, and Nick Lodolo have all been at varying levels of good for Cincinnati on the mound. The Reds have had their fair share of struggles, and can't find any consistency.

The Reds are starting Hunter Greene on the mound where he has a 5-2 record, a 3.35 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP. Through 92.2 innings, he has allowed 34 runs on 62 hits with 37 walks and 98 strikeouts up to this point in the season. In his 15 starts, the Reds are 5-10 this season. Greene has been solid on the mound, but he has not been that consistent and the team has not backed him up that much. This is still a favorable matchup because the Pirates have struggled on offense this season.

The Reds have struggled behind the plate this season. They are ranked 27th in batting average at .227 after they finished with a .249 batting average just one season ago. Elly De La Cruz, Jonathan India, Jeimer Candelario, and Spencer Steer lead in most batting categories. Candelario leads in batting average at .254 and is tied for the lead in home runs at 14. Then, De La Cruz leads in total hits at 69, Steer leads in RBI at 45, and India in OBP at .356. They get a massive challenge in this game against Mitch Keller on the mound for the Pirates because he has been the best pitcher for the Pirates next to Paul Skenes.

Final Pirates-Reds Prediction & Pick

This is a pitching duel because the Pirates and the Reds have struggled on offense with neither team having much success behind the plate. Keller has been red-hot and should get the upper hand over Hunter Greene in this game. The Pirates should win and cover on the road against the Reds.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Pirates-Reds Prediction & Pick: Pirates -1.5 (+168)