The Pittsburgh Pirates were shut out in game one of the series as they visit the Detroit Tigers in interleague play. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Pirates-Tigers prediction, pick, and how-to watch.
For the Pirates, it was the second time they had been shut out in three games. They are currently losers of 12 of their last 14 games, all while struggling to score runs. They have scored just 23 runs in those 14 games, good for only 1.64 runs per game. This may be why they have lost their last five games as road underdogs, and have fallen two games back of the Brewers in the NL Central.
The Tigers are sitting at 19-21 on the season and are in second in the AL Central. They have now won nine of their last 13 games, and have shut out teams three times in that period.
Here are the Pirates-Tigers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Tigers Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5(-162)
Detroit Tigers: -1.5 (+134)
Over: 7.5 (-120)
Under: 7.5 (-102)
How To Watch Pirates vs. Tigers
TV: ATTP/BSDET/MLB Network
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 1:10 PM ET/ 10:10 AM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread
For the Pirates, it was more errors and another shutout loss. Ortiz was the issue last night, as he was tagged with an unearned run on a pick-off that missed the mark, and a run scored on a wild pitch. The defense has been an issue for the Pirates this year. They rank 25th in the majors in fielding percentage and have 26 errors this year.
There were also more struggles at the plate. Bryan Reynolds struck out three times and is hitting just .216 in May, with no home runs or RBIs. He has also struck out 14 times this month, including seven times in his last four games. Things may not improve for him today with the Tigers sending a lefty to the mound. Against left-handed pitching, Reynolds is hitting just .184 this year. Surging against left-handed pitching is Connor Joe. He is hitting .333 this year against lefties, with four home runs and eight RBIs. He has not been hitting well as of late though. In May he is hitting just .200, and he has just one hit in his last five games.
Starting pitchers not named Mitch Keller have struggled as of late for the Pirates. The Pirates will send 43-year-old Rich Hill to the mound in this game. On the season, Hill is 3-3 with a 4.35 ERA. He has been hurt by the poor fielding on the Pirates as well. In his last start, he gave up three runs, but only one was earned. That brought Hill to four unearned runs on the year, although Hill has managed to get the win in two of the three games that he has been tagged for an unearned run.
Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
The Tigers' recent stretch of wins has been heavily due to pitching. Their current team ERA is sitting at 4.39, but in their streak of winning nine of 13 games, they have been sitting at a team ERA of 3.76. If they had been doing that all year, that would rank them sixth in the majors. Eduardo Rodriguez will look to continue to bring that team's ERA down. He is 4-2 on the season with a 1.57 ERA. He has given up just two earned runs in his last 26.2 innings of work, including not giving up an earned run in his last two starts. In those two stars, he has gone a combined 15 innings while giving up just six hits, three walks, and striking out 17 batters.
Pitching will be key today. The Tigers are not hitting particularly well this year. They are hitting just .233 on the season, which is 24th in the majors. The result is the Tigers are last in the majors in runs scored this year, and average just 3.58 runs per game. Leading the team in RBIs is Javier Baez. Baez drove in another RBI in the win yesterday and now has 19 RBIs this year. Baez will be facing left-handed pitching today, which has been good for him this year. He is hitting .323 against lefties on the year, with two home runs and four RBIs.
Spencer Torkelson also drove a run in for the Tigers in their 4-0 victory. After sitting at a batting average of .198 at the start of the month, Torkelson has brought that up to .238, hitting .300 in May. On the season, Torkelson has been hitting better against left-handed pitching as well. He is hitting .241 against lefties, with a home run and four RBIs.
Final Pirates-Tigers Prediction & Pick
The Tigers and Pirates have both struggled on offense recently, but the Pirates have been dreadful. They are not scoring nearly enough runs to win. In their last 14 games, they have scored four runs just once, and the last time they scored more than four was April 29th against the Nationals. Today, they face a pitcher who has not given up a run in his last two starts. Pirates games have also hit the under in six of their last ten, and the over is only hitting when the other team puts up a gluttony of runs. That is not happening with the Tigers. The most the Tigers have scored in their last ten is six. The run line is low at 7.5, but using an under 8.5 in a parlay may be a smart move today.
Final Pirates-Tigers Prediction & Pick: Tigers -1.5 (+134) and Under 7.5 (-102)
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