The Pittsburgh Pirates (39-41) travel to face off against the Atlanta Braves (44-35) on Friday, June 28th. This game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta and televised on SN PT. The Pirates are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Braves are looking to get back on track from a loss to the White Sox. First pitch is set for 6:20 CT.
Pirates vs Braves
Pittsburgh is coming off a big 6-1 win over the Reds to close out their series. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at +116 on the money line. It was a big second inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Reds could only score one run, which came in the 3rd.
Luis L. Ortiz put together a good start for the Pirates, going six innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Pittsburgh’s offense was carried by Rowdy Tellez, who went 2/4 with a homer and two RBIs.
Pittsburgh is 39-41 overall, and they are 8.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Pirates are 3rd in the division and have gone 12-11 in divisional games. They have won two straight games, and their win streak came at the end of their series vs. the Reds.
At home, the Pirates are 19-20 this season and are one game above .500 at 20-21 on the road. So far, they have been the underdog in 37 games, going 24-23 as the underdog. As the favorite, the Pirates are 15-18 this year, and their overall series record is 11-11-4.
When it comes to the run line, the Pirates have been a solid bet this season, going 43-37 overall. They have been especially good on the road, where they are 24-17. They have covered the run line in two straight games and have been a good bet as the underdog, going 32-15. They have an average run margin of -0.4 runs per game this season.
Despite the Pittsburgh Pirates having a combined run average of 8.6 runs per game this season, their over/under record is just 38-41. They have played 12 games this season where the over/under line was set at 8.5 runs, and their record in those games is 14-11. Overall, 53.8% of their games this season have had over/under lines set lower than 8.5 runs.
Martín Pérez Gets The Start For The Pirates
Martín Pérez gets the start for the Pirates today as he faces the Braves on the road. So far this season, he has made 11 starts and has a record of 1-3 with an ERA of 4.71. Perez’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.55. Looking back at his last outing, Perez finished with a no-decision after going three innings and giving up one earned run on two hits. He has made three quality starts this year and is averaging 7.22 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, Perez has allowed nine home runs. The left-hander has a record of 0-2 at home and 1-1 on the road.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates are averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been even worse at home, averaging only 3.8 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .229, and their on-base percentage of .298 is also near the bottom of the league. However, they do have two hitters who have gone deep 11 times this season in Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen.
Bryan Reynolds has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/27 in his last seven games with four homers and seven RBIs. Reynolds also has the team’s best batting average for the season at .279, and his 46 RBIs are the most on the team. Cruz and McCutchen are also in double digits in homers, but both are batting under .240 for the season.
The Braves will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the White Sox with a 1-0 loss. This was especially tough, as they were the heavy favorite going into the game. Offensively, the Braves only had three fewer hits than the White Sox but didn’t score a run. Atlanta’s best chance to score came in the 1st inning, but they left the bases loaded. The Braves also wasted a good start from Chris Sale, who went seven innings and gave up just one run while striking out 11.
Despite the good outing from Sale, the Braves still took the loss. He was especially tough on left-handed hitters, holding them to just one hit in seven at-bats. The Braves also wasted a big game from Freddie Freeman, who went 3 for 4 with a double.
Heading into today’s matchup vs. the Pirates, the Braves are eight games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. The Braves are 44-35 overall and went 12-11 in divisional games. They lost the final two games of their series vs. the White Sox and are 6-4 across their last 10 games.
At home, the Braves are 24-13 this season and 20-22 on the road. As the favorite, the Braves are 41-29 and 3-6 as the underdog. So far, they have won three straight games at home, and their overall series record is 15-10-2.
When the Braves win, they tend to win big, with an average run margin of 3.7 runs. When they lose, it’s usually close, with an average run margin of -3.3 runs. On the run line, the Braves are 38-41 overall, with a 17-20 record at home and a 21-21 record on the road. As the favorite, they are 33-37 on the run line, and as the underdog, they are 5-4. They are currently on a two-game run line losing streak.
The Atlanta Braves are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates today, with the over/under line set at 8.5 runs. The Braves have a combined run average of 8.1 runs per game this season and have an over/under record of 29-47. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, they have gone over the total 8 times and under 16 times. Overall, 40.5% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 8.5 runs this season. Their games have gone under the total in their last two contests.
Charlie Morton Gets The Start For The Braves
Right-hander Charlie Morton gets the start for the Braves today as he faces off against the Pirates. He comes into the game with a record of 4-4 and an ERA of 4.20. Morton’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.30. In his 14 starts, he has turned in six quality starts and is averaging 9.08 strikeouts per nine innings. Morton most recently faced the Yankees, where he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna has been one of the league’s top power threats this season, as his 21 homers are 4th in the league and the best mark on the Braves. He also comes into the game with a batting average of .303 and an OBP of .382. Ozuna has also driven in 64 runs, which is also 4th in the league. Matt Olson is also a power threat in the lineup, as his 12 homers is 2nd on the team and 13th in the league.
Over the team’s last seven games, Austin Riley has gone 8/26 with two homers, and Jarred Kelenic has also gone deep twice while hitting .370. Kelenic has also driven in seven runs over this stretch. The Braves have three players on a notable hitting streak, as Forrest Wall has hit in three straight games, Ronald Acuña Jr. has a four-game streak, and Michael Harris II has hit safely in five straight games.
Pirates vs Braves Prediction
Our predicted final score for this game is 5-4 in favor of the Braves. However, with the payout for a Braves win being just -179, we recommend taking the over at 8.5 runs. You can get the over at -122, and we have the Braves hitting the over by a run.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Charlie Morton finishing with seven strikeouts compared to Martin Perez, who we have finishing with four. As for the Braves and Pirates’ lineups, the Braves are projected to finish with eight hits compared to the Pirates with eight.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 28, 2024 Braves, Pirates