The Pittsburgh Pirates (72-81) travel to face off against the Cincinnati Reds (74-80) on Friday, September 20th. This game will be played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and televised on SN PT. The Pirates are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Reds are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Braves. First pitch is set for 5:40 CT.

Pirates vs. Reds Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Reds (-124)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 9 Runs

• The Reds have scored 10 or more runs in 3 of their last 15 games, indicating potential for high offensive output.
• The Reds have a recent home win against a strong opponent, defeating the Houston Astros 12-5 on September 4th.
• The Reds have won 5 of their last 15 games, showing they can secure victories even against tough competition.
• The Reds have a head-to-head win against the Pirates in their last series, with a 10-2 victory on August 24th.
• The Reds have a better home record (37-41) compared to the Pirates’ away record (34-41), suggesting a home-field advantage.

Pirates vs Reds

The Pirates Are Coming Off A Win

The Pirates are coming off a game in which they closed out their series vs. the Cardinals with a 3-2 win. This was especially big, as they were the +126 underdog on the money line. It was a good start for the Pirates, as they got on the board with a run in the 4th inning and added another run in the 7th to take the lead. Pittsburgh’s bullpen closed things out, and Aroldis Chapman picked up the save.

Luis Ortiz put together a good start for the Pirates, going six innings and giving up just two runs on five hits. He only had two strikeouts in the outing and got the win.

As the underdog, the Pirates have a 38-53 record, while they are 34-28 as the favorite. Overall, they are 82-71 on the run line, with a 44-31 record on the road. Their games have averaged 8.7 runs, resulting in a 74-77 over/under record for the season.

In the NL Central, the Pirates are two games behind the Reds and trail the Brewers by 16 games. Their overall record is 72-81, and they have lost two straight series. On the road, they are 34-41, and at home, they are 38-40.

Mitch Keller Gets The Start For The Pirates

Mitch Keller will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Royals, where he took the loss. In that start, he gave up 3 earned runs on 4 hits in 6 innings of work. Looking at his overall numbers, Keller has made 29 starts, and his record for the season is 11-10. Keller’s ERA is 3.87, along with a WHIP of 1.25. This year, he has turned in one complete game and 15 quality starts. Keller’s ERA on the road is 5.34, compared to 3.24 at home.

Pirates Offense Breakdown

The Pirates come into today’s game averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the majors. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .236 as a team and are 23rd in the league in home runs. Bryan Reynolds has been a bright spot for the Pirates, as he is hitting .280 for the season and leads the team with 22 homers and 85 RBIs.

Reynolds is also on a three-game hitting streak. Over his last four games, Billy Cook has gone 3/10 with a home run and two runs scored. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has gone 9/20 in his last five games, but he has yet to go deep in that stretch.

The Reds Took The Last Game Of This Series

The Reds will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Braves with a 15-3 loss. Cincinnati was the +182 underdog at home going into this matchup. Things really got away from the Reds in the 4th inning, as the Braves scored seven runs in the inning. Cincinnati’s offense scored their only three runs in the 3rd.

Julian Aguiar got the start for the Reds and took the loss. He only lasted four innings, giving up seven earned runs. Offensively, the Reds had 10 hits but only scored three runs. Blake Dunn had a homer and scored three times.

Heading into today’s game, the Reds are 74-80 overall and have lost two straight games, both against the Braves. They are 14.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central, putting them in 4th place.

On the run line, the Reds have a 47-29 record on the road, and their average run margin in wins is +3.8. This season, their O/U record is 72-75, and when the total has been set at 9 runs, their O/U record is 8-20-5.

Nick Martinez Gets The Start For The Reds

Cincinnati starter Nick Martinez has been pitching well, coming into the game with a record of 9-6 and an ERA of 3.37. So far this season, he has made 14 starts, 40 appearances, and opponents are batting .236. Martinez has turned in four quality starts and is averaging 7.29 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he went six innings, giving up one earned run and getting the win. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Martinez has been especially good on the road, coming in with a record of 5-2 and an ERA of 2.72.

Reds Offense Breakdown

Elly De La Cruz has been one of the Reds’ most consistent hitters this season, batting .260 with a team-high 24 home runs and 70 RBIs. He is also currently on a four-game hitting streak. Spencer Steer and Jeimer Candelario are also tied for 2nd on the team with 20 homers, but both have struggled in terms of batting average, hitting just .230 and .225, respectively.

As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 15th in the league. They have been a middle-of-the-pack offense in terms of home runs and have the 17th best team batting average in the league. So far, the Reds have been a below-average team in terms of on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.

Pirates vs Reds Prediction

Our prediction for today’s Pirates vs. Reds matchup is to take the Reds on the money line at -124. We have the Reds winning this one by a score of 6-4. With the over/under line sitting at 9 runs, we like the over, as there is a two-run cushion between our predicted score and the line.

Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Mitch Keller finishing with six strikeouts compared to Nick Martinez with just four. Martinez is projected to go 5.2 innings, while Keller is projected to go 5.1 innings.

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.