The Cincinnati Reds (62-65) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (59-67) on Thursday, August 22nd. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on SN PT. The Reds are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pirates are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rangers. First pitch is set for 5:40 CT.
Reds vs. Pirates Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Pirates (-149)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs
- The Pirates have scored 5 or more runs in 6 of their last 15 games.
- The Pirates have a 5-2 record in their last 7 home games.
- The Reds have a 3-7 record in their last 10 games.
- The Pirates have won 3 of their last 4 home games against the Reds.
- The Reds have allowed 5 or more runs in 8 of their last 10 games.
Reds vs Pirates
The Reds Are Coming Off A Win
The Reds’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Blue Jays, closing out their series with an 11-7 win. After allowing three runs to the Blue Jays in the bottom of the first, the Reds responded with five runs of their own. Cincinnati went on to add another three runs in the 4th inning.
Emilio Pagán picked up the win out of the bullpen, as the Reds scored three runs in the top of the 9th to close things out. Cincinnati was the -121 favorite on the money line going into the game.
Heading into today’s game, the Reds have a 62-65 record and trail the Brewers by 11.5 games in the NL Central. They are also 11.5 games behind the Cardinals for the second wild card spot. Cincinnati’s run line record is 68-59, including a 39-23 mark on the road and 41-25 as underdogs.
The over has hit in three straight games for the Reds, and they have gone over the total in 59 of their 122 games this season. Today’s over/under line of 7.5 runs is lower than their season average of 9 runs per game.
Nick Lodolo Gets The Start For The Reds
Cincinnati is sending left-hander Nick Lodolo to the mound today vs. the Pirates. Lodolo has made 20 starts this year and has a record of 9-5 with a 4.55 ERA. In his last outing, he got roughed up, taking the loss after giving up eight earned runs in 2 1/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had pitched well, picking up the win vs. the Marlins and allowing just two earned runs in six innings of work. Lodolo’s ERA at home is 7.57 compared to 3.11 on the road. He has a BB/9 figure of 2.77 compared to 9.19 strikeouts per nine innings.
Reds Offense Breakdown
Elly De La Cruz has been a steady producer for the Reds this season, batting .262 with 22 homers, which is 14th in the league. He is also 2nd on the team with 56 RBIs. De La Cruz has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 5/17 in his last five games with four runs scored and four RBIs. Jeimer Candelario and Spencer Steer are also near the top of the league in home runs, but both are batting under .235 for the season.
As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.5 runs per game and have been a little better on the road, averaging 4.6 runs per game. Currently, they are 9th in the league in home runs, but are batting just .231 as a team.
The Pirates Took The Last Game Of This Series
The Pirates will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Rangers with a 1-0 loss. This was especially tough, as they wasted a good start from Domingo German, who went six innings without giving up a run. They also got a combined eight hits from Bryan Reynolds and Yasmani Grandal but didnjson’t score a run.
David Bednar took the loss out of the bullpen for the Pirates, as Pittsburgh allowed a run in the bottom of the 9th to blow their lead. Heading into this game, the Pirates were at +130 on the money line.
After losing two of three games to the Rangers, the Pirates are 59-67 overall and 5th in the NL Central, 14 games behind the Brewers. They have a 29-32 record at home and are 3-7 in their last ten games.
This season, the Pirates’ games have averaged 8.5 runs, and their over/under record is 60-65. The under has hit in the last three games, and when the total is set at 7.5 runs, the under has gone 16-9 in Pirates games.
Paul Skenes Gets The Start For The Pirates
The Pirates are sending right-hander Paul Skenes to the mound today vs. the Reds. Skenes has made 16 starts this year and has a record of 7-2 with an ERA of 2.30. In his 16 appearances, he has turned in 12 quality starts and is averaging 11.11 strikeouts per nine innings. Skenes most recently faced the Mariners, where he picked up the win, going six innings and giving up two earned runs. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight outings. Skenes has been much better at home, coming in with an ERA of 3.06 compared to 1.71 on the road.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Pirates are averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 24th in the league. They have also been one of the league’s worst home run hitting teams and are near the bottom of the league in terms of team slugging percentage and OPS. The team’s collective batting average is just .234.
Bryan Reynolds is the Pirates’ leading home run hitter, and he also has the team’s top batting average at .280. He has gone deep 19 times this season and has driven in 69 runs. Oneil Cruz and Bryan De La Cruz are also near the top of the team’s home run leaderboard, with 18 homers apiece. Joey Bart has gone 8/23 in his last six games, with two homers and four RBIs.
Reds vs Pirates Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Reds vs. Pirates game is that the Pirates will pick up a 6-5 win at home. If you’re looking for a bet to make, we would recommend taking the Pirates on the money line, where the payout is -149.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Nick Lodolo is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the highest among today’s starters. As for Paul Skenes, he is projected to finish with six K’s, which is the second-best among today’s starters.
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:August 22, 2024 Pirates, Reds