Pittsburgh Pirates (0-0) vs. Cincinnati Reds (0-0)
March 30, 2023 4:10 pm EDT
The Line: Cincinnati Reds -156 / Pittsburgh Pirates +110; Over/Under: +8.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds meet Thursday in MLB action at Great American Ball Park. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.
The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t made the playoffs since 2015 and not much is expected this season either. The Pirates brought back Andrew McCutchen for a feel good story, and the addition of Ji-Man Choi does improve the lineup. Rich Hill adds experience to the rotation, and Vince Velasquez could thrive as a middle of the rotation piece. Overall, the Pirates were below average in both pitching and offense, and they didn’t do enough to move the needle. Mitch Keller gets the ball, and he was 5-12 with a 3.91 ERA and 138 strikeouts last season. Keller is 1-4 with a 6.80 ERA and 44 strikeouts in his career against the Reds.
The Cincinnati Reds have made the postseason once since 2014, and they’re another team with tampered expectations. The Reds struggling batting order hopes Wil Myers can provide a boost, while trading for Kevin Newman and Will Benson provide depth and youth potential. The Reds did nothing to improve their pitching staff, but Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are two young arms with potential to eventually become aces. The Reds are still ways away from giving the NL Central a run. Hunter Greene gets the ball, and he was 5-13 with a 4.44 ERA and 164 strikeouts last season. Greene is 0-1 with a 0.68 ERA and 19 strikeouts in his career against the Pirates.
The Pirates are 59-139 in their last 198 road games and 24-50 in their last 74 overall. The Reds are 4-9 in their last 13 home games and 18-37 in their last 55 overall. The over is 3-1-1 in Pirates last 5 overall. The under is 13-4-1 in Reds last 18 overall. The Pirates are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Cincinnati and 7-0 in the last 7 meetings.
I’m not running to the window to back either of these teams or starting pitchers. The bottom line is these are two bottom feeding teams pretty much in the same boat. So, if forced to pick a side, I want to have plus money on my return. While Greene has more upside on the mound, he can be wild at times, and he’s still short on experience. Again, I want plus money if backing one of these teams. Give me the Pirates.
