The Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies meet Friday in MLB action at Citizens Bank Park. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Pirates vs Phillies prediction.
Pirates Betting Preview
The Pirates look to build on their 9-4 record after wins over the Orioles and Tigers. The Pirates have scored 11 runs in their last 3 games and 3 or fewer runs in 5 of their last 8 games. The Pirates are 1-4 this season when scoring 3 or fewer runs. Ke’Bryan Hayes leads the Pirates with 15 hits and 6 RBI, while Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds have combined for 29 hits and 14 RBI. Bailey Falter gets the ball for the Pirates, and he is 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA and 3 strikeouts this season. This will be Falter’s first career game against the Phillies.
Phillies Betting Preview
The Phillies are 7-6 on the year and just took 2 of 3 from the Cardinals. The Phillies have scored 9 runs in their last 3 games and 4 or more runs in 5 of their last 7 games. The Phillies have won 7 straight games when scoring 4 or more runs. Trea Turner leads the Phillies with 14 hits and 3 RBI, while Brandon Marsh and Alec Bohm have combined for 25 hits and 17 RBI. Cristopher Sanchez gets the ball for the Phillies, and he is 0-1 with a 4.82 ERA and 9 strikeouts this season. Sanchez is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 5 strikeouts in his career against the Pirates.
Philadelphia Phillies Team Facts
- The Phillies have lost four of their last five games as favorites against NL Central opponents following a win.
- The Phillies have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine night games against NL Central opponents following a home win.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Phillies’ last five night games.
Pittsburgh Pirates Team Facts
- The Pirates have won each of their last six road games after playing the previous day.
- The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last 14 games as underdogs against National League opponents following a road loss.
- The Pirates have led after 7 innings in each of their last four Friday night games as underdogs.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Pirates’ last four games as underdogs.
Pirates vs Phillies prediction
The Pirates have cooled off offensively over the last week. It’s kind of expected given there’s not a ton of talent on the Pirates roster and Pittsburgh feasted on poor teams the first week of the season. The Phillies are starting to find their footing over the last few games, and there’s no doubt they should take advantage of lesser competition, especially at home. Cristopher Sanchez isn’t off to an ideal start, with a near 5 ERA and 4 walks in 9.1 innings. Still, give me the Phillies and the RL for max betting value. The Pirates are starting to look like who we thought they were.