Cincinnati Reds (34-38) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (35-37)
June 18, 2024 6:40 pm EDT
The Line: Pittsburgh Pirates +115 / Cincinnati Reds -135; Over/Under: +8.5
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article we will formulate a Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds prediction for this MLB game on Tuesday, June 18th at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Let’s take a look at the prediction for game two in the series.
Pirates Looking for Three Straight
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 35-37 this year and they have won three of their last four games. Pittsburgh won game one in this series by a score of 4-1 on Monday night. Prior to this series, the Pirates won two out of three against the Rockies, lost two out of three against the Cardinals, and won two out of three against the Twins. Pittsburgh is 8-5 in their last 13 games and they are third in the NL Central behind Milwaukee and St. Louis.
The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 3.99 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and a .246 opponent batting average. The Pirates offense has scored 297 runs with a .233 batting average and a .301 on base percentage. Andrew McCutchen is batting .244 with 10 home runs and 22 RBI’s for the Pirates this season. Pittsburgh is 22nd in runs scored this year, but they have scored at least four runs in four straight games.
Reds Slipping in the NL Central
The Cincinnati Reds are 34-38 this season and they have lost three games in a row. Cincinnati lost the first game in this series and they only managed to score one run in the loss. Prior to this series, the Reds lost two out of three against the Brewers, split two games with the Guardians, and won three out of four against the Cubs. Cincinnati is 2-5 in their last seven games and they are fourth in the NL Central, one game behind Pittsburgh.
The Cincinnati pitching staff has a 3.87 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a .237 opponent batting average. The Reds offense has scored 307 runs with a .226 batting average and a .306 on base percentage. Elly De La Cruz is batting .242 with 12 home runs and 31 RBI’s for the Reds this season. Cincinnati is 14th in team ERA this season and they have allowed at least four runs in five of their last seven games.
Starting Pitchers
The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Bailey Falter, who is 3-4 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP over 72.1 innings pitched this year. Falter has allowed at least three earned runs in three of his last four starts and has allowed eight earned runs and 16 hits in his last two outings (8.0 IP). The projected starting pitcher for Cincinnati is Nick Lodolo, who is 7-2 with a 2.93 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP over 58.1 innings pitched this season. Lodolo has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four straight starts and has gone six innings in four of his last five outings.
Why the Cincinnati Reds will win
The Reds have won each of their last seven games as favorites after playing the previous day.
The Pirates have lost six of their last seven games against NL Central opponents following a home win.
The Reds have covered the run line in six of their last seven games as road favorites.
The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in four of their last five games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
Total Runs Facts
Each of the Reds’ last seven games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
Each of the Pirates’ last six games against NL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Reds’ last nine games as road favorites against National League opponents.
The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the last four night games between the Reds and Pirates at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds Prediction
Pittsburgh was able to get another great start out of Skenes on Monday and they will look to pick up their third straight win here. The Pirates are 17-17 at home, while the Reds are 16-19 on the road. Cincinnati started to play better baseball, but they have struggled over the last week and are back to fourth in the division. Cincinnati is starting Lodolo, who has been very sharp in his last four outings. Pittsburgh is going with Falter, who has solid numbers on the season, but hasn’t looked very good over the last two weeks. The Reds have the pitching advantage with Lodolo on the mound and neither team is hitting very well this year, so my Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds prediction is for Cincinnati to pick up the win.
