Pirates vs. Phillies Prediction
Can the Philadelphia Phillies tack on another win over the Pittsburgh Pirates when the two continue their weekend series today at 4:05PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
953 Pittsburgh Pirates at 954 Philadelphia Phillies
Saturday, April 21, 2018
4:05PM ET, Citizens Bank Stadium
TV: NSPA, ATPT
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, the Phillies are favored are getting odds of -175 to win tonight and are the favorite. The Pirates are listed with odds of +155 to win, while the over/under total for the contest is set at 8 runs. Currently 75% of the wagers are going on the Phillies at home. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Phillies staying hot at home
Philadelphia has won the first two games in this series at home, 7-0 on Thursday and 2-1 on Friday. The Phillies are now 12-7 overall and 7-1 at home. Philly is averaging 5.28 runs per game while allowing just 3.78 per contest.
Aaron Nola gets the start this weekend for the Phillies. He has pitched in four games and has a 1-1 record with a 2.22 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. Over 24.1 innings of work, Nola has 15 strikeouts with nine walks.
Pittsburgh falling apart
The Pirates had their funk continue on Friday with the loss to Philadelphia. They have dropped four of their last five games, scoring a total of three runs over the four losses. Pittsburgh is now 12-8 on the season and 7-4 on the road. The Pirates are putting up 5.21 runs per game this year while allowing 4.47 per contest.
Steven Brault gets the start today. He has appeared in four games this season and started three. He has a 4.74 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP. Over 19 innings on the mound, he has allowed 10 runs with 11 strikeouts and nine walks.
MLB Betting Trends
Pittsburgh
The Pirates have won six of Brault’s last eight starts overall and his last four starts when the team lost the game before.
Philadelphia
The Phillies have won six straight against NL Central opponents and four of Nola’s last five starts. However, they have lost four of his last five starts overall.
Prediction:
The trends may like Pittsburgh, but the Pirates are just a mess at the plate right now. I can’t trust them to win on the road against a team that is hot right now. Philly has won nine of its last 11 games. Their hitting is improving and their pitching is getting the job done. I expect the Phillies to win again today as the Pirates fail to compete at the plate.
The Pick: Philadelphia Phillies -175