Washington Nationals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 7/10/2018 Prediction & Odds

Nationals vs. Pirates Tuesday Prediction

After dropping Game 1 of their series against the Pirates, will the Nationals rebound with a victory on Tuesday night when the two clubs meet at PNC Park again at 7:05 p.m. ET?

Game Snapshot & Odds

951 Washington Nationals (-120) at 952 Pittsburgh Pirates (+100); 9 runs

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

7:05 p.m. ET, PNC Park

TV: WSH (MSN2); PIT (ATTP)

Compare odds and from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our new Baseball Odds & Betting Page.

Public Betting Trends

Oddsmakers from online sportsbooks currently list the Nationals as a -120 favorite. As of this writing, 57% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Nationals to beat the Pirates on the moneyline. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on this game.

Nationals' Hellickson allows nine runs in no-decision vs. Marlins

Jeremy Hellickson allowed nine runs -- eight earned -- on nine hits over four innings in a no-decision Thursday against the Marlins. It's worth asking whether the more surprising part of Thursday's outing was the fact that Hellickson, who'd allowed 13 earned runs in his first 10 starts combined, gave up nine runs -- with the knowledge coming into the start that he was sick, surely contributing to his poor performance -- or that he still didn't take a loss despite the disaster, because the Nationals put up 14 runs and won anyway. Whatever the case, it was most definitely an outlier for the 31-year-old, who entered the start with a stout 2.63 ERA through his first 10 outings. Even with the thrashing, Hellickson now carries a respectable 3.81 ERA and 1.13 WHIP while remaining 2-1 on the year.

Pirates' Musgrove pitches seven scoreless before DL stint

Joe Musgrove tossed seven scoreless innings Friday in the Pirates' 6-3 win over the Padres. After back-to-back rough outings, Musgrove had to be happy to see San Diego on the schedule. It's the second time in seven starts since coming off the DL that he's managed to go seven scoreless. He has a 3.79 ERA and a 36/11 K/BB ratio in 40 1/3 innings. Musgrove was placed on the disabled list on July 3 with a finger injury but will be activated tonight.

MLB Betting Trends

Washington

The Nationals have lost 10 of their last 14 games overall.

Pittsburgh

The Pirates are just 2-5 in their last seven games despite winning on Monday night.

Prediction:

Even though the Nationals are playing like crap I like them to rebound tonight. The Pirates are just 1-4 in Musgrove's last five starts and have dropped seven of nine at home. The Nationals, meanwhile, are 6-2 in Hellickson's last eight starts and have won four of their last five meetings with the Pirates. At -120, the Nats' moneyline price is inexpensive.

 

The Pick: Washington Nationals -120