The Pittsburgh Pirates (14-33) and Cincinnati Reds (24-26) close out a four-game series at Great American Ball Park with a 6:40 p.m. ET game Wednesday. We analyze the Pirates-Reds MLB betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Pirates at Reds: Projected starting pitchers
RHP JT Brubaker vs. RHP Luis Castillo
Brubaker has exhibited signs of better things to come but has been inconsistent and prone to barrel contact while posting a 5.34 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in eight games (six starts).
- Allowed 7 ER in his last start, throwing a season-high 98 pitches along the way.
Also see: BaseballHQ Fantasy Baseball
Castillo is coming off a sparkling nine-inning effort against the St. Louis Cardinals Sept. 11. He owns a 3.44 ERA and 1.32 WHIP through 9 starts.
- Has held current Pittsburgh bats to a .660 OPS and .091 ISO.
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Pirates at Reds: Key injuries
(List of injuries around the league)
Pirates
- RP Keone Kala (forearm) out
- OF Anthony Alford (elbow) out
Reds
- RP Tyler Thornburg (elbow) out
- 3B Eugenio Suarez (personal) out
Pirates at Reds: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 9:20 a.m. ET.
Money line (ML)
Cincinnati (-239) swept Pittsburgh (+210) in a doubleheader Monday and then won Tuesday’s game 4-1. So the Reds are looking to close out the four-game sweep against a Pirates club which is 1-8 over its last nine get-away games. Pittsburgh is 0-5 with a minus-24 run differential over its last five road get-away tilts.
The Pirates’ .597 road OPS ranks last in MLB, and Cincinnati stakes its pitchers to a fighting chance at home with an above-average .800 OPS. And as bad as the Bucs’ offense is, right-handed pitching brings out the lesser side of the Pirates’ platoon numbers (.638 OPS vs. RHP).
Both bullpens are middle-third units comparative to the league, but Castillo is more of an elite hurler than what’s indicated by a 3.44 ERA. He has endured a .338 BABIP and a high rate of scoring-position damage.
CINCINNATI (-239) is worth the buy.
New to sports betting? A winning $100 bet on Cincinnati returns a profit of $42, while a $100 wager on Pittsburgh (+210) nets a profit of $210 if the Pirates win.
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
The Reds have been a shaky run-line proposition in 2020. They are tagged with an attractive line for a second straight day, however, and eight of Pittsburgh’s last nine losses have been by multiple runs. Consider the REDS -1.5 (-110).
Over/Under (O/U)
The calculus here is filled with too many crisscrossing variables. PASS on the Over 8 (-110)/Under 8 (-110).
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