The Pittsburgh Pirates (23-42) and Washington Nationals (28-35) continue a three-game series at Nationals Park Tuesday with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the Pirates vs. Nationals odds with MLB picks and predictions.
LHP Tyler Anderson is the projected starting pitcher for the Pirates. Through a dozen starts this season, Anderson is 3-6 with a 4.52 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 8.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over 67 2/3 IP.
Anderson is a fly-ball pitcher who has been undone by unplayable fly balls of late. He has yielded 3.1 HR/9 while hoisting a 6.84 ERA over his last 5 starts.
LHP Patrick Corbin is the projected starter for the Nationals. He is 3-5 with a 6.21 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 6.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 across 62 1/3 IP over 12 starts.
Corbin owns a 6.23 ERA over his last 5 starts. The veteran southpaw is tough on lefty bats (.533 OPS allowed this season, .639 career). Pittsburgh bats lefties vs. lefties 37% of the time (28% MLB average).
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Pirates at Nationals odds, lines, picks and prediction
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Pirates +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Nationals -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Pirates +1.5 (-150) | Nationals -1.5 (+125)
- Over/Under: 8.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Prediction
Nationals 5, Pirates 3
Money line (ML)
Washington defeated Pittsburgh 3-2 in Monday’s opener, and the Pirates are just 5-17 over their last 22 games. They head into Tuesday’s contest on an eight-game losing skid.
Both teams have struggled in hitting the baseball with any authority of late. For the season. Washington is 29th in scoring with 3.7 runs per game; Pittsburgh is 30th, scoring just 3.5 runs per game.
The way the Nats have sequenced their base runners and their batting average on balls in play in high-leverage situations suggest an upside of perhaps 4.20-to-4.25 RPG. Statcast quality of contact metrics back up that analysis.
Corbin has been undone lately by high averages on balls in play. Before those issues, the veteran lefty had logged three straight solid games at home.
BACK THE NATIONALS (160).
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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
Consider a WASHINGTON -1.5 (+125) play in concert with the above ML action. Six of Pittsburgh’s eight straight losses were by multiple runs; four were by 3 runs.
Over/Under (O/U)
PASS on a total with underlying signals pointing both up and down.
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