Nationals vs Pirates Prediction & MLB Odds For Saturday, September 7th
The money line odds for Saturday’s Nationals vs. Pirates matchup have the Nationals at -102 compared to the Pirates at -118. First pitch from PNC Park is set for 1:35 PM ET. SN PT is carrying this game on TV.
The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and the forecast for Saturday’s game in Pittsburgh calls for temperatures in the mid 60s with scattered clouds. DJ Herz is starting for the Nationals, and the Pirates are going with Luis L. Ortiz. Washington is 62-78, while the Pirates are 66-74 and are 5th in the NL Central. The Nationals are 4th in the NL East.
Betting Odds & Lines for this Game
- Spread: Nationals -1.5 (+158) | Pirates 1.5 (-203)
- Total: 8.5
- MoneyLine: Nationals -102 | Pirates -118
All Odds are courtesy of (BetMGM | DraftKings | Fanduel | BetRivers)
Nationals vs. Pirates Prediction: Moneyline
Pittsburgh cruised to a 9-4 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a huge 2nd inning, scoring five of their nine runs. As for the Nationals, they scored their final run in the 5th. Heading into the game, the Pirates were favored at -123 on the money line.
Bailey Falter only went five innings for the Pirates but gave up just three hits and three earned runs. He finished the game with three strikeouts and two walks. Aroldis Chapman came out of the bullpen for the save. Jake Irvin had a rough outing for the Nationals, taking the loss after going five innings and giving up six runs.
Nick Gonzales had a three RBI game at the plate for the Pirates, while Andres Chaparro scored three times and drove in three runs while going 1/4. Juan Yepez also had a two-hit game and drove in a run for Washington.
With an overall record of 62-78, the Nationals are 4th in the NL East, trailing the Phillies by 22.5 games. So far, they have gone 19-21 in divisional matchups. The Nationals are on a two-game losing streak, with their loss coming in the first game of this series vs. the Pirates.
At home, the Nationals are 32-37 this season, and they are just under .500 at 30-41 on the road. As the underdog, Washington is 50-66 this season, compared to 12-12 as the favorite. The Nationals’ overall series record is 18-23-4, and they are 4-6 over their last 10 games.
Pittsburgh is 66-74 overall and 14.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They are 22-20 against other teams in the NL Central. The Pirates are looking to pick up a win today at home, as they are 33-36 at home this year.
So far, the Pirates have gone 33-38 on the road. As the underdog, Pittsburgh is 37-50 this year, compared to a mark of 29-24 as the favorite. The Pirates’ overall series record is 19-21-5, and they are currently up 1-0 in this series vs. the Nationals.
Nationals vs. Pirates Prediction: Over/Under
In the Washington Nationals’ road games this season, the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs. Their games have averaged 9.0 runs per game. Overall, the over/under record for the Nationals this season is 67-68. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 18-21. In 57 of their games this season, the over/under line has been set higher than 8.5 runs, which accounts for 40.7% of their games. In 44 games, the over/under line has been set lower than 8.5 runs, which accounts for 31.4% of their games.
For the season, the Nationals are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. This season, they are batting .245 as a team (11th) and are one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts. Washington’s team on-base percentage is just 11th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in terms of home runs.
Luis Garcia Jr. has been the Nationals’ top hitter this season, batting .290 with a team-high 63 RBIs. He is also 2nd on the team with 15 homers. CJ Abrams has a team-high 18 homers but is batting just .240. Over his last eight games, Andres Chaparro is batting just .179 and has struck out three times in that stretch.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been involved in a lot of high-scoring games this season, with a combined run average of 8.8 runs per game. Their over/under record is at .500, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8.5 runs is 28-21. They have gone over the line in two straight games, and their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs this season.
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the MLB. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.4 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .235, which is 16th in the league, and their team on-base percentage of .302 is 19th. Pittsburgh’s offense has struggled in terms of power, as they are just 24th in home runs and have a team ISO of .136.
Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ top offensive threat this season, as he is batting .280 with 22 homers and 78 RBIs. However, he is just 4/22 in his last six games. Bryan De La Cruz is 2nd on the team with 19 homers but is batting just .237 for the season. Nick Gonzales has gone 8/26 in his last six games and is also 4/6 in his last three games.
Nationals vs. Pirates Prediction: Spread
The Nationals have a run line record of 78-62 this season, and they are 41-30 against the run line on the road. Their average run margin is -0.6 runs per game, and they have a run line record of 67-49 as the underdog.
Washington is sending left-hander DJ Herz to the mound today vs. the Pirates. He has made 15 starts this season and has a record of 2-7 with a 4.09 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .226 off Herz this season. In his 15 starts, Herz has turned in just two quality starts and is averaging 11.26 strikeouts per nine innings. Herz’s most recent outing came on August 31st, where he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had gone three straight starts without giving up a homer.
When the Pirates win, they win big, with an average run margin of +3.3. But when they lose, they lose big, with an average run margin of -3.6. Their overall run line record is 78-62, with a negative run differential of -0.4 runs per game. They have been a better bet on the run line on the road, where they are 43-28, compared to 35-34 at home. They have been a better bet on the run line as an underdog, going 57-30, compared to 21-32 as a favorite.
Luis L. Ortiz will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run and picked up the win. In that outing vs. the Guardians, he went six innings and didn’t give up a homer. Looking back further, Ortiz has given up at least one homer in three straight starts. His record for the season is 6-4, and he has an ERA of 3.19. Opponents are batting .213 off Ortiz this season. Overall, he has made 33 appearances and 11 starts. Ortiz’s WHIP for the season is 1.10.
Nationals vs. Pirates Pick: Pirates ML -118
Our predicted final score for this Nationals vs. Pirates matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Pirates. With the Pirates picking up the win, we recommend taking them on the money line, where the payout is -118.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Luis L. Ortiz is projected to finish with just four strikeouts, which is fourth worst among all starters today. As for the Nationals starter, DJ Herz is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is sixth best among all starters.
