Nationals vs Pirates Prediction & MLB Odds For Thursday, September 5th
From PNC Park in Pittsburgh, we have the Nationals and Pirates facing off in an NL matchup. This one gets started at 6:40 PM ET and is being televised on MASN. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and the Pirates are favored on the money line (-120).
Washington comes in with a record of 62-77, while the Pirates are 65-74 overall. Jake Irvin is starting for the Nationals, and he is facing off against Bailey Falter for the Pirates. In the NL East, the Nationals are in 4th place, while the Pirates are 5th in the NL Central.
Betting Odds & Lines for this Game
- Spread: Nationals 1.5 (-198) | Pirates -1.5 (+165)
- Total: 8.5
- MoneyLine: Nationals +102 | Pirates -120
All Odds are courtesy of (BetMGM | DraftKings | Fanduel | BetRivers)
Nationals vs. Pirates Prediction: Moneyline
Washington closed out their series vs. the Marlins with a 4-3 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 8th inning before the Marlins scored three runs in the bottom of the 8th. The Nationals were the -145 favorite on the money line going into the game.
MacKenzie Gore put together a good start for the Nationals, going six innings and giving up just one earned run while striking out nine. However, the Nationals’ bullpen couldn’t close things out, and Derek Law took the loss. The Nationals also wasted a big game from James Wood, who went 2/4 with two doubles, a run scored, and an RBI.
Heading into today’s road matchup vs. the Pirates, the Nationals are 62-77 overall, putting them 4th in the NL East. They trail the Phillies by 21 games in the division. Washington’s overall record is 19-21 in NL East matchups this year.
The Nationals have gone 4-6 across their last 10 games and split their most recent series vs. the Marlins. At home, the Nationals are 32-37 this year compared to a 30-40 mark on the road. So far, they have been the underdog in most of their games, where they are 50-65.
The Pirates will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Cubs with a 12-0 loss. Pittsburgh was the +178 underdog on the money line going into this road game. Things really got away from the Pirates in the 2nd inning, as the Cubs scored three runs in the inning. Pittsburgh’s offense was held scoreless, and Domingo Germán took the loss, going just three innings and giving up six earned runs.
Pittsburgh started Domingo Germán, and he took the loss, going just three innings and giving up six earned runs on nine hits. The Pirates also issued three walks in thejson to go along with the nine hits.
Pittsburgh is set to host the Nationals today with an overall record of 65-74, putting them 5th in the NL Central. Currently, they trail the Reds by 1.5 games for the 4th spot in the division and are 15.5 games behind the Brewers for the division lead. The Pirates are 22-20 against other teams in the NL Central this year.
As the favorite, the Pirates have gone 28-24 this year and 37-50 as the underdog. At home, they are 32-36 compared to 33-38 on the road. The Pirates closed out their series vs. the Cubs with two straight wins after dropping the opener. So far, their overall series record is 19-21-5.
Nationals vs. Pirates Prediction: Over/Under
The Washington Nationals are on the road today against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. The Nationals have a combined run average of 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 66-68. When the line is set at 8.5 runs, their over/under record is 18-21. Overall, 41.0% of their games this season have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher.
Washington’s offense has been one of the league’s worst so far this season, as they are averaging just 4.2 runs per game, which is 21st in the MLB. The Nationals have been even worse in the power department, as their 116 home runs are the 22nd most in the league. As a team, they are batting .244, which is 11th in the league, and they have done a good job of limiting strikeouts.
Luis Garcia Jr. has been a bright spot for the Nationals this season, as he is batting .290 with a team-leading 63 RBIs and 15 homers. CJ Abrams has also gone deep 18 times this season but is hitting just .240. Over his last five games, Jacob Young is batting .375 for the Nationals, while Andres Chaparro and Dylan Crews have both struggled, going 3/18 and 3/22, respectively.
The Pirates have been involved in 49.6% of their games with an over/under line set at 8.5 runs, and they have gone over in 28 of those 49 games. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season, and their overall over/under record is 68-69. The average over/under line for their games this season is 8 runs.
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates are 23rd in the league in scoring, averaging just 4.2 runs per game. Their team batting average of .235 is just 16th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and on-base percentage. One positive for the Pirates is that they have been making a lot of contact, as their team strikeout numbers are the 27th best in the league.
Over his last seven games, Bryan Reynolds has gone 8/27 with two homers and five RBIs. For the season, he is batting .280 with a team-high 22 homers and 77 RBIs. Reynolds’ 77 RBIs are the best mark on the team. Bryan De La Cruz is 2nd on the team with 19 homers but is batting just .236 this season.
Nationals vs. Pirates Prediction: Spread
When it comes to betting the run line, the Nationals have been a solid play this season, going 78-61 overall. They are 41-29 against the run line on the road, where they have an average run margin of -0.5 runs per game. As the underdog, they have been particularly good, going 67-48 against the run line.
Right-hander Jake Irvin gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Pirates on the road. He has made 28 starts this year and has a record of 9-11 with an ERA of 4.08. Looking at his overall numbers, Irvin has a WHIP of 1.19 and has given up a total of 26 home runs. In his 28 starts, he has turned in 14 quality starts. Per nine innings, Irvin is averaging 7.6 strikeouts and just 2.24 walks. The last time he pitched, Irvin took the loss, giving up six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. He has allowed at least one homer in three straight outings.
When the Pirates are at home, they are a .500 team against the run line at 34-34. They have been a better bet on the road, going 43-28 against the run line. They are 57-30 against the run line as an underdog, but just 20-32 as a favorite.
Pittsburgh is sending Bailey Falter to the mound today, and he is coming off a rough outing against the Guardians. In that start, which came on the road, he gave up four earned runs in four innings of work. He finished with a no-decision in the outing. Looking back at his last three starts, Falter has finished with a no-decision in all three. The left-hander has made 23 starts this year and has a record of 6-7 with a 4.41 ERA. Falter’s WHIP for the season is 1.29, and he has a batting average allowed of .260.
Nationals vs. Pirates Pick: Nationals ML +102
Our predicted score for this Nationals vs. Pirates matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Nationals, which has us recommending you take the Nationals on the money line, where they are currently sitting at +102.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Jake Irvin going six innings and finishing with five strikeouts. As for Bailey Falter, he is projected to finish with four strikeouts and going just over five innings.
Offensively, the Nationals are projected to finish with nine hits, compared to the Pirates, who we have finishing with eight. However, the Pirates are projected to finish with more strikeouts, as a team, compared to the Nationals.
