Nationals vs Pirates Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks

Former Pirate Bell Looks to Lead Nationals To Win

The Washington Nationals come into Thursday’s game with motivation to keep the winning going, and first baseman Josh Bell might have a little more motivation against his former club. Bell spent his first five MLB seasons with Pittsburgh, and he’d like to have a good game in front of the former home fans.

“I’m just trying to stay athletic, stay short and stay on time for the fastball and let the rest happen,” Bell said after going 2-for-4 in Wednesday’s win over the Atlanta Braves. “Good things have been happening so far.”

Bell is batting .346 with a double, two home runs, six RBIs, and seven runs scored in seven games.

Outfielder Juan Soto is batting .280 with a pair of home runs, two RBIs and four runs scored. Designated hitter Nelson Cruz has started a little slow in his first season with the Nationals, batting .167 with a home run, three RBIs, and three runs scored.

Right-hander Joan Adon will make the start in the series opener on Thursday. The 23-year-old is 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA after going 4⅓ innings against the New York Mets on Saturday and allowing four runs on four hits while striking out three and walking four.

Pirates Offense is Feast or Famine

The Pittsburgh Pirates don’t have a lot of consistency in their offensive production thus far, scoring a total of three runs in their three losses while racking up 15 runs in their two victories. Not knowing what they’re going to get from one game to the next doesn’t make it easy for the Pirates, who need to find more punch if they’re going to contend.

Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes has had the most consistency for the team, batting .500 with two doubles, two RBIs and four runs scored. He leads the team with nine hits and a .526 on-base percentage.

The Pirates have a total of three home runs this season – from Ben Gamel, Bryan Reynolds, and Michael Chavis. Chavis leads the team with four RBIs in his four games, batting .375 with a double and a run scored.

Pittsburgh will send right-hander JT Brubaker to the mound for the start on Thursday. Brubaker is hoping to bounce back from an ugly outing in his first start of the season, as he went just three innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in the season opener, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out two and walking three.

Nationals vs Pirates Head-to-Head

The Washington Nationals are looking for their fourth straight season series victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022, having taken four of the six matchups last season. Pittsburgh did take two of the three games played at PNC Park, while the Nationals swept the three-game series played at Washington.

The two teams didn’t play in the shortened 2020 campaign, but Washington did win three of four at PNC Park in 2019. The Pirates are getting the home-field edge in the MLB lines for this one, as they’re favored slightly over the visiting Nationals.

Nationals vs Pirates Game Information

• Game: Nationals (3-4) vs Pirates (2-3)
• Location: PNC Park
• Day/Time: Thursday, April 14th, 6:35 p.m. ET
• Streaming: MLB.tv

Nationals vs Pirates Betting Lines

Nationals vs Pirates Prediction

Neither of the starting pitchers for Thursday’s game had good starts, but the Washington Nationals have more pop in their lineup. It’s hard to see the Pittsburgh Pirates keeping up with the run-scoring ability of the Nationals, so we’re going with the visitors to pull the upset

When making your MLB picks, take Washington to get the road win.

Pick: Washington Nationals +115