The Atlanta Braves are coming into this game red-hot as they’ve won seven straight. It’s been an important run as the World Series champions were below .500 – or right around it – for much of the early part of the season.
As for their opponent, the Pirates had won five out of six games before dropping back-to-back contests against the Detroit Tigers. This is a team that started 16-24 but has done well on the MLB odds since, going 8-6 in the last 14.
Pittsburgh is hoping to break free from this two-game losing skid while the Braves extend their winning streak to eight. Which of these teams is the best bet online in this one?
Pittsburgh Pirates are sending out J.T. Brubaker for the series opener, but he hasn’t performed anywhere near where the team was hoping for him.
He holds onto an abysmal 0-5 record with an ERA of 4.70. Brubaker isn’t the only pitcher on this roster not performing well. As a team, the Pirates rank 24th in the league in ERA at 4.36 overall.
Brubaker has had trouble keeping people off the basepaths. In 51.2 innings of work, he has allowed 51 hits and 24 walks for a WHIP of 1.45. Allowing eight home runs in 11 starts doesn’t help, either.
The team will need a strong start from Brubaker to have a chance. If you’re looking at the Pirates on the MLB betting odds, though, you should be careful as he’s struggled to deliver.
Braves Look to Extend Streak
Atlanta is choosing to roll with Max Fried as the starting pitcher. Fried has a 5-2 record behind the 20th-best ERA in the league at 2.74.
However, Fried has been much better off on the road compared to at home, surprisingly. His ERA increases to 3.43 when playing in their own stadium, but it dips all the way down to a stellar 1.67 on the road.
With Atlanta protecting home field for this matchup, Fried could end up having a below average night. Opponents bat .262 against him at home compared to .158 on the road.
The Braves as a team rank in the middle of the standings for both batting average and team ERA. They’ll need Fried to lead the way here.
Pirates vs Braves Head-to-Head
This is the first time that the Pirates and Braves will meet this season.
The opening betting line has the Pirates listed as heavy underdogs in the sportsbook. They have a lot of work cut out for them if they plan on taking down Atlanta, a team that hasn’t lost in seven games.
Not to mention Brubaker hasn’t pulled out a win yet this season and is going up against a hard-hitting Atlanta roster. All signs seem to be pointing towards the Braves pulling out a win.
However, since the juice is so high, take the over in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Derrick Erickson has been entrenched in sports media over the last decade. From working in fantasy sports to the sports betting side of things, he's been plugged in for quite some time. His favorite teams include the Texas Longhorns, Dallas Cowboys, and Dallas Mavericks.
