Anthony Rendon and the surging Washington Nationals are preparing to do battle against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in a Tuesday night game. This NL showdown starts at 7:05 p.m. ET and fans can watch the game on both ATPT and MASN.
Washington Nationals at Pittsburgh Pirates Odds
Las Vegas has Pittsburgh (+140) as the underdog to Washington (-150). If you’re thinking this game’s total is going to go below 9 runs, then Vegas is putting up -130 odds for the under. Picking the over will give you +110 odds. This game currently has a runline of Nationals -1.5 (-105) and Pirates +1.5 (-115).
The Nationals have gone 68-56 SU this year and are 68-55 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 4.5 units for moneyline gamblers, despite having gained 9.6 units ATS. Washington has covered the spread five times in its last seven games and the over has hit in five of those seven. The Pirates, on the other hand, are 51-73 SU and 59-64 ATS. They’ve lost 12.0 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 20.4 units ATS. Pittsburgh has a 3-4 ATS record over its last seven outings and the over has cashed in four of those seven.
Pittsburgh games have an over/under record of 69-48-6 in 2019. Washington has an over/under record of 57-60-6.
The right-handed Stephen Strasburg is the probable starter for the visiting Nationals. Strasburg is 15-5 with a 3.82 ERA and 185 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Pirates this year and only made one start against them in 2018 (1-0, 2.57 ERA and 11 strikeouts across seven innings).
The Pirates are putting the ball in the hands of righty Chris Archer (3-9, 5.23 ERA), who has 141 strikeouts and 55 walks as well as a WHIP of 1.41. Archer is 0-0 with nine strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA in one start against Washington this year.
Washington’s pitchers have allowed 4.6 runs per game and its starters own a 3.61 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 9.56 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 6.00, along with a WHIP of 1.22 and a K/9 of 9.12.
Nationals hitters have slashed .262/.341/.453 on their way to 5.3 runs scored per game this season, including 8.8 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 12.4 per game over the team’s last five outings (4-1 SU).
Third baseman Anthony Rendon and right fielder Adam Eaton continue to lead Washington’s offense. Rendon is slashing .317/.395/.602 with 27 home runs, 97 RBIs and 89 runs scored. Eaton is hitting .289 with 11 homers, 39 RBIs, 84 runs and 13 stolen bases.
For the home team, Pittsburgh’s pitchers have yielded 5.5 runs per game overall in 2019. Its starters have a 5.30 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 4.76 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 9.8 K/9.
The Pittsburgh hitters are putting up 4.6 runs per outing, including 4.0 per game over its last 10 games and 1.6 per game over their last five. The team has slashed .167/.261/.224 over its last five matchups and is 1-4 SU during that stretch.
The Pirates’ batters have been led by outfielder Starling Marte and first baseman Josh Bell. Marte is slashing .291/.333/.501 with 21 home runs, 70 RBIs, 84 runs and 22 stolen bases, while Bell’s line is .280/.364/.582 with 31 homers, 98 RBIs and 84 runs.
The Nationals have lost 0.1 units and are 53-40 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this season. The over has cashed in 44 of those games, as opposed to 46 that’ve hit the under in such games. On the other hand, the Pirates have lost 4.3 units and are 46-45 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over’s hit in 48 of those games, compared to 38 that’ve gone under.
Nationals vs. Pirates Free MLB Tip
Predictions: SU Winner – Nationals, ATS Winner – Nationals, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- Washington has tallied 41 extra-base hits over its last five contests. Pittsburgh has six XBH over its last five.
- The Nationals have won seven of their last eight games SU while the Pirates have lost four of their last five.
- The Washington defense has allowed three errors over the last 10 games, compared to eight errors for Pittsburgh over its last 10.
- The Nationals have hit 28 home runs in their last 10 games, including 19 over their last five.
- The Nationals have a team OPS of .794 this season and an OPS of .782 against right-handed pitchers. The Pirates’ OPS sits at .746 overall and .764 versus righties.
