Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers Preview
Thursday’s Dodgers vs. Pirates matchup has a first pitch set for 6:40 PM ET from PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The Pirates will be looking to extend their two-game winning streak, as they are 29-32 overall and 4th in the NL Central. Los Angeles is 1st in the NL West with a record of 38-25.
SNLA will be televising Thursday’s Dodgers game, and they are the heavy favorite on the money line, with odds of -184 compared to the Pirates at +155. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and Walker Buehler will start for the Dodgers, while the Pirates are going with Bailey Falter.
Check out BetCoco for Pittsburgh Pirates – Los Angeles Dodgers odds
Pittsburgh Pirates Trends and Key Stats
- 3-2 is the record of Dodgers in their last five road games. They have also gone 3-2 vs. the runline.
- Conversely, the Pirates have achieved a 2-3 (SU) record and 3-2 record in their last five home games.
- Looking back on their last ten games as the favorite, the Dodgers are 5-5 straight-up and 5-5 vs. the runline.
- As the underdog, the Pirates have gone 4-6 vs. the runline and 5-5 straight-up.
Pittsburgh cruised to a 10-6 win over the Dodgers in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a huge 2nd inning, scoring seven of their ten runs. As for the Dodgers, they scored their first run in the 3rd and added five more in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Pirates were favored at -118.
James Paxton only went 1 2/3 innings for the Dodgers, giving up six runs and took the loss. Paul Skenes pitched well for the Pirates in this one, getting the win after going five innings and giving up three earned runs.
Shohei Ohtani did hit a home run for the Dodgers, going 2/5 with three RBIs, but it came in a losing effort. Edward Olivares also had a good game at the plate for the Pirates, going 2/2 with three runs scored.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction
Los Angeles is on the road today, and they have dropped two straight games heading into today’s matchup vs. the Pirates. The Dodgers lead the NL West by seven games over the Padres, heading into today’s game. So far, they are 13-10 in divisional games.
As the favorite, the Dodgers have gone 37-22 this year and 1-3 as the underdog. Los Angeles is 17-10 when favored on the road and 21-12 at home. The Dodgers’ overall record is 38-25.
Los Angeles has been one of the best run line teams in baseball this season, going 32-31 overall. They have been even better on the road, going 16-14 against the run line. The Dodgers have been favored in most of their games this season, going 31-28 against the run line as the favorite.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the road today against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs, which is lower than their season average of 9 runs per game. The Dodgers’ games have gone over the line 18 times and under 11 times when the line has been set at 8.5 runs this season. Overall, 23.8% of their games have had higher lines than 8.5 runs.
Walker Buehler and the Dodgers are on the road to take on the Pirates today. Buehler has started 2 games on the road this season and has taken the loss in both outings. His last start was at home against the Rockies, where he went 6 innings and gave up 4 runs.
Shohei Ohtani has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 15 home runs are 5th best in the league and the most on the Dodgers roster. Ohtani is also batting .322 for the season, and his 40 RBIs are 9th best in the MLB. Teoscar Hernandez is also a power threat in the lineup, as he has 12 homers this season, which is 8th best in the league.
Currently, the Dodgers have the league’s 3rd ranked scoring offense, averaging 4.8 runs per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 5 runs per contest. As a team, they are 3rd in home runs and have the 4th best team batting average in the league. The Dodgers also have the league’s 2nd best on-base percentage and are 2nd in team OPS.
The Pirates have picked up two straight wins, and they are 29-32 overall this season. In the NL Central, the Pirates are in 4th place, 6.5 games behind the Brewers. So far, they are 7-7 in divisional games this year.
At home, the Pirates are 14-15 this season and 15-17 on the road. So far, they have really struggled as the favorite, going 9-14. As the underdog, the Pirates are 20-18 this year. Pittsburgh has won two straight at home, and they are 8-5 as the home underdog this year. The Pirates’ overall series record is 6-9-4.
The Pirates have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 35-26 overall. They have been especially good on the run line when they are the underdog, going 27-11. Their average run differential in games they have covered the run line is +3.0, compared to -3.3 in games they have not.
The Pirates have been involved in 60 games this season, with 36 of those contests having over/under lines set below 8.5 runs. Their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game, and their over/under record is 32-28 overall. When the line is set at 8.5 runs, the over has hit 12 times in 21 games, and only 4 of their games have had higher lines than 8.5 runs.
Pittsburgh is sending left-hander Bailey Falter to the mound today vs. the Dodgers. He has made 11 starts this season and has a record of 3-2 with a 3.22 ERA. Falter’s WHIP for the season is .95, and opponents are batting .197 off him this year. In his 11 appearances, Falter has turned in six quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Falter finished with a no-decision vs. the Blue Jays, going six innings and not allowing a run. Before that, he had given up two homers in back-to-back starts.
Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds are tied for the team lead with eight home runs this season, with Reynolds also leading the Pirates with 34 RBIs. McCutchen comes into the game with a batting average of just .229 but has gone 7/25 in his last six games. Reynolds has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 6/26 in his last six games. The Pirates will also be looking for Ke’Bryan Hayes to keep up his strong play, as he is 6/18 in his last five games.
As a team, the Pirates are averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been a little better on the road, averaging 4.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting just .229 and are near the bottom of the league in both slugging percentage and OPS.
Our prediction for this Dodgers vs. Pirates matchup is to take the Pirates on the money line at +155. With the payout on a Pirates win and our predicted final score being 5-4 in favor of the Pirates, there is a lot of value in taking them to win outright.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we actually have Walker Buehler finishing with the third-fewest strikeouts among all starters today, and Bailey Falter with the second-fewest. If you’re looking for a parlay, you could take the Pirates and look at the over/under, and if so, we would recommend taking the over at 8.5.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Tips
- We like the Pirates on the moneyline (+155)
- The Pirates are also our pick on the run line at +1.5
- Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over
Pittsburgh Pirates Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Martín Pérez | Out | Groin |
| Michael A. Taylor | Out | Personal |
| Johan Oviedo | Out | Elbow |
| Marco Gonzales | Out | Forearm |
| Ryan Borucki | Out | Triceps |
| Ji Hwan Bae | Out | Wrist |
| Joey Bart | Out | Thumb |
| Dauri Moreta | Out | Elbow |
| Alika Williams | Out | Wrist |
| Endy Rodríguez | Out | Elbow |
Los Angeles Dodgers Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Kelly | Out | Shoulder |
| Ryan Brasier | Out | Calf |
| Clayton Kershaw | Out | Shoulder |
| Max Muncy | Out | Oblique |
| Dustin May | Out | Elbow |
| Brusdar Graterol | Out | Shoulder |
| Tony Gonsolin | Out | Arm |
| Connor Brogdon | Out | Foot |
| Bobby Miller | Out | Shoulder |
| Kyle Hurt | Out | Shoulder |
| Emmet Sheehan | Out | Elbow |
