Pittsburgh Pirates vs Washington Nationals Prediction & Betting Tips 9/5/2024

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Washington Nationals Preview

From PNC Park in Pittsburgh, we have the Nationals and Pirates facing off in an NL matchup. First pitch for Thursday’s matchup is set for 6:40 PM ET. MASN is televising this game, and the money line odds have the Pirates as the favorite at -120.

Washington is 62-77 this season, while the Pirates are 65-74. 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.

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Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals Trends and Key Stats

• The Nationals are 2-3 across their last five road games. They have gone 3-2 vs. the runline.
• In the Pirates’ five most recent home games, their record stands at 3-2 (SU) with 3-2 against the spread.
• Over their last ten games as the favorite, the Pirates have a straight-up record of 6-4, while going 4-6 against the runline.
• Looking back at their last ten games as the underdog, the Nationals have a 4-6 straight-up record and a 6-4 record vs. the runline.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Washington Nationals Prediction

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 couldn’t close things out, and Derek Law took the loss out of the bullpen. The Nationals also wasted a big game from James Wood, who went 2/4 with two doubles and a run scored.

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 against other NL East teams. The Nationals split their most recent series vs. the Marlins, and they are 4-6 across their last 10 games.

At home, the Nationals are 32-37 this year, and they are just under .500 at 30-40 on the road. As the underdog, Washington is 50-65 this year, compared to 12-12 as the favorite. They will be the road underdog today, and their overall series record is 18-23-4 this year.

Washington has been a solid play on the run line this season, going 78-61 overall. They’ve been a better bet on the run line on the road, going 41-29, compared to 37-32 at home. They’ve also been a better bet as the underdog, going 67-48 compared to just 11-13 as the favorite. Their average run margin this season is -0.5 runs per game.

Washington is on the road in Pittsburgh today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. The Nationals have played in 57 games this season with over/under lines higher than 8.5 runs, which accounts for 41.0% of their games. Their combined run average this season is 8.9 runs per game, and their over/under record for the season is 66-68.

Jake Irvin gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Pirates on the road. He has made 28 starts this season 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 issued just 2.24 walks per nine innings compared to 7.6 strikeouts. This year, he has turned in 14 quality starts and is coming off a rough outing where he gave up seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without giving up a home run. Opponents are batting .242 off Irvin this season.

Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, averaging just 4.2 runs per game, which is 21st in the MLB. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and have the 11th best team batting average in the league. Luis Garcia Jr. has been the team’s top hitter this season, batting .290 with 15 homers and a team-leading 63 RBIs.

Over his last five games, Jacob Young has gone 6/16, and Dylan Crews and Andres Chaparro have both struggled, with Crews going 3/22 and Chaparro going 3/18. Crews and Chaparro each have one home run in their last five games. The Nationals have four players who are currently on three-game hitting streaks.

Pittsburgh is coming off a game in which they were shut out 12-0. This was especially tough, as the Pirates were the +178 underdog going into Chicago. Things really got away from the Pirates in the 2nd inning, as the Cubs scored three runs in the inning. Pittsburgh’s offense was also held to just three hits.

Domingo German had a rough outing, giving up six earned runs on nine hits and issuing three walks. He only lasted three innings, taking the loss. The Pirates also used seven different relievers in the game.

Pittsburgh is 5th in the NL Central, trailing the Reds by 1.5 games for 4th place in the division. Overall, the Pirates are 65-74 and trail the Brewers by 15.5 games in the NL Central. They are just above .500 in the division at 22-20.

At home, the Pirates are 32-36 this season and 33-38 on the road. As the underdog, Pittsburgh is 37-50 this season and 28-24 as the favorite. Their overall series record is 19-21-5, and they won their most recent series vs. the Cubs.

The Pirates are 34-34 on the run line at home this season and have covered in 57 of 87 games as the underdog. Their average run differential in losing games is -3.6, and they have failed to cover the run line in their last three home games.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have an over/under record of 68-69 on the season, and their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 28-21. Overall, 15.1% of their games have had an over/under line set at 8.5 runs, while 49.6% of their games have had a lower line.

Bailey Falter gets the start for the Pirates today and is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Guardians. In that start, he went 4 innings, giving up 4 earned runs, 2 walks, and 1 homer. He finished the game with a no decision. Looking back over his last three starts, Falter has finished with a no decision in each outing. The left-hander has made 23 starts this season and has a record of 6-7, along with an ERA of 4.41. Opposing batters are hitting .260 off Falter this season.

For the season, the Pirates are averaging just 4.2 runs per game, which is 23rd in the MLB. They have been even worse in terms of home runs, as their 137 total is 20th in the league. As a team, they are batting just .235 and are also near the bottom of the league in terms of strikeouts and on-base percentage.

Bryan Reynolds has been one of the Pirates’ most consistent hitters this season, batting .280 with a team-high 22 homers and 77 RBIs. He has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/27 in his last seven games, with two homers. Andrew McCutchen has also been swinging well for the Pirates, going 4/15 in his last four games, including two homers.

Our pick for this Nationals vs. Pirates matchup is to take the Nationals on the money line, with the payout sitting at +102. We have the Nationals winning this one by a final score of 5-4.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Jake Irvin finishing with five strikeouts, which would have him ranked 11th among today’s starters. As for Bailey Falter, his projections have him finishing with four strikeouts, which is the lowest among today’s starters.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Washington Nationals Betting Tips

• We like the Nationals on the moneyline (+102)
• The Nationals are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
• Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over

Pittsburgh Pirates Injury Report

Washington Nationals Injury Report