Major League Baseball on Friday night and I will have a Free Pick in the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals, which will be played at Nationals Park. First pitch is scheduled for a 7:05 PM (Eastern) start time and the game will be televised on the locally.
Betting Odds
Pittsburgh -125
Washington +115
Over/ Under: 7 O -125
This is game 1 of a 3 game series between these National League foes. The Pirates come in as the hottest team in baseball as they have now won 8 games in a row and it has mostly been with dominant pitching as they have allowed a total of 7 runs during the winning streak. The Pirates are in 2nd place in the NL Central with the 3rd best record in all of baseball. The Nationals are floundering right now as they have won just 6 of their last 17 games and it gets worse as they may be without Bryce Harper for a few games. Washington is a game and a half behind the Mets for first place in the NL East. The Pirates rank 18th in scoring (4.09 rpg), while on the mound they are 2nd in ERA (2.72). Washington ranks 9th in scoring (4.36 rpg), while on the mound they are 18th in ERA (3.96).
Trend for this game include: The Pirates are 13-3 in their last 16 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game and 7-1 in Burnett's last 8 starts, but just 2-9 in his last 11 starts during game 1 of a series. The Nationals have gone 5-14 in their last 19 games vs. a right-handed starter and 0-5 in their last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
Getting the ball for Pittsburgh tonight will be AJ Burnett, who has pitched well this year, going 6-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 13 starts this year, while on the road he has gone 4-0 with a 2.51 ERA. AJ Has gone 12-5 with a 3.19 ERA in 23 appearances (22 Starts) vs the Nationals in his career, while at Nationals Park he is 1-2 with a 4.57 ERA in 4 starts.
Toeing the rubber for the Nationals tonight will be Joe Ross, who has just 2 starts on the year and is 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA in those starts. They are his first 2 career starts, so he has yet to face the Pirates.
Pick: I will right the Hhot Pirates in this one. They are the better team right now, with the better starter on the mound and the Nats will probably be without Harper for this one, who is clearly their best hitter. A struggling offense is not something you need when going up against this Pittsburgh squad that has allowed just 7 total runs in 8 games. The teams are headed in opposite directions right now and I see that continuing here.
-$25 of picks FREE! No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!
Stay on top of the latest odds and line moves for MLB Season with our real-time odds from Las Vegas and offshore!
Stop the All-Star Game Ballot Stuffing
Pro handicappers Teddy Covers and Steve Fezzik have a bone to pick with MLB Commisioner Bud Selig, who decided the All-Star exhibition game will determine World Series home field advantage. With Royals fans currently voting seven Kansas City players into the starting line up of the American League team, this popularity-based roster of an exhibition game which has way too much impact on the most important baseball series of the year.