The Washington Nationals (64-78) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (66-76) on Sunday, September 8th. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on MASN. The Nationals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pirates are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nationals. First pitch is set for 12:35 CT.

Nationals vs. Pirates Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Pirates (-160)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs

• The Pirates have scored 6 or more runs in 6 of their last 15 games, indicating strong offensive potential.
• The Pirates have won 4 of their last 6 home games, showing a recent trend of home-field advantage.
• In the last 15 games, the Pirates have scored an average of 5.2 runs per game, compared to the Nationals’ 4.1 runs per game.
• The Pirates have a head-to-head win against the Nationals in their most recent game, scoring 9 runs to the Nationals’ 4.
• The Pirates have a better home record (33-38) compared to the Nationals’ away record (32-41), suggesting a home-field edge.

Nationals vs Pirates

Washington rallied for four runs in the 9th inning in the most recent game of this Nationals vs. Pirates series. The Nationals scored two runs in the 1st inning but didn’t score another run until putting up four in the top of the 9th, picking up an 8-6 win. Heading into the game, the Nationals were at +122 on the money line.

Pittsburgh wasted a good outing from Mitch Keller, as he gave up just two earned runs in six innings of work for the Pirates. Aroldis Chapman took the loss. Robert Garcia got the win out of the bullpen for the Nationals as Mitchell Parker went just 3 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs.

Offensively, the Nationals were led by Andres Chaparro and Keibert Ruiz, as they were the only two Nationals hitters to have more than one hit. Chaparro, James Wood, and Drew Millas each homered for Washington.

Washington is 2-1 in their series vs. the Pirates and has won two straight games. They are 64-78 overall and 21 games behind the Phillies in the NL East, sitting in 4th place. The Nationals are 19-21 vs. NL East teams this season.

As underdogs, the Nationals are 52-66 straight up and 69-49 vs. the run line. Their games have averaged 9.0 runs, and their O/U record is 68-69. This season, 57 of their games have had O/U lines higher than today’s total of 8.5 runs.

Patrick Corbin Gets The Start For The Nationals

Washington starter Patrick Corbin will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win. In that start against the Marlins, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, and striking out eight batters. Corbin has actually won his last three starts, giving up a combined four earned runs in that span. This year, he has a record of 5-12, an ERA of 5.41, and WHIP of 1.52. Opponents are batting .290 off the left-hander this season. Looking at his overall numbers, Corbin has made eight quality starts and is averaging 7.12 strikeouts per nine innings.

Nationals Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game this season, which is 19th in the league. They have been a below-average home run hitting team this season and are also near the bottom of the league in terms of isolated power. However, they have been a tough team to strike out, and their team batting average of .245 is 10th in the league.

CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. are the Nationals’ top home run hitters this season, with 18 and 15 homers, respectively. Both players also come into the game with 63 RBIs. In terms of batting average, Garcia Jr. is batting .288, while Abrams is hitting just .238. Over his last 10 games, Andres Chaparro has four home runs and is batting .243.

As underdogs, the Pirates have a 57-30 record on the run line, but as favorites, they are just 21-34. Overall, they are 78-64 on the run line. Pittsburgh’s over/under record in games with an 8.5 run total is 28-22. The average run total in their games this season is 8.8 runs.

Pittsburgh has an overall series record of 19-21-5, and they are 4-6 in their last 10 games. The Pirates are 16 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central and have a 66-76 record for the season.

Jared Jones Gets The Start For The Pirates

Jared Jones gets the start for the Pirates today and comes in with a record of 5-7 and an ERA of 3.91. So far, he has made 18 starts, and opponents are batting .223 this season. Jones’ WHIP for the season is 1.15, and he has turned in 10 quality starts. In his last outing, Jones finished with a no-decision, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs on six hits. Looking back, he has given up at least one homer in three straight outings. The right-hander has a 3.12 ERA at home compared to 5.64 on the road.

Pirates Offense Breakdown

Heading into today’s game, the Pirates are 20th in the league in scoring, averaging 4.2 runs per game. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.4 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .235 and are near the bottom of the league in home runs and slugging percentage.

Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ top hitter this season, leading the team with a batting average of .278 and 79 RBIs. Reynolds also leads the team with 22 home runs. Bryan De La Cruz is 2nd on the team in homers and is batting .235 for the season. Jared Triolo has one homer in his last five games but is hitting just .235 in that stretch. Rowdy Tellez has also struggled of late, going 2/12 in his last four games.

Nationals vs Pirates Prediction

Our predicted final score for this Nationals vs. Pirates matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Pirates. Given the payout, we would recommend locking in the Pirates on the money line at -160.

Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Jared Jones finishing with six strikeouts, which would have him ranked 15th among starters. As for Patrick Corbin, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is fourth worst among starters.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.