The Pittsburgh Pirates (37-40) travel to face off against the Cincinnati Reds (36-41) on Monday, June 24th. This game will be played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and televised on SN PT. Both the Pirates and Reds are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 6:10 CT.
Pirates vs Reds
The Pirates will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Rays with a 3-1 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 8th inning before the Rays scored two runs in the top of the 8th. Pittsburgh was the -168 favorite at home going into the game.
Paul Skenes was excellent for the Pirates, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run while striking out eight. However, the Pirates couldn’t close things out, and Colin Holderman took the loss out of the bullpen. The Pirates also wasted a big game from Bryan Reynolds, who homered in the 1st inning, going 2/3.
Pittsburgh will be on the road today vs. the Reds, with an overall record of 37-40, which has them 3rd in the NL Central. Currently, they are 7.5 games behind the Brewers for the division lead. So far, they have gone just 10-10 in divisional matchups.
At home, the Pirates are 19-20 this season and 18-20 on the road. The Pirates lost two of three in their series vs. the Rays, and they are 5-5 over their last 10 games. As the favorite, the Pirates are 15-18 this year, and they are 22-22 as the underdog. Their overall series record is 10-11-4 this year.
When betting on the Pirates’ run line this season, it’s been more profitable to take them as the underdog, as they are 30-14 against the run line in those games. Their overall run line record is 41-36, and they have been slightly better on the road, going 22-16 against the run line. They have been outscored by an average of 0.4 runs per game this season, with a run line record of 19-20 at home and 22-16 on the road.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Cincinnati Reds, and the over/under line for the game is set at 9.5 runs. The combined run average for Pirates games this season is 8.4 runs, and their over/under record is 36-40. The average over/under line for their games is 8 runs, and they have not played a game this season with an over/under line set at 9.5 runs. The under has hit in their last two games, and only 3.9% of their games this season have had over/under lines set at 9.5 runs or higher.
Bailey Falter Gets The Start For The Pirates
Pittsburgh is sending left-hander Bailey Falter to the mound today vs. the Reds. He has made 14 starts this season and has a record of 3-5 with a 3.74 ERA. Falter’s WHIP for the season is 1.12, and opponents are batting .231 off him this year. In his last outing, he gave up two earned runs in seven innings of work, taking the loss. Before that, he had lost three straight starts. Falter has given up at least two homers in three of his last four outings. So far, he has made seven starts on the road, going 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, Bryan Reynolds is on a 20-game hitting streak and has been red hot at the plate of late, going 11/30 in his last eight games with three homers. Reynolds is the Pirates’ top hitter in terms of RBIs (43) and is batting .275 for the season. Oneil Cruz and Andrew McCutchen are also tied for 2nd on the team with 10 homers.
Overall, the Pirates are 25th in scoring at 4 runs per game. Their team batting average of .227 is 20th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in terms of on-base percentage and OPS. As a team, they are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and have the 3rd worst slugging percentage in the MLB.
The Reds will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Red Sox with a 7-4 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 4th inning before the Red Sox scored four runs in the top of the 4th. Cincinnati was the -162 favorite at home going into the game.
Nick Lodolo got the start for the Reds and took the loss. He only lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits. The Reds also issued four walks in the loss and didn’t have a single strikeout from their bullpen. Jonathan India and Elly De La Cruz each had two hits and scored one run apiece.
Cincinnati will host the Pirates with an overall record of 36-41, putting them 5th in the NL Central. Currently, they trail the Brewers by 8.5 games in the division. The Reds dropped the final two games of their series vs. the Red Sox and are just 4-6 across their last 10 games.
At home, the Reds are 19-21 this season, compared to a 17-20 mark on the road. As the favorite, Cincinnati has gone 19-14 and 17-27 as the underdog. So far, they have dropped three straight series and have an overall series record of 8-15-2.
The Reds have been a solid run line bet overall this season, going 41-36, but they have been much better on the road (24-13) than at home (17-23). They have been a better bet as an underdog (26-18) than as a favorite (15-18). Their average run differential in wins is +3.5 runs, but it drops to -2.9 runs in losses.
When the Cincinnati Reds play at home, the over/under line is set at 9.5 runs. The Reds have a combined run average of 8.2 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 32-42 overall. When the over/under line is set at 9.5 runs, their record is 12-7. This season, only 6.5% of their games have had an over/under line set at 9.5 runs or higher.
Carson Spiers Gets The Start For The Reds
Cincinnati is starting right-hander Carson Spiers vs. the Pirates today. He has made one start this season and six appearances. So far, Spiers has a record of 0-1 and an ERA of 3.20. His WHIP for the season is 1.22. In his lone start, Spiers took the loss, giving up four earned runs in six innings of work. Looking back at his last three outings, he has finished with a no-decision in each one. The most recent of these outings came on June 9th vs. the Cubs, where he gave up one earned run in 5 2/3 innings of work.
Reds Offense Breakdown
Elly De La Cruz and Jeimer Candelario have been the Reds’ top power threats this season, as De La Cruz has 13 homers (2nd on the team) and Candelario is just ahead of him with 14 home runs, which is the best mark on the team and 11th in the league. Candelario has also been swinging a good bat of late, going 5/18 in his last five games with two homers. Jonathan India is also swinging a hot bat for the Reds, as he is 8/19 in his last five games.
Cincinnati’s offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. So far, the Reds have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per game. Overall, they are batting just .227 and have the league’s 20th ranked on-base percentage.
Pirates vs Reds Prediction
The best way to play this Pirates vs. Reds matchup is to take the Pirates on the money line, with the payout sitting at -102. We have the Pirates winning this one by a score of 5-4, giving you some options if you want to look at the over/under line, as the line is currently sitting at 9.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Carson Spiers is projected to finish with six strikeouts compared to Bailey Falter, who we have finishing with just four. In terms of team projections, the Pirates are expected to finish with nine strikeouts compared to the Reds, who we have finishing with eight.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 28, 2024 Pirates, Reds