Atlanta Braves at Pittsburgh Pirates 8/20/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Monday, August 20, 2018

PNC Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Kevin Gausman vs. Chris Archer

The Atlanta Braves visit PNC Park on Monday, August 20, 2018 to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Kevin Gausman for the Braves and Chris Archer for the Pirates.

The opening line for this matchup has Atlanta at +105 and Pittsburgh at -115. The Braves have a 60-57-5 over/under record and a 63-59-0 run line mark. The Pirates are 61-63-0 against the run line and have a 59-58-7 over/under record.

Valuable Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 60-57-5 against the over/under

The Atlanta Braves are 63-59-0 against the run line

Important Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 59-58-7 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 61-63-0 against the run line

Key Atlanta Braves Injuries

08/08/18 P Max Fried Groin 10-day DL (08/08)
08/08/18 P Shane Carle Shoulder 10-day DL (08/08)
07/31/18 P Peter Moylan Ribs 10-day DL (07/31)
07/31/18 P Sam Freeman Shoulder 10-day DL (07/29)
07/14/18 P Arodys Vizcaino Shoulder 10-day DL (07/14)
06/28/18 P Brandon McCarthy Knee 10-day DL (06/28)
06/27/18 P Darren O'Day Hamstring 60-day DL (06/27)
06/22/18 P Jose Ramirez Shoulder 60-day DL (04/18)
06/22/18 P Michael Soroka Shoulder 60-day DL (06/20)
03/30/18 P Chase Whitley Heel 10-day DL (03/26)
03/30/18 P Jacob Lindgren Elbow 60-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Grant Dayton Elbow 60-day DL (02/14)

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

08/17/18 SS Jordy Mercer Calf 10-day DL (08/15)
08/08/18 RF Sean Rodriguez Abdominal 10-day DL (08/06)
06/29/18 P Chad Kuhl Forearm 60-day DL (06/27)
06/29/18 P Nik Turley Arm 60-day DL (06/29)
03/26/18 P A.J. Schugel Shoulder 60-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Nick Burdi Elbow 60-day DL (02/20)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Braves have a 68-54 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Kevin Gausman has a 7-9 record with an earned run average of 4.22 and a WHIP of 1.34 this season. He has 116 strikeouts over his 143 innings pitched and he's given up 155 hits. He's allowed 9.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.42. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.20 and they have given up 388 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .238 against the bullpen and they've struck out 436 hitters and walked 197 batters. As a team, Atlanta allows 7.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings. They are 12th in the league in team earned run average at 3.85. The Braves pitchers collectively have given up 961 base hits and 471 earned runs. They have allowed 124 home runs this season, ranking them 25th in the league. Atlanta as a pitching staff has walked 464 batters and struck out 1,081. They have walked 3.8 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.29 and their FIP as a unit is 4.03.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Atlanta is hitting .262, good for 2nd in the league. The Braves hold a .428 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .326, which is good for 9th in baseball. They rank 2nd in MLB with 9.1 hits per game. Nick Markakis is hitting .318 with an on-base percentage of .379. He has 152 hits this season in 478 at bats with 80 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .492 and an OPS+ of 136. Freddie Freeman is hitting .320 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .402. He has totaled 151 hits and he has driven in 77 men in 472 at bats. His OPS+ is 152 while his slugging percentage is at .530. The Braves have 1,112 hits, including 251 doubles and 138 home runs. Atlanta has walked 372 times so far this season and they have struck out 953 times as a unit. They have left 846 men on base and have a team OPS of .754. They score 4.87 runs per contest and have scored a total of 594 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Pittsburgh has a 62-62 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.49, Chris Archer has a 4-5 record and a 1.42 WHIP. He has 118 strikeouts over the 110.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 120 hits. He's allowing 9.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.7. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.17 and they have given up 402 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .249 against the Pirates bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 443 batters and walked 184 opposing hitters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. They are 18th in the league in team earned run average at 4.15. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,085 base knocks and 507 earned runs this season. They have given up 127 home runs this year, which ranks 22nd in Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 391 hitters and struck out 989 batters. They give up a walk 3.2 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.1 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.34 while their FIP as a staff is 4.07.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .255, good for 7th in the league. The Pirates hold a .413 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .320, which is good for 15th in baseball. They rank 9th in MLB with 8.6 hits per contest. Josh Harrison comes into this matchup batting .258 with an OBP of .300. He has 78 hits this year along with 32 RBI in 302 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .364 with an OPS+ of 81. Starling Marte is hitting .276 this season and he has an OBP of .319. He has collected 116 hits in 421 at bats while driving in 57 runs. He has an OPS+ of 111 and a slugging percentage of .463. The Pirates as a unit have 1,068 base hits, including 211 doubles and 127 homers. Pittsburgh has walked 369 times this year and they have struck out on 948 occasions. They have had 822 men left on base and have an OPS of .732. They have scored 4.46 runs per game and totaled 553 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Braves/Pirates MLB game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Pirates -115

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Josh Schonwald