Atlanta Braves at Pittsburgh Pirates 8/21/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

PNC Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Julio Teheran vs. Ivan Nova

The Atlanta Braves visit PNC Park on Tuesday, August 21, 2018 to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Julio Teheran for the Braves and Ivan Nova for the Pirates.

The opening line for this matchup has Atlanta at +110 and Pittsburgh at -120. The Braves have a 60-58-5 over/under record and a 63-60-0 run line mark. The Pirates are 61-64-0 against the run line and have a 59-59-7 over/under record.

Valuable Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 60-58-5 against the over/under

The Atlanta Braves are 63-60-0 against the run line

Important Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

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

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 61-64-0 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)
07/14/18 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 68-55 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Julio Teheran has a 8-7 record with an earned run average of 4.24 and a WHIP of 1.22 this season. He has 124 strikeouts over his 133.2 innings pitched and he's given up 98 hits. He's allowed 6.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 5.16. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.20 and they have given up 391 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .239 against the bullpen and they've struck out 440 hitters and walked 197 batters. As a team, Atlanta allows 7.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.9 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 969 base hits and 475 earned runs. They have allowed 126 home runs this season, ranking them 25th in the league. Atlanta as a pitching staff has walked 466 batters and struck out 1,093. They have walked 3.8 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.9 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 .261, good for 3rd in the league. The Braves hold a .426 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .325, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 2nd in MLB with 9.1 hits per game. Freddie Freeman is hitting .321 with an on-base percentage of .403. He has 153 hits this season in 476 at bats with 77 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .532 and an OPS+ of 153. Nick Markakis is hitting .318 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .380. He has totaled 153 hits and he has driven in 80 men in 481 at bats. His OPS+ is 136 while his slugging percentage is at .491. The Braves have 1,118 hits, including 252 doubles and 138 home runs. Atlanta has walked 373 times so far this season and they have struck out 962 times as a unit. They have left 852 men on base and have a team OPS of .751. They score 4.85 runs per contest and have scored a total of 596 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Pittsburgh has a 63-62 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.26, Ivan Nova has a 7-7 record and a 1.30 WHIP. He has 91 strikeouts over the 131 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 143 hits. He's allowing 9.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.57. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.12 and they have given up 405 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .248 against the Pirates bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 450 batters and walked 188 opposing hitters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. They are 17th in the league in team earned run average at 4.12. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,093 base knocks and 508 earned runs this season. They have given up 128 home runs this year, which ranks 22nd in Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 398 hitters and struck out 1,004 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 .412 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .320, which is good for 14th in baseball. They rank 9th in MLB with 8.6 hits per contest. Starling Marte comes into this matchup batting .275 with an OBP of .319. He has 117 hits this year along with 57 RBI in 425 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .464 with an OPS+ of 112. Josh Harrison is hitting .257 this season and he has an OBP of .298. He has collected 79 hits in 307 at bats while driving in 32 runs. He has an OPS+ of 81 and a slugging percentage of .365. The Pirates as a unit have 1,076 base hits, including 215 doubles and 128 homers. Pittsburgh has walked 374 times this year and they have struck out on 955 occasions. They have had 833 men left on base and have an OPS of .732. They have scored 4.44 runs per game and totaled 555 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates -120

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