Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves 8/31/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Friday, August 31, 2018

SunTrust Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Jameson Taillon vs. Anibal Sanchez

SunTrust Park is the site of the matchup between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, August 31, 2018. The probable starting pitchers are Jameson Taillon for the Pirates and Anibal Sanchez for the Braves.

Pittsburgh opens at -101 while Atlanta opens at -109. The Pirates have a 62-64-7 over/under record and a 65-68-0 run line mark. The Braves are 68-64-0 against the run line and have a 62-65-5 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 62-64-7 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 65-68-0 against the run line

Important Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 62-65-5 against the over/under

The Atlanta Braves are 68-64-0 against the run line

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

08/29/18 2B Josh Harrison Hamstring is questionable Thursday vs St. Louis Cardinals
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)

Key Atlanta Braves Injuries

08/25/18 P Anibal Sanchez Hamstring left last game, is questionable for next scheduled start
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)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Pirates have a 65-68 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jameson Taillon has a 10-9 record with an earned run average of 3.49 and a WHIP of 1.22 this year. He has 139 strikeouts over his 152 innings pitched and he's given up 146 hits. He's allowed 8.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.46. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.99 and they have given up 430 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .244 against the bullpen and they've struck out 486 hitters and walked 202 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.2 batters per nine innings. They are 16th in the league in team earned run average at 4.07. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 1,156 base hits and 537 earned runs. They have allowed 139 home runs this season, ranking them 23rd in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 422 batters and struck out 1,077. They have walked 3.2 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.2 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.33 and their FIP as a unit is 4.08.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .254, good for 10th in the league. The Pirates hold a .409 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .319, which is good for 16th in baseball. They rank 13th in MLB with 8.6 hits per game. Corey Dickerson is hitting .297 with an on-base percentage of .327. He has 128 hits this season in 431 at bats with 46 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .462 and an OPS+ of 114. Starling Marte is hitting .274 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .321. He has totaled 124 hits and he has driven in 59 men in 453 at bats. His OPS+ is 111 while his slugging percentage is at .455. The Pirates have 1,146 hits, including 233 doubles and 132 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 398 times so far this season and they have struck out 1,020 times as a unit. They have left 892 men on base and have a team OPS of .728. They score 4.36 runs per contest and have scored a total of 580 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Atlanta has a 74-58 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.05, Anibal Sanchez has a 6-5 record and a 1.08 WHIP this season. He has 100 strikeouts over the 103.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 80 hits. He allows 7 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.88. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.03 and they have given up 414 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .238 against the Braves bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 468 batters and walked 204 opposing hitters. As a team, Atlanta allows 7.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.9 batters per nine innings. They are 9th in the league in team earned run average at 3.72. The Braves pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,024 base knocks and 492 earned runs this season. They have given up 131 home runs this year, which ranks 26th in Major League Baseball. Atlanta as a staff has walked 490 hitters and struck out 1,171 batters. They give up a walk 3.7 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.27 while their FIP as a staff is 3.96.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .261, good for 3rd in the league. The Braves hold a .424 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .326, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 3rd in MLB with 9.1 hits per contest. Nick Markakis comes into this matchup batting .310 with an OBP of .373. He has 160 hits this year along with 83 RBI in 516 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .475 with an OPS+ of 128. Freddie Freeman is hitting .310 this season and he has an OBP of .394. He has collected 158 hits in 510 at bats while driving in 78 runs. He has an OPS+ of 142 and a slugging percentage of .508. The Braves as a unit have 1,195 base hits, including 266 doubles and 148 homers. Atlanta has walked 405 times this year and they have struck out on 1,025 occasions. They have had 924 men left on base and have an OPS of .750. They have scored 4.77 runs per game and totaled 629 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Braves -109

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