Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves 9/2/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Sunday, September 2, 2018

SunTrust Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Ivan Nova vs. Julio Teheran

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit SunTrust Park on Sunday, September 2, 2018 to play the Atlanta Braves. The probable starters are Ivan Nova for the Pirates and Julio Teheran for the Braves.

The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at +133 and Atlanta at -143. The Pirates have a 62-66-7 over/under record and a 66-69-0 run line mark. The Braves are 68-66-0 against the run line and have a 63-66-5 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 62-66-7 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 66-69-0 against the run line

Important Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 63-66-5 against the over/under

The Atlanta Braves are 68-66-0 against the run line

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

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

08/08/18 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 60-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 66-69 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Ivan Nova has a 7-9 record with an earned run average of 4.35 and a WHIP of 1.29 this season. He has 96 strikeouts over his 140.2 innings pitched and he's given up 153 hits. He's allowed 9.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.71. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.96 and they have given up 432 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .244 against the bullpen and they've struck out 491 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 17th in the league in team earned run average at 4.07. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 1,170 base hits and 544 earned runs. They have allowed 143 home runs this season, ranking them 23rd in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 424 batters and struck out 1,096. 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 .253, good for 9th in the league. The Pirates hold a .406 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .318, which is good for 14th in baseball. They rank 13th in MLB with 8.6 hits per game. Corey Dickerson is hitting .296 with an on-base percentage of .325. He has 129 hits this season in 436 at bats with 46 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .461 and an OPS+ of 114. Starling Marte is hitting .279 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .325. He has totaled 129 hits and he has driven in 59 men in 462 at bats. His OPS+ is 113 while his slugging percentage is at .457. The Pirates have 1,159 hits, including 235 doubles and 132 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 406 times so far this season and they have struck out 1,039 times as a unit. They have left 909 men on base and have a team OPS of .724. They score 4.32 runs per contest and have scored a total of 583 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Atlanta has a 74-60 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.18, Julio Teheran has a 9-7 record and a 1.18 WHIP. He has 134 strikeouts over the 146.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 106 hits. He's allowing 6.5 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.99. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.97 and they have given up 416 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .236 against the Braves bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 472 batters and walked 205 opposing hitters. As a team, Atlanta allows 7.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings. They are 8th in the league in team earned run average at 3.7. The Braves pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,037 base knocks and 497 earned runs this season. They have given up 132 home runs this year, which ranks 26th in Major League Baseball. Atlanta as a staff has walked 494 hitters and struck out 1,186 batters. They give up a walk 3.7 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.27 while their FIP as a staff is 3.94.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .260, good for 3rd in the league. The Braves hold a .424 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .325, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 3rd in MLB with 9.0 hits per contest. Nick Markakis comes into this matchup batting .305 with an OBP of .368. He has 160 hits this year along with 83 RBI in 524 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .468 with an OPS+ of 125. Freddie Freeman is hitting .309 this season and he has an OBP of .392. He has collected 160 hits in 518 at bats while driving in 81 runs. He has an OPS+ of 142 and a slugging percentage of .508. The Braves as a unit have 1,211 base hits, including 268 doubles and 150 homers. Atlanta has walked 407 times this year and they have struck out on 1,044 occasions. They have had 936 men left on base and have an OPS of .749. They have scored 4.74 runs per game and totaled 635 runs this season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Braves -143

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