Pittsburgh Pirates at Philadelphia Phillies 4/19/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Citizens Bank Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Jameson Taillon vs. Jake Arrieta

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, April 19, 2018 to play the Philadelphia Phillies. The probable starters are Jameson Taillon for the Pirates and Jake Arrieta for the Phillies.

The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at +105 and Philadelphia at -115. The Pirates have a 10-6-1 over/under record and a 9-8-0 run line mark. The Phillies are 7-9-0 against the run line and have a 7-8-1 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 10-6-1 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 9-8-0 against the run line

Important Philadelphia Phillies Betting Trends

The Philadelphia Phillies are 7-8-1 against the over/under

The Philadelphia Phillies are 7-9-0 against the run line

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

04/17/18 2B Josh Harrison Hand 10-day DL (04/16)
04/03/18 P Joe Musgrove Shoulder 10-day DL (03/30)
03/26/18 P A.J. Schugel Shoulder 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Nick Burdi Elbow 60-day DL (02/20)

Key Philadelphia Phillies Injuries

03/30/18 P Pat Neshek Shoulder 10-day DL (03/30)
03/29/18 P Mark Leiter Forearm 10-day DL (03/26)
03/29/18 P Tommy Hunter Hamstring 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Jerad Eickhoff Back 10-day DL (03/26)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Pirates have a 11-6 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jameson Taillon has a 2-0 record with an earned run average of 0.89 and a WHIP of 0.69 this season. He has 18 strikeouts over his 20.1 innings pitched and he's given up 9 hits. He's allowed 4 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 2.81. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.66 and they have given up 56 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .253 against the bullpen and they've struck out 45 hitters and walked 26 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 7 batters per nine innings. They are 20th in the league in team earned run average at 4.35. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 146 base hits and 75 earned runs. They have allowed 15 home runs this season, ranking them 21st in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 57 batters and struck out 120. They have walked 3.3 men per 9 innings while striking out 7 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.31 and their FIP as a unit is 4.00.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .259, good for 5th in the league. The Pirates hold a .430 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .329, which is good for 9th in baseball. They rank 5th in MLB with 8.8 hits per game. Josh Bell is hitting .269 with an on-base percentage of .333. He has 18 hits this season in 67 at bats with 10 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .373 and an OPS+ of 99. Corey Dickerson is hitting .328 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .354. He has totaled 20 hits and he has driven in 12 men in 61 at bats. His OPS+ is 144 while his slugging percentage is at .525. The Pirates have 150 hits, including 30 doubles and 19 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 59 times so far this season and they have struck out 116 times as a unit. They have left 106 men on base and have a team OPS of .759. They score 5.24 runs per contest and have scored a total of 89 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Philadelphia has a 10-6 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.38, Jake Arrieta has a 1-0 record and a 1.31 WHIP. He has 6 strikeouts over the 10.2 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 10 hits. He's allowing 8.4 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.27. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.24 and they have given up 43 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .200 against the Phillies bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 54 batters and walked 27 opposing hitters. As a team, Philadelphia allows 7.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 8 batters per nine innings. They are 6th in the league in team earned run average at 3.21. The Phillies pitchers as a team have surrendered 125 base knocks and 52 earned runs this season. They have given up 8 home runs this year, which ranks 30th in Major League Baseball. Philadelphia as a staff has walked 49 hitters and struck out 130 batters. They give up a walk 3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.20 while their FIP as a staff is 3.20.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .228, good for 23rd in the league. The Phillies hold a .384 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .326, which is good for 11th in baseball. They rank 23rd in MLB with 7.7 hits per contest. Rhys Hoskins comes into this matchup batting .327 with an OBP of .485. He has 16 hits this year along with 13 RBI in 49 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .592 with an OPS+ of 203. Cesar Hernandez is hitting .291 this season and he has an OBP of .443. He has collected 16 hits in 55 at bats while driving in 5 runs. He has an OPS+ of 150 and a slugging percentage of .436. The Phillies as a unit have 123 base hits, including 31 doubles and 17 homers. Philadelphia has walked 79 times this year and they have struck out on 158 occasions. They have had 110 men left on base and have an OPS of .710. They have scored 5.31 runs per game and totaled 85 runs this season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Phillies -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