Pittsburgh Pirates at Philadelphia Phillies 4/21/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Citizens Bank Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Steven Brault vs. Aaron Nola

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, April 21, 2018 to play the Philadelphia Phillies. The probable starters are Steven Brault for the Pirates and Aaron Nola for the Phillies.

The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at +161 and Philadelphia at -171. The Pirates have a 11-6-2 over/under record and a 10-9-0 run line mark. The Phillies are 8-10-0 against the run line and have a 8-8-2 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 11-6-2 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 10-9-0 against the run line

Important Philadelphia Phillies Betting Trends

The Philadelphia Phillies are 8-8-2 against the over/under

The Philadelphia Phillies are 8-10-0 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 12-7 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Steven Brault has a 2-1 record with an earned run average of 4.74 and a WHIP of 1.37 this season. He has 11 strikeouts over his 19 innings pitched and he's given up 17 hits. He's allowed 8.1 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.92. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.26 and they have given up 64 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .249 against the bullpen and they've struck out 63 hitters and walked 29 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.6 batters per nine innings. They are 20th in the league in team earned run average at 4.4. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 162 base hits and 84 earned runs. They have allowed 17 home runs this season, ranking them 20th in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 65 batters and struck out 145. They have walked 3.4 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.6 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.32 and their FIP as a unit is 4.02.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .256, good for 5th in the league. The Pirates hold a .422 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .325, which is good for 12th in baseball. They rank 8th in MLB with 8.7 hits per game. Corey Dickerson is hitting .313 with an on-base percentage of .338. He has 20 hits this season in 64 at bats with 12 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .500 and an OPS+ of 132. Josh Bell is hitting .263 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .321. He has totaled 20 hits and he has driven in 13 men in 76 at bats. His OPS+ is 93 while his slugging percentage is at .368. The Pirates have 165 hits, including 35 doubles and 20 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 65 times so far this season and they have struck out 137 times as a unit. They have left 117 men on base and have a team OPS of .748. They score 5.21 runs per contest and have scored a total of 99 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Philadelphia has a 11-7 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 2.22, Aaron Nola has a 1-1 record and a 0.95 WHIP. He has 15 strikeouts over the 24.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 14 hits. He's allowing 5.2 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.67. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.61 and they have given up 48 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .207 against the Phillies bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 60 batters and walked 28 opposing hitters. As a team, Philadelphia allows 7.6 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.5 batters per nine innings. They are 6th in the league in team earned run average at 3.26. The Phillies pitchers as a team have surrendered 138 base knocks and 59 earned runs this season. They have given up 10 home runs this year, which ranks 30th in Major League Baseball. Philadelphia as a staff has walked 53 hitters and struck out 153 batters. They give up a walk 2.9 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.5 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.17 while their FIP as a staff is 3.23.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .229, good for 24th in the league. The Phillies hold a .375 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .328, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 27th in MLB with 7.7 hits per contest. Cesar Hernandez comes into this matchup batting .286 with an OBP of .430. He has 18 hits this year along with 8 RBI in 63 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .413 with an OPS+ of 139. Rhys Hoskins is hitting .327 this season and he has an OBP of .486. He has collected 18 hits in 55 at bats while driving in 14 runs. He has an OPS+ of 209 and a slugging percentage of .618. The Phillies as a unit have 138 base hits, including 32 doubles and 18 homers. Philadelphia has walked 88 times this year and they have struck out on 184 occasions. They have had 122 men left on base and have an OPS of .704. They have scored 5.28 runs per game and totaled 95 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates +161

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