Pittsburgh Pirates at Washington Nationals 5/2/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Nationals Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Ivan Nova vs. Stephen Strasburg

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit Nationals Park on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 to play the Washington Nationals. The probable starters are Ivan Nova for the Pirates and Stephen Strasburg for the Nationals.

The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at +185 and Washington at -200. The Pirates have a 14-11-4 over/under record and a 17-12-0 run line mark. The Nationals are 13-16-0 against the run line and have a 12-15-2 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 14-11-4 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 17-12-0 against the run line

Important Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals are 12-15-2 against the over/under

The Washington Nationals are 13-16-0 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 Washington Nationals Injuries

04/25/18 P Shawn Kelley Arm 10-day DL (04/24)
04/23/18 3B Anthony Rendon Toe 10-day DL (04/19)
04/21/18 P Matt Grace Groin 10-day DL (04/21)
04/19/18 C Jhonatan Solano Elbow 60-day DL
04/17/18 RF Brian Goodwin Wrist 10-day DL (04/16)
04/11/18 CF Adam Eaton Ankle 10-day DL (04/09)
03/30/18 P Joaquin Benoit Forearm 10-day DL (03/28)
03/30/18 P Koda Glover Shoulder 60-day DL (03/28)
03/27/18 2B Daniel Murphy Knee 10-day DL (03/27)
03/26/18 P Joe Ross Elbow 60-day DL (02/21)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Pirates have a 17-12 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Ivan Nova has a 2-1 record with an earned run average of 3.32 and a WHIP of 1.03 this season. He has 30 strikeouts over his 38 innings pitched and he's given up 35 hits. He's allowed 8.3 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.46. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.28 and they have given up 99 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .255 against the bullpen and they've struck out 100 hitters and walked 40 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.4 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.9 batters per nine innings. They are 14th in the league in team earned run average at 3.98. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 244 base hits and 116 earned runs. They have allowed 24 home runs this season, ranking them 26th in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 92 batters and struck out 231. They have walked 3.2 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.9 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.28 and their FIP as a unit is 3.79.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .258, good for 5th in the league. The Pirates hold a .410 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .328, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 5th in MLB with 8.9 hits per game. Josh Bell is hitting .232 with an on-base percentage of .293. He has 26 hits this season in 112 at bats with 16 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .321 and an OPS+ of 70. Corey Dickerson is hitting .313 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .358. He has totaled 31 hits and he has driven in 16 men in 99 at bats. His OPS+ is 139 while his slugging percentage is at .515. The Pirates have 257 hits, including 50 doubles and 29 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 100 times so far this season and they have struck out 216 times as a unit. They have left 199 men on base and have a team OPS of .738. They score 4.9 runs per contest and have scored a total of 142 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Washington has a 13-16 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.63, Stephen Strasburg has a 2-3 record and a 1.03 WHIP. He has 43 strikeouts over the 39.2 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 31 hits. He's allowing 7 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.23. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.80 and they have given up 71 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .223 against the Nationals bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 97 batters and walked 36 opposing hitters. As a team, Washington allows 7.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.8 batters per nine innings. They are 12th in the league in team earned run average at 3.9. The Nationals pitchers as a team have surrendered 213 base knocks and 113 earned runs this season. They have given up 34 home runs this year, which ranks 13th in Major League Baseball. Washington as a staff has walked 91 hitters and struck out 284 batters. They give up a walk 3.1 times per 9 innings while they strike out 9.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.17 while their FIP as a staff is 3.90.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .240, good for 17th in the league. The Nationals hold a .389 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .331, which is good for 8th in baseball. They rank 17th in MLB with 8.1 hits per contest. Bryce Harper comes into this matchup batting .247 with an OBP of .458. He has 22 hits this year along with 19 RBI in 89 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .528 with an OPS+ of 171. Trea Turner is hitting .284 this season and he has an OBP of .381. He has collected 33 hits in 116 at bats while driving in 7 runs. He has an OPS+ of 110 and a slugging percentage of .379. The Nationals as a unit have 236 base hits, including 47 doubles and 31 homers. Washington has walked 127 times this year and they have struck out on 244 occasions. They have had 224 men left on base and have an OPS of .720. They have scored 4.34 runs per game and totaled 126 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates +185

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