Pittsburgh Pirates at Washington Nationals 5/3/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Nationals Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Trevor Williams vs. Jeremy Hellickson

Nationals Park is the site of the matchup between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals on Thursday, May 3, 2018. The probable starting pitchers are Trevor Williams for the Pirates and Jeremy Hellickson for the Nationals.

Pittsburgh opens at +110 while Washington opens at -120. The Pirates have a 15-11-4 over/under record and a 17-13-0 run line mark. The Nationals are 14-16-0 against the run line and have a 13-15-2 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 15-11-4 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 17-13-0 against the run line

Important Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals are 13-15-2 against the over/under

The Washington Nationals are 14-16-0 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 17-13 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Trevor Williams has a 4-1 record with an earned run average of 2.29 and a WHIP of 1.13 this year. He has 23 strikeouts over his 35.1 innings pitched and he's given up 23 hits. He's allowed 5.9 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.68. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.68 and they have given up 105 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .260 against the bullpen and they've struck out 103 hitters and walked 42 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.9 batters per nine innings. They are 18th in the league in team earned run average at 4.19. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 254 base hits and 126 earned runs. They have allowed 28 home runs this season, ranking them 18th in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 96 batters and struck out 237. They have walked 3.2 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.9 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.30 and their FIP as a unit is 3.94.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .257, good for 6th in the league. The Pirates hold a .414 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .327, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 5th in MLB with 8.8 hits per game. Josh Bell is hitting .243 with an on-base percentage of .307. He has 28 hits this season in 115 at bats with 16 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .339 and an OPS+ of 79. Corey Dickerson is hitting .311 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .354. He has totaled 32 hits and he has driven in 18 men in 103 at bats. His OPS+ is 142 while his slugging percentage is at .534. The Pirates have 265 hits, including 54 doubles and 31 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 103 times so far this season and they have struck out 227 times as a unit. They have left 206 men on base and have a team OPS of .740. They score 4.87 runs per contest and have scored a total of 146 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Washington has a 14-16 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.11, Jeremy Hellickson has a 0-0 record and a 1.24 WHIP this season. He has 9 strikeouts over the 15.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 15 hits. He allows 8.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.48. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.85 and they have given up 76 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .230 against the Nationals bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 100 batters and walked 37 opposing hitters. As a team, Washington allows 7.4 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.8 batters per nine innings. They are 13th in the league in team earned run average at 3.9. The Nationals pitchers as a team have surrendered 221 base knocks and 117 earned runs this season. They have given up 36 home runs this year, which ranks 10th in Major League Baseball. Washington as a staff has walked 94 hitters and struck out 295 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 .242, good for 16th in the league. The Nationals hold a .398 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .332, which is good for 7th in baseball. They rank 17th in MLB with 8.2 hits per contest. Bryce Harper comes into this matchup batting .250 with an OBP of .459. He has 23 hits this year along with 22 RBI in 92 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .554 with an OPS+ of 177. Trea Turner is hitting .286 this season and he has an OBP of .384. He has collected 34 hits in 119 at bats while driving in 10 runs. He has an OPS+ of 113 and a slugging percentage of .387. The Nationals as a unit have 246 base hits, including 48 doubles and 35 homers. Washington has walked 131 times this year and they have struck out on 250 occasions. They have had 227 men left on base and have an OPS of .730. They have scored 4.6 runs per game and totaled 138 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates +110

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