Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 5/1/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Friday, May 1, 2026

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh

Odds/Point Spread: Cincinnati (+150) Pittsburgh (-182)

The Cincinnati Reds (19-11) are on their way to PNC Park on Friday where they will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (16-15). The line on this matchup has the Reds at +150 while the Pirates open at -182. The betting total is set at 8. The pitchers expected to start will be Brady Singer and Mitch Keller.

As a squad, the Cincinnati Reds are scoring 4.2 runs per game, which has them at 19th in the league. They have tallied 127 runs and have an on-base percentage of .310. The Reds have compiled 39 doubles as a squad and have knocked 40 baseballs out of the park. They have earned 117 runs batted in and 219 hits on the season, and their team batting average is .220. Cincinnati has a slugging % of .384 and have been called out on strikes 279 times, while taking a walk on 123 occasions.

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Their K/BB ratio is 1.76 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.43. Reds pitchers have conceded 31 home runs and also 132 runs (12th in the league). Cincinnati has given up 252 base knocks (8.4 per 9 innings) as well as 121 earned runs. The Reds hold a team earned run average of 4.02 on the year (12th in the league), and the staff has rung up 238 hitters. They have walked 135 players from the other team and their FIP is 4.49 as a unit so far this season.

The Reds have dispatched 112 relievers to the mound for the season. The relievers have inherited 45 base runners this season with 20.0% of those players earned a run for their team. The relievers have tallied 23 holds so far this season (4th in MLB). Reds relief pitchers have entered the contest with runners on base 32 times in addition to having 39 appearances in high leverage situations. They have 10 saves on the campaign and have not converted 5 out of their 15 chances to get a save. The Reds bullpen have earned a save rate of 66.7% and have stepped onto the mound in 39 save situations.

The Cincinnati Reds are sitting with 813 putouts so far this season, in addition to 255 assists and 14 errors. Their fielding rate is holding at .987 which ranks 9th in professional baseball, and have accumulated 32 double plays. The Reds have turned 69.9% of balls in play into outs out of 2,439 innings on the field, which ranks them 16th in MLB.

Singer has taken the hill for 884 innings and has earned 827 K's so far in his career. Singer (52-57 career mark) is the owner of a FIP of 4.19 while facing 3,784 batters in the majors. His earned run average is 4.26 (418 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.319. He has surrendered 885 hits (9.0 hits per nine innings) and has had 281 walks.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have compiled a team on-base percentage of .325 and a batting average of .245 this year. They have been rung up on 298 occasions (2nd in baseball) and have tallied 264 base knocks. Pittsburgh has tallied 33 home runs over the course of the season and 143 RBIs. The Pirates hold a slugging % of .377 and they are scoring 4.77 runs per game (10th in baseball). They have recorded 39 two-baggers, while getting a free base 115 times and scoring 148 runs.

The Pirates hold a team WHIP of 1.250 and have a FIP of 3.65 as a team this year. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 9.20 (289 strikeouts against 123 free passes). They are sitting at 8th in MLB as a staff in total hits allowed with 231. They have given up 24 long balls and they allow 4.16 runs per 9 innings (6th in MLB). The Pittsburgh pitching staff have surrendered 131 runs on the year and come in with a team ERA of 3.66 (115 earned runs yielded).

Pittsburgh relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 31.3% of 32 inherited runners. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 40 times in high leverage situations and on 29 occasions with runners on base. Sitting with 37 save situations, the Pirates have accumulated 24 holds in addition to 8 blown saves. They are currently ranked 27th in the league with a save rate of 38.5%, and they have sent 110 relievers to the mound so far this year.

In their 2,550 innings on the diamond, the Pirates have earned a efficiency on defense of 70.8% (10th in baseball). The Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten 21 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .984 (24th in pro baseball). The Pirates have recorded 247 assists, 18 errors and have 850 putouts on the season.

So far in his career, Keller has surrendered 942 hits while he has tallied 862 punch outs in 912 innings pitched. Keller (44-66 career mark) holds a 4.46 ERA while giving up 9.3 hits per nine innings. He has given up 452 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.373 and a FIP of 4.4. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.78 and he has gone up against 3,955 opposing hitters so far in his pro baseball career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Cincinnati (+150)

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