Detroit Tigers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 8/18/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Detroit Tigers vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh

Odds/Point Spread: Detroit (-132) Pittsburgh (+110)

The Pittsburgh Pirates (61-65) will go up against the Detroit Tigers (60-64) at PNC Park on Tuesday. The line on this matchup has Detroit at -132 and Pittsburgh is sitting at +110. The over/under is set at 8.5. The pitchers taking the mound will be Keider Montero and Braxton Ashcraft.

Detroit has a slugging rate of .408 and have been called out on strikes 1,064 times, while taking a walk on 439 occasions. They have compiled 538 runs batted in in addition to 1,015 hits this year, and their batting average sits at .242. The Tigers have accrued 190 doubles as a team and have knocked 150 balls out of the park. They have earned a total of 565 runs and have an OBP of .319. As a unit, the Detroit Tigers are notching 4.6 runs per outing, which has them at 11th in the league.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.67 and the pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.21. Tigers pitchers have conceded 123 long balls in addition to 482 total runs (6th in the league). Detroit has allowed 953 base hits (7.8 per 9 innings) and also 434 earned runs. The Tigers are sitting with a team earned run average of 3.55 over the course of the season (4th in the league), and the staff has struck out 1,019 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 381 batters and their FIP comes in at 3.87 as a team on the season.

The Tigers relief pitchers have recorded a save rate of 48.1% and have stepped onto the mound in 110 save situations. They have compiled 25 saves for the season and have blown 27 of their 52 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 198 runners over the course of the season and 26.3% of them ended up crossing the plate. Tigers relief pitchers have gone to the mound with players on base 135 times in addition to having 99 appearances in high leverage situations. The Tigers have dispatched 383 relievers to the mound over the course of the season. The relief pitchers have a total of 56 holds this season (23rd in MLB).

The Tigers have turned 71.4% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 9,897 innings, which has them ranked 5th in the majors. The Detroit Tigers have accounted for 3,299 putouts for the season, in addition to 1,090 assists and 55 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .988 which is 7th in pro baseball, and they have turned 95 double plays.

Montero has pitched in 317 innings and has 235 strikeouts so far in his career. His earned run average is 4.03 (142 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.214. He has given up 294 hits (8.3 hits per 9 innings) with 91 walks. Montero (20-16 career win-loss mark) has earned a FIP of 3.97 while he has faced 1,316 hitters during his time in the majors.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are sitting with a team OBP of .333 as well as a team batting average of .257 over the course of the season. They have struck out on 1,184 occasions (1st in the league) and have earned 1,116 hits. Pittsburgh has a total of 151 HRs for the year as well as 604 runs batted in. The Pirates hold a team slugging percentage of .412 and they average 5.02 runs per game (3rd in MLB). They have recorded 195 two-baggers, while taking a walk 450 times and putting up 633 runs.

The Pittsburgh pitching staff have surrendered 603 runs this season while holding a team ERA of 4.31 (538 earned runs surrendered). They have yielded 131 home runs and they give up 4.83 runs per 9 innings (22nd in MLB). The Pirates hold a team WHIP of 1.322 and are the owners of a FIP of 3.92 as a staff this season. They currently have a K/BB ratio of 9.40 (1,171 strikeouts against 459 free passes). They are currently ranked 19th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 1,026.

They rank 27th in baseball with a save rate of 54.5%, and they have dispatched 399 relief pitchers to the hill on the season. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 108 times in high leverage situations in addition to 105 occasions with runners on base. With 95 save situations, the Pirates have accrued 50 holds and 20 blown saves. Pittsburgh has had bullpen pitchers step onto the hill in 44 save chances and they have earned 24 saves. Pittsburgh bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 34.2% out of 149 inherited base runners.

In 10,113 innings on the diamond, the Pirates have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 68.6% (27th in the majors). The Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten 101 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .983 (23rd in professional baseball). The Pirates have 983 assists, 76 errors and have a total of 3,371 putouts this season.

So far in his pro baseball career, Ashcraft has surrendered 187 hits while he has tallied 226 strikeouts in 210 innings pitched. Ashcraft (16-9 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 3.51 earned run average and has surrendered 8.0 hits per 9 innings. He has allowed 82 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.160 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.5. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.96 and he has faced 866 batters in his pro baseball career.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (+110)

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