Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction, 8/23/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Date: Sunday, August 23, 2026

Location: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA

TV: Spectrum SportsNet LA

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+162) Los Angeles (-196)

The Pittsburgh Pirates (63-66) are on their way to Dodger Stadium on Sunday where they will compete against the Los Angeles Dodgers (77-51). The moneyline on this contest has the Pirates at +162 while the Dodgers are coming in at -196. The total comes in at 8.5. The starting pitchers will be Carmen Mlodzinski and Blake Snell.

Pittsburgh has a slugging % of .411 and have struck out 1,208 times, while drawing a walk on 461 occasions. They have accrued 616 RBI's as well as 1,136 hits on the campaign, while their average at the plate is at .256. The Pirates have accrued 198 doubles as a unit and have smacked 155 balls out of the park. They have earned a total of 646 runs and have an OBP of .333. As a unit, the Pittsburgh Pirates are knocking in 5.0 runs per game, which puts them at 4th in MLB.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.54 and their pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.32. Pirates pitchers have surrendered 133 long balls and 615 total runs (24th in the league). Pittsburgh has surrendered 1,051 hits (8.2 per 9 innings) and 549 earned runs. The Pirates have an ERA of 4.29 on the campaign (21st in the league), and the staff has struck out 1,196 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 471 players from the other team and their FIP is 3.92 as a unit so far this year.

Pirates relief pitchers have entered the contest with players on base 106 times in addition to having 109 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have accumulated 50 holds for the season (29th in baseball). The Pirates relievers have recorded a save percentage of 55.6% and stepped onto the hill in 96 save situations. They have earned 25 saves on the year and have blown 20 of their 45 save opportunities. The relievers have inherited 151 base runners on the season and 34.4% of those runners crossing the plate. The Pirates have sent 409 relief pitchers to the hill for the year.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a total of 3,452 putouts so far this season, as well as 1,013 assists and 81 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .982 which is 24th in professional baseball, and have a total of 104 double plays. The Pirates have converted 68.5% of baseballs in play into outs in their 10,356 innings, which ranks them 27th in the majors.

Mlodzinski has taken the ball for 287 innings and has earned 250 K's in his pro baseball career. His ERA is 3.54 (113 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.336. He has allowed 284 base knocks (8.9 hits per nine innings) with 100 walks. Mlodzinski (19-22 career mark) is the owner of a FIP of 3.49 and he has gone up against 1,231 opposing batters in the majors.

The Dodgers hold a slugging percentage of .430 and they tally 5.00 runs per contest (5th in MLB). They have put up 210 doubles, while getting a free base 469 times as well as scoring 640 runs. Los Angeles has knocked in 166 home runs on the campaign as well as 605 RBIs. They have been called out on strikes on 1,000 occasions (26th in baseball) and have notched a total of 1,121 base hits. The Los Angeles Dodgers have recorded a team on-base percentage of .335 and a team batting average of .260 on the campaign.

The Los Angeles pitching staff have given up 495 runs on the season and come in with a team ERA of 3.70 (466 earned runs conceded). They have given up 147 dingers and they yield 3.93 runs per 9 innings (5th in baseball). The Dodgers are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.167 and have a FIP of 3.94 as a team this season. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 9.20 (1,154 strikeouts against 401 free passes). They have a ranking of 1st in baseball as a staff in total hits conceded with 920.

They are currently ranked 13th in the league with a save percentage of 66.7%, and they have dispatched 414 relievers onto the diamond this season. Their relief pitchers have come in 126 times in high leverage situations and also on 90 occasions with base runners. Sitting with 138 save situations, the Dodgers have earned 83 holds and also 18 blown saves. Los Angeles has called on relievers to enter the game in 54 save chances and they have come away with 36 saves. Los Angeles relief pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 36.3% out of 146 inherited runners.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have turned 71 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .988 (3rd in pro baseball). The Dodgers have accrued 1,036 assists, 52 errors and have notched a total of 3,398 putouts so far this season. In their 10,194 innings played, the Dodgers have accumulated a efficiency on defense of 72.6% (1st in MLB).

Snell (82-63 mark in his career) is the owner of a 3.15 ERA while giving up 6.9 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.77 and he has faced 4,854 opposing batters during his MLB career. He has given up 411 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.218 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.1. In his MLB career, Snell has allowed 902 hits while he has totaled 1,460 strikeouts in 1,173 innings.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (+162)

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