Pirates vs. Reds Pick
Will the Pittsburgh Pirates or the host Cincinnati Reds win the rubber game of their three-game series Sunday at 1:10PM EST?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Pirates are -110 on the moneyline and the Reds are also set at -110. The over-under is 9.5.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.85 ERA) gets the start for Pittsburgh, while Cincinnati will go with Tyler Mahle in his MLB debut. Taillon enters with a 1.53 WHIP and has a 4.09 road ERA in 44 innings. He has a 7.27 ERA in five August starts after allowing nine runs in three innings in his final July start. Mahle had a 2.73 ERA in 10 starts for Triple A Louisville, with a 1.10 WHIP and 51 strikeouts over 59 1/3 innings.
Pittsburgh has a 62-68 record and a 27-37 road record, while Cincinnati is 55-75 and 31-34 at home. The Reds have won eight out of the last 11 matchups this season, but the Pirates evened the series at a game apiece with a 1-0 win Saturday. The over-under is 5-5-1 in those 11 games.
On Saturday, Gerrit Cole threw seven shutout innings with six strikeouts. He also provided the offense with his first home run of the season. Felipe Rivero picked up his 15th save. Luis Castillo was the hard-luck loser as he allowed one earned run over seven innings. Scott Schebler had two hits to pace the Reds offense.
Taillon has had many more poor outings than good ones the last two months, while Mahle is making his MLB debut. Since Mahle was good in the minors this year at two different levels, we’ll go with the home team. Couple in the fact that the Pirates hitters don’t have a scouting report on him.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: CINCINNATI REDS -110