The red-hot Philadelphia Phillies roll into the Steel City on Friday for a three-game weekend set with the Pittsburgh Pirates. This cross-state rivalry gets underway at 6:40 PM ET at the beautiful PNC Park, with the game broadcast on SportsNet PT.
The Phils, who boast an MLB-best 62-34 record, are -166 moneyline favorites in the series opener. Pittsburgh, sitting at an even 48-48, comes back as a +140 moneyline underdog. Oddsmakers have the total sitting at 8 runs for this NL tilt.
Let s dive into our Phillies vs Pirates prediction for Friday, as we analyze the MLB odds and starting pitchers.
Phillies vs Pirates Prediction
There s no hotter team in baseball right now than the Philadelphia Phillies. They ve been an absolute wagon this season, going 54-26 (67.5%) as moneyline favorites and an even more impressive 40-13 (75.5%) when favored at -158 or shorter.
But the Bucs aren t just going to roll over at home. They ve been pesky underdogs all year, winning 27 of 56 games (48.2%) when getting points. That said, they re just 7-8 as +135 or longer moneyline dogs.
Our city.
Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates)
The Phils have been crushing the ball, ranking 4th in the MLB in runs per game (5) and 6th in dingers (118). Pittsburgh s bats have been much quieter, ranking 21st in both runs per game (4.2) and homers (99).
On the bump, Philly s rotation has been lights out with a 3.42 team ERA (2nd in MLB). The Bucs have been solid too, ranking 13th with a 3.86 ERA.
Considering the Phillies lethal offense and pitching advantage on Friday, we expect them to kick off this three-game series with a convincing victory. Don t be scared to lay the juice on Philly on the road, as they are 4-0 in their last four games as a road favorite of -151 to -200.
Friday MLB Pick:
Phillies ML (-166)
Phillies vs Pirates Odds
