The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to face the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. SportsTime Ohio will televise this interleague showdown and the game gets underway at 1:10 p.m. ET.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cleveland Indians Odds
Cleveland (-170) is hosting this one as the favorite over Pittsburgh (+160) and Vegas has the Over/Under for this day game at 8.5 runs (-110 for the under and -110 for the over). Gamblers can also wager on the games runline with the odds standing at -135 for the Pirates +1.5 runs and +115 for the Indians -1.5.
The Pirates are 53-49 SU and have gone 50-51 against the spread (ATS). The team hasn’t moved the needle very much this year, gaining 1.9 units for moneyline gamblers, despite having lost 2.5 units ATS. The Indians, on the other hand, are 54-46 SU and 47-52 ATS. The team has lost 14.6 units for moneyline bettors and 10.3 units ATS.
Cleveland games have a 52-43-4 over/under record in 2018. Pittsburgh has an over/under record of 48-46-7.
Jameson Taillon will get the start for the visiting Pirates. The right-handed Taillon is 7-7 with a 3.80 ERA and 109 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Indians this year and did not record a start against them in 2017, either.
The Indians will turn to righty Trevor Bauer (8-6, 2.44 ERA), who’s got 182 strikeouts and 47 walks as well as a 1.15 WHIP. Bauer did not record a start against the Pirates in 2017.
Cleveland’s pitching staff has given up 4.4 runs per game overall this year as a unit. Its starters have an ERA of 3.59, a WHIP of 1.17 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 9.3. The bullpen has a 5.22 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 8.7 K/9.
The Cleveland offense has put up 5.2 runs per outing, including 6.7 per game over its last 10 games and 5.8 per game over its last five. The team has slashed .311/.374/.528 over its last five games and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor and third baseman Jose Ramirez have led the Indians offense this year. Lindor is slashing .291/.367/.559 with 25 home runs, 63 RBIs, 87 runs and 15 steals, and Ramirez’s line is .299/.402/.628 with 30 homers, 73 RBIs, 70 runs and 20 steals.
For the visiting squad, Pittsburgh’s pitchers have allowed 4.5 runs per game and its starters own a 4.20 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 7.56 K/9. The bullpen has managed an ERA of 4.24, along with a WHIP of 1.28.
Pirates hitters have slashed .256/.324/.420 on their way to 4.6 runs scored per game in 2018, including 7.1 runs per game over the teams last 10 games and 8.6 per game over the teams last five contests (5-0 SU).
Outfielders Corey Dickerson and Starling Marte continue to lead Pittsburgh’s offense. Dickerson is slashing .318/.351/.517 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs and 50 runs scored, while Marte is hitting .292/.337/.503 with 16 homers, 54 RBIs, 57 runs and 25 stolen bases.
The Pirates have gained 6.8 units and are 38-37 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has hit in 32 of those games, as opposed to 36 that’ve gone under against righty starters. On the other hand, the Indians have lost 18.5 units and are 32-40 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over has hit in 37 of those games, compared to 32 that went under the total.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cleveland Indians MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Indians, ATS Winner – Pirates, O/U – OVER
Betting Trends
- The under has cashed in four of Pittsburgh’s last seven games.
- The Pirates have won 13 of their last 14 games SU.
- Pittsburgh has recorded 29.5 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 35.4 over its last five.
- The Pirates have hit 22 home runs in their last 10 games, including 13 over their last five.
