Arizona Diamondbacks vs Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Pick & Prediction 8/2/24
Arizona is currently on a three-game winning streak, and they are 58-51 overall, which has them 3rd in the NL West. Pittsburgh has won two straight and they are 55-53 overall, which has them 3rd in the NL Central. The money line odds have the Diamondbacks favored, with the payout sitting at -134 compared to the Pirates at +113. Tonight’s over/under line is 8.5 runs, and the forecasted temperature in Pittsburgh calls for light rain and 80-degree temperatures.
First pitch from PNC Park is set for 6:40 PM ET, and this NL matchup will be televised on MLB Network. Brandon Pfaadt is starting for the Diamondbacks, while Luis L. Ortiz goes for the Pirates.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES VS ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates Moneyline +113
This game will be played at PNC Park at 6:40 ET on Friday, August 2nd.
HOW TO BET THE DIAMONDBACKS VS PIRATES:
- We have the Pirates winning by a score of 6 to 5
- If you’re looking for a run line pick, we also like the Pirates to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over
Diamondbacks Records & Stats
The Diamondbacks’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Nationals, closing out their series with a 5-4 win. After allowing one run to the Nationals in the top of the 4th, the Diamondbacks responded with four runs of their own. Arizona went on to add another run in the 6th inning.
Zac Gallen put together a good start for the Diamondbacks, going six innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Arizona’s offense was carried by Jake McCarthy, who went 3/4 with a run scored.
Arizona is on a three-game winning streak, and they trail the Padres by a half-game for 2nd place in the NL West. Overall, the Diamondbacks are 58-51, which has them five games behind the Dodgers for the NL West lead. The Diamondbacks have an NL West division record of 19-14 this season.
At home, the Diamondbacks are 31-25 this season, and they have gone 27-26 on the road. As the road favorite, the Diamondbacks are 5-6 this season, and they are 31-20 when favored overall. Arizona has won five straight series, and they are 18-13-4 in series this season.
Arizona has been a solid run line bet this season, going 56-53 overall. The Diamondbacks have been particularly strong on the run line on the road, going 31-22. They have covered the run line in two straight games and have an average run margin of 0.4 runs per game this season.
The Diamondbacks are on the road facing the Pirates with today’s O/U line set at 8.5. Their combined run average is 9.8, and their O/U record is 59-47. The average O/U line for their games is 9 runs, and their O/U record when the line is set at 8.5 is 21-14. So far this season, 43 of their games have had O/U lines set higher than 8.5, which accounts for 39.4% of their games. The over has hit in 5 straight games for Arizona.
Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt is getting the start for the Diamondbacks today as he faces the Pirates on the road. He has made 21 starts this year and has a record of 5-6 with a 3.92 ERA. Pfaadt’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.11. In his 21 appearances, he has turned in 11 quality starts and is averaging 8.19 strikeouts per nine innings. Pfaadt’s last outing came on July 27th, where he picked up the win, going six innings and giving up five earned runs on four homers. Before that, he had not allowed a homer in three straight outings.
Arizona has been one of the league’s most potent offenses this season, averaging 5.1 runs per game, which is the 2nd best mark in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.2 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .258, which is the 4th best mark in the league, and are also among the league leaders in on-base percentage and slugging. The Diamondbacks also have the league’s 13th ranked home run total.
Ketel Marte has been the team’s top hitter this season, batting .302 with 24 homers and 72 RBIs. He also comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak. Christian Walker is 2nd on the team with 23 homers and 71 RBIs but is batting just .254 for the season. Eugenio Suarez has been on fire of late, going 14/38 with six homers over his last 10 games.
Pirates Records & Stats
The Pirates will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Astros with a 5-4 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 4th inning before the Astros scored two runs in the bottom of the 4th. Pittsburgh was the +194 underdog going into this road game.
Jake Woodford put together a good start for the Pirates, going five innings and not giving up a run. However, the Pirates’ bullpen couldn’t close things out, and Pittsburgh took the loss. The Pirates also wasted a big game from Joey Bart, who went 3/4 with a homer and two RBIs.
Pittsburgh will open their series vs. the Diamondbacks with an overall record of 55-53, which has them 3rd in the NL Central. Currently, they trail the Brewers by six games in the division. The Pirates are 17-15 against other teams in the NL Central this year.
The Pirates have an even 26-26 record at home this year, and they are 29-27 on the road. As the underdog, Pittsburgh has gone 32-33 this year, and they are 23-20 as the favorite. Heading into today’s game, their series record is 16-14-5.
Despite being a .500 team overall, the Pirates have been a solid bet against the run line, going 61-47 on the season. They’ve been especially profitable on the road, where they are 35-21 against the run line. They are 26-26 against the run line at home. They’ve been a much better bet as an underdog, going 45-20 against the run line in those games.
The Pirates have an over/under record of 50-57 this season, and their games have averaged 8.4 runs per game. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 22-15. Overall, 17.6% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs, which is below the league average. The over/under line for today’s game against the Diamondbacks is set at 8.5 runs.
Pittsburgh is sending Luis L. Ortiz to the mound today vs. the Diamondbacks. So far this season, he has made 27 appearances and five starts. Ortiz has a record of 5-2 and an ERA of 2.75. In his 78 2/3 innings of work, he has issued 24 walks and has a WHIP of 1.14. The right-hander has made three quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he gave up three earned runs in five innings of work. Against the Diamondbacks, he has an ERA of 5.4 from one appearance.
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the majors. They have been a little better on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per contest. As a team, the Pirates are batting just .232, and their on-base percentage of .300 is also one of the worst marks in the league. One thing to keep an eye on is that the Pirates have the 13th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Over his last six games, Joey Bart has gone 8/20 with a home run and four RBIs. Oneil Cruz and Michael A. Taylor have also homered in two of their last six games, but Cruz has hit just .200 over that stretch. Cruz is 2nd on the Pirates with 54 RBIs and has gone deep 17 times this season.