Milwaukee Brewers Betting Preview

The Milwaukee Brewers are 24-26 on the year and play the Red Sox, Phillies, and Reds next. The Milwaukee Brewers are batting .229 on the season, have a .308 OBP, and a .349 slugging percentage. The Milwaukee Brewers’ pitching staff has a 4.11 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Brice Turang leads the Milwaukee Brewers with 51 hits and 20 RBI, while Jackson Chourio and Rhys Hoskins have combined for 96 hits and 53 RBI.

The Milwaukee Brewers didn’t announce a starting pitcher at the time this article was published.

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 17-33 on the year and play the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Astros next. The Pittsburgh Pirates are batting .218 on the season, have a .298 OBP, and a .319 slugging percentage. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching staff has a 3.97 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Ke’Bryan Hayes leads the Pittsburgh Pirates with 43 hits and 15 RBI, while Bryan Reynolds and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have combined for 75 hits and 32 RBI.

Mike Burrows gets the ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 2 strikeouts this season. This will be Burrows’ first career game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win

• The Brewers have lost each of their last six night games following a loss.
• The home team has won five of the Pirates’ last six games.
• The Brewers have failed to cover the run line in each of their last five night games following a loss.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in five of their last six games at PNC Park.
• The Brewers have lost the first inning in three of their last four night games against NL Central opponents.
• The Brewers have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last four night games against NL Central opponents.

Why the Milwaukee Brewers will win

• The Pirates have lost each of their last six night games against National League opponents following a win.
• The Brewers have won 10 of their last 12 night games against the Pirates following a home loss.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line each of their last six games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• The Brewers have covered the run line in eight of their last nine road games against National League opponents following a loss.
• The Brewers have led after 5 innings in nine of their last 11 games at PNC Park against National League opponents that held a losing record.
• The Brewers have led after 3 innings in eight of their last nine games at PNC Park against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Tommy Pham has recorded at least one hit in each of his last nine Thursday appearances against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Tommy Pham has recorded at least one Single in each of his last nine Thursday appearances against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Joey Bart has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last four home appearances against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Bryan Reynolds has hit a home run in two of his last three home appearances against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Oneil Cruz has scored a run in four of his last five appearances against NL Central opponents.

Milwaukee Brewers Player Prop Facts

• Jackson Chourio has recorded a Double in five of the Brewers’ last six games against NL opponents that held a losing record.
• William Contreras has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 12 road appearances against NL opponents.
• William Contreras has recorded a Single in each of his last nine road appearances against NL opponents.
• Christian Yelich has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Brewers’ last four night games against NL teams that held a losing record.
• Rhys Hoskins has hit a home run in each of the Brewers’ last two games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Jackson Chourio has scored at least one run in seven of the Brewers’ last eight games against NL opponents that held a losing record.

Pirates vs Brewers Prediction

The Brewers didn’t announce a starting pitcher at the time this article was published, but it doesn’t matter to me. The Pirates have been fade material all season, and a couple of wins don’t change much. The Pirates have won just six games since April 26 and have lost a $100 bettor more than $1,100 this season. Only the Orioles and Rockies have lost bettors more money this season than the Pirates. You should be blindly fading the Pirates. I don’t care who takes the mound for the Brewers. Give me the road team.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 16-33 this season after they split the first two games in this series by scores of 1-7 and 1-0. In their game two win, Pittsburgh scored in the sixth inning and was able to hang on for the win. The Pirates recorded six hits in the game, and they were led by Reynolds, who went 1-4 with one RBI in the loss. Pittsburgh started Falter, who allowed four hits and zero earned runs over 7.0 innings for the win, while Bednar picked up the save. 

Prior to this series, the Pirates lost all three games against the Phillies and two out of three against the Mets. Pittsburgh has lost four of its last five games, and they are currently last in the NL Central standings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 4.03 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP and a .241 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 143 runs with a .216 batting average and a .297 on-base percentage this season. Oneil Cruz has led Pittsburgh with eight home runs and 18 RBIs, while Bryan Reynolds has added six home runs and 23 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Andrew Heaney, who is 2-3 with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP over 50.2 innings pitched this season. 

Cincinnati Reds Betting Preview

The Cincinnati Reds are 25-25 this year after they lost game two by a score of 1-0 on Tuesday night. Cincinnati had some chances to score early in the game, but never found a timely hit in the shutout loss. The Reds recorded five hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Friedl, who went 2-4 in the loss. Cincinnati started Martinez, who allowed four hits and one earned run over 6.0 innings for the loss, while Mey and Richardson pitched the final two innings. 

Prior to this series, the Reds swept the Guardians in three games, but lost two out of three against the White Sox before that. Cincinnati has won five of its last six games, and they are currently third in the NL Central standings. The Cincinnati pitching staff has a 3.49 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP and a .221 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 227 runs with a .243 batting average and a .319 on-base percentage this season. Elly De La Cruz has led Cincinnati with eight home runs and 33 RBIs, while Austin Hays has added six home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Cincinnati is Brady Singer, who is 5-2 with a 5.01 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP over 46.2 innings pitched this year. 

Why the Pirates will beat the Reds

• The Reds have lost each of their last seven Wednesday games as favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have won four of their last six games as home underdogs against NL Central opponents.
• The Reds have failed to cover the run line in each of their last 10 Wednesday games as favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last seven Wednesday games as home underdogs.
• The Reds have lost the first inning in each of their last five Wednesday games as road favorites.
• The Reds have trailed after 5 innings in seven of their last eight Wednesday day games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Reds’ last nine games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Each of the Pirates’ last seven home games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in seven of the Reds’ last eight games as favorites against National League opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Pirates’ last four day games.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in two of his last three appearances against the Reds after playing the previous day.
• Joey Bart has recorded at least one RBI in three of the Pirates’ last four home games against NL opponents.
• Bryan Reynolds has scored at least one run in eight of his last nine Wednesday day appearances at PNC Park.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one Single in 13 of his last 15 appearances with the Pirates as home underdogs against NL opponents.
• Andrew Heaney has recorded six or more strikeouts in three of his last four appearances with his team as an underdog against NL Central opponents.
• Oneil Cruz has recorded at least one hit in each of his last seven appearances against the Reds after playing the previous day.

Cincinnati Reds Player Prop Facts

• Austin Hays has recorded at least one RBI in five of his last six appearances in day games against teams that held a losing record.
• Brady Singer has recorded six or more strikeouts in four of his five previous road appearances against NL Central opponents.
• Will Benson has scored at least one run in each of his last five appearances.
• Jose Trevino has recorded a Double in three of his last four road appearances after playing the previous day.
• Connor Joe has recorded at least one Single in seven of his last eight appearances against former teams.
• Will Benson has hit at least one home run in four of his last five appearances.
• Brady Singer has recorded a win in four of his five previous appearances with his team as a favorite against NL Central opponents .
• Will Benson has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances with the Reds as road favorites against NL opponents.

Pirates vs Reds Prediction 

Cincinnati had its winning streak snapped on Tuesday night, but they pitched well in the game, and they have allowed just one run in four straight games. The Reds are 12-13 on the road this year, while the Pirates are 10-14 at home. Pittsburgh has had a very tough season, and their offense is one of the lowest scoring in the MLB, but they got a great start from Falter last night. The Pirates are starting Heaney, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his last five starts. The Reds are going with Singer, who has allowed 14 earned runs in his last 13.1 innings. Singer has taken a step back recently, and Heaney has been pretty reliable for the Pirates. Take Pittsburgh here. 

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Cincinnati Reds Betting Preview

The Cincinnati Reds are 25-24 on the year and play the Cubs, Royals, and Cubs next. The Cincinnati Reds are batting .245 on the season, have a .321 OBP, and a .397 slugging percentage. The Cincinnati Reds pitching staff has a 3.53 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Elly De La Cruz leads the Cincinnati Reds with 48 hits and 33 RBI, while TJ Friedl and Gavin Lux have combined for 92 hits and 39 RBI.

Nick Martinez gets the ball for the Cincinnati Reds, and he is 2-4 with a 3.66 ERA and 40 strikeouts this season. Martinez is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 16 strikeouts in his career against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 15-33 on the year and play the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Padres next. The Pittsburgh Pirates are batting .216 on the season, have a .296 OBP, and a .320 slugging percentage. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching staff has a 4.12 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. Ke’Bryan Hayes leads the Pittsburgh Pirates with 41 hits and 15 RBI, while Bryan Reynolds and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have combined for 73 hits and 30 RBI.

Bailey Falter gets the ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he is 2-3 with a 4.02 ERA and 34 strikeouts this season. Falter is 0-4 with a 6.81 ERA and 28 strikeouts in his career against the Cincinnati Reds.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win

• The Pirates have won 11 of their last 12 games as home underdogs against the Reds following a home loss.
• The Reds have lost each of their last five games as road favorites against NL Central opponents following a road win.
• The Reds have failed to cover the run line in each of their last eight Tuesday night games as road favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last eight Tuesday games against the Reds.
• The Reds have lost the first inning in three of their last four games as favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have led after 3 innings in four of their last five home games against National League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Reds have trailed after 5 innings in four of their last five road games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.

Why the Cincinnati Reds will win

• The Pirates have lost nine of their last 10 games against NL Central opponents.
• The Reds have won each of their last five games.
• The Reds have covered the run line in 11 of their last 12 night games against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in nine of their last 10 games against NL Central opponents.
• The Reds have led after 3 innings in five of their last six night games against the Pirates.
• The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in seven of their last eight home games against opponents that held a winning record.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Joey Bart has recorded an RBI in four of the Pirates’ last five games against the Reds at PNC Park.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one Single in each of his last eight Tuesday appearances with the Pirates as underdogs.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one hit in each of his last nine Tuesday appearances with the Pirates as underdogs.
• Jack Suwinski has hit a home run in three of his last four Tuesday appearances against NL teams that held a winning record.
• Ji-Hwan Bae has scored a run in four of his last five appearances against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
• Oneil Cruz ranks T2nd in the league in Steals (16) this season.

Cincinnati Reds Player Prop Facts

• Elly De La Cruz has recorded at least one RBI in seven of the Reds’ last eight games as road favorites against NL Central opponents.
• Tyler Stephenson has scored at least one run in each of his last six appearances in night games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• TJ Friedl has recorded at least one Single in each of the Reds’ last four road games against NL Central opponents.
• Elly De La Cruz has recorded at least one hit in each of the Reds’ last 12 games as road favorites.
• Gavin Lux has recorded at least one Double in each of his last three appearances in night games.
• Will Benson has hit at least one home run in four of the Reds’ last five games.
• Elly De La Cruz ranks T2nd in the league in Steals (16) this season.

Pirates vs Reds Prediction

The Reds are finally starting to get things going with five straight wins and a pitching staff that’s showing signs of life. Martinez has been solid this season, and he’s allowed 16 hits and four runs in his last 19 innings. The Pirates have been fade material all year, and that doesn’t change with them winning just four games since April 26. The Pirates have scored three runs in their last three games. Falter has been incredible this month, allowing seven hits and one run in his last 16.2 innings, but it doesn’t matter if the Pirates can’t score. These are two teams heading in different directions. Give me the Reds and the reasonable price.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 15-32 this year after they lost all three games against the Phillies by scores of 4-8, 2-5, and 0-1. In their game three loss, Pittsburgh got a great pitching performance from Skenes, but couldn’t find any runs in the shutout loss. The Pirates recorded six hits in the game, and they were led by McCutchen, Reynolds, Horwitz, Canario, Kiner-Falefa, and Davis, who all had one hit in the game. Pittsburgh started Skenes, who allowed three hits and one earned run over 8.0 innings, while striking out nine. 

Prior to that series, the Pirates lost two out of three against the Mets, but did win two out of three against the Braves before that. Pittsburgh has lost five of its last six games, and they are currently last in the NL Central standings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 4.08 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and a .240 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 141 runs with a .217 batting average and a .297 on-base percentage this season. Bryan Reynolds has led Pittsburgh with six home runs and 22 RBIs, while Andrew McCutchen has added three home runs and 14 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Mitch Keller, who is 1-5 with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP over 52.0 innings pitched this year. 

Cincinnati Reds Betting Preview

The Cincinnati Reds are 24-24 this season after they swept Cleveland in three games by scores of 5-4, 4-1, and 3-1. In their game three win, Cincinnati scored the first three runs in the game, and they were able to hang on for the win. The Reds recorded nine hits in the game, and they were led by Benson, who went 3-4 with two home runs and three RBIs in the win. Cincinnati started Abbott, who allowed four hits and zero earned runs over 5.0 innings for the win, while Pagan picked up the save. 

Prior to that series, the Reds lost two out of three against the White Sox and two out of three against the Astros. Cincinnati has won four games in a row, and they are currently third in the NL Central standings. The Cincinnati pitching staff has a 3.58 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and a .223 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 220 runs with a .243 batting average and a .320 on-base percentage this season. Elly De La Cruz has led Cincinnati with eight home runs and 31 RBIs, while Austin Hays has added six home runs and 17 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Cincinnati is Nick Lodolo, who is 3-4 with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP over 52.2 innings pitched this season. 

Why the Reds will beat the Pirates

• The Pirates have lost eight of their last nine games against NL Central opponents.
• The Reds have won each of their last four games.
• The Reds have covered the run line in 10 of their last 11 night games against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine games against NL Central opponents.
• The Reds have led after 3 innings in each of their last five night games against the Pirates.
• The Reds have won the first inning in four of their last five night games against the Pirates.
• The Reds have led after 5 innings in each of their last five night games against the Pirates.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Reds’ last seven games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Eight of the Pirates’ last nine games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Reds’ last six games as favorites against National League opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in five of the Pirates’ last six home games.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in two of his last three appearances against the Reds after playing the previous day.
• Andrew McCutchen has recorded a Double in three of the Pirates’ last four games as home underdogs against NL Central opponents.
• Joey Bart has recorded an RBI in three of the Pirates’ last four games against the Reds at PNC Park.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has scored a run in four of his last five home appearances against the Reds after playing the previous day.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one Single in 12 of his last 13 appearances with the Pirates as home underdogs against NL opponents.
• Mitch Keller has recorded six or more strikeouts in each of his last four appearances with the Pirates as home underdogs against NL Central opponents.
• Andrew McCutchen has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 13 Monday night appearances with the Pirates at PNC Park.
• Oneil Cruz ranks T2nd in the league in Steals (16) this season.

Cincinnati Reds Player Prop Facts

• Will Benson has hit at least one home run in each of the Reds’ last four games.
• Spencer Steer has recorded a Double in three of the Reds’ last four night games.
• Will Benson has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Reds’ last four games.
• Tyler Stephenson has scored at least one run in each of his last five appearances in night games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Nick Lodolo has recorded a win in four of his last five appearances with the Reds as favorites against NL Central opponents.
• Nick Lodolo has recorded six or more strikeouts in seven of his last eight appearances with the Reds as road favorites.
• Elly De La Cruz has recorded at least one Single in each of the Reds’ last six games as road favorites.
• Elly De La Cruz has recorded at least one hit in each of the Reds’ last 11 games as road favorites.
• Elly De La Cruz ranks T2nd in the league in Steals (16) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Pirates rank 30th in the league for runs scored this season (141).
• The Pirates rank 30th in the league for doubles this season (49).
• The Reds rank 4th in the league for steals this season (52).
• The Reds rank 27th in the league for strikeouts against this season (434).

Pirates vs Reds Prediction 

Pittsburgh comes into this series after a very disappointing loss on Sunday afternoon, and they are the lowest-scoring team in the MLB this year. The Pirates are 9-13 at home this season, while the Reds are 11-12 on the road. Cincinnati finally has some momentum, and they are starting Lodolo, who has allowed three earned runs or more in three of his last five starts. Pittsburgh is going with Keller, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his last five starts. I backed the Pirates on Sunday afternoon, but can’t do the same here after watching them at the plate. Take the Reds to win. 

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Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 15-31 on the year and play the Reds, Brewers, and Diamondbacks next. The Pittsburgh Pirates are batting .218 on the season, have a .299 OBP, and a .324 slugging percentage. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching staff has a 4.14 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Ke’Bryan Hayes leads the Pittsburgh Pirates with 31 hits and 15 RBI, while Bryan Reynolds and Joey Bart have combined for 79 hits and 32 RBI.

Paul Skenes gets the ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he is 3-4 with a 2.63 ERA and 53 strikeouts this season. This will be Skenes’ first career game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies are 27-18 on the year and play the Rockies, Athletics, and Braves next. The Philadelphia Phillies are batting .259 on the season, have a .338 OBP, and a .404 slugging percentage. The Philadelphia Phillies’ pitching staff has a 3.86 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Trea Turner leads the Philadelphia Phillies with 53 hits and 15 RBI, while Nick Castellanos and Bryce Harper have combined for 91 hits and 51 RBI.

Mick Abel will make his major league debut when he takes the mound today. Abel was 22-34 with a 4.53 ERA and 496 strikeouts in his minor league career. In AAA (Lehigh Valley) this year, Abel was 5-2 with a 2.53 ERA and 51 strikeouts.

Why the Philadelphia Phillies will win

• The Pirates have lost each of their last 11 day games against National League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Phillies have won nine of their last 10 games as underdogs against NL Central opponents following a home win.
• The Phillies have covered the run line in each of their last eight games as underdogs against NL Central opponents following a win.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line each of their last six day games against teams that held a winning record.
• The Phillies have led after 5 innings in each of their last 10 home games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
• The Pirates have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last three road day games.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win

• The Phillies have lost four of their last five day games following a win.
• The Pirates have won each of their last three day games against the Phillies following a road loss.
• The Phillies have failed to cover the run line in 11 of their last 12 day games at Citizens Bank Park following a win.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in seven of their last eight day games against NL East opponents following a loss.
• The Pirates have led after 5 innings in 10 of their last 12 games as favorites against NL East opponents.
• The Pirates have led after 3 innings in three of their last four games as favorites against National League opponents.

Philadelphia Phillies Player Prop Facts

• Nick Castellanos has hit a home run in each of the Phillies’ last two games as home underdogs.
• Nick Castellanos has recorded a Double in four of the Phillies’ last five games against the Pirates.
• Bryce Harper has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Phillies’ last four games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Trea Turner has scored at least one run in each of the Phillies’ last eight home games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Alec Bohm has recorded a Single in each of his last seven appearances against opponents that held a losing record.
• Alec Bohm has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 15 home appearances against opponents that held a losing record.
• Kyle Schwarber ranks T2nd in the league in Home Runs (15) this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in each of the Pirates’ last two games as favorites against NL East opponents.
• Andrew McCutchen has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last four appearances with his team as a favorite against the Phillies.
• Andrew McCutchen has scored at least one run in each of his last seven appearances at Citizens Bank Park against NL East opponents that held a winning record.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one Single in each of his last seven appearances after playing the previous day.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one hit in each of his last nine appearances in day games against NL East teams that held a winning record.
• Oneil Cruz ranks T2nd in the league in Steals (16) this season.

Phillies vs Pirates Prediction

Getting Skenes and a cheap price has its value, but it’s impossible to back the Pirates with confidence, given they’ve won just three games this month. The Pirates can’t string together an offense. I usually have a rule of not backing pitchers making their big league debut, but the Phillies are the better team with the more consistent offense, so it probably doesn’t matter. Also, Abel is a top-10 prospect in the Phillies’ system with an above-average fastball and decent off-speed pitches. Abel can miss bats at a respectable clip when he’s in a groove. Give me the Phillies and the cheap price.

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Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies are 26-18 this year after they won game one of this series by a score of 8-4 on Friday night. Philadelphia trailed 3-1 in the sixth inning, but they scored six runs in the seventh and eighth innings to take control for the win. The Phillies recorded nine hits in the game, and they were led by Castellanos and Harper, who both had two RBIs in the win. Philadelphia started Suarez, who allowed six hits and three earned runs over 7.0 innings for the win, while Alvarado picked up the save. 

Prior to this series, the Phillies lost two out of three against the Cardinals, but did win two out of three against the Guardians before that. Philadelphia has won four of its last six games, and they are currently second in the NL East standings. The Philadelphia pitching staff has a 3.90 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP and a .246 opponent batting average, while the offense has scored 210 runs with a .258 batting average and a .337 on-base percentage this season. Kyle Schwarber has led Philadelphia with 15 home runs and 34 RBIs, while Bryce Harper has added seven home runs and 25 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Philadelphia is Zack Wheeler, who is 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP over 58.0 innings pitched this year. 

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 15-30 this season after they lost game one in this series on Friday. Pittsburgh took a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning, and they brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but stranded the runners for the loss. The Pirates recorded seven hits in the game, and they were led by Canario, who went 2-3 with one home run and three RBIs in the loss. Pittsburgh started Heaney, who allowed four hits and one earned run over 5.0 innings, while Wentz allowed three hits and three earned runs in the eighth. 

Prior to that series, the Pirates lost two out of three against the Mets, but did win two out of three against the Braves before that. Pittsburgh has lost four of its last six games, and they are currently last in the NL Central standings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 4.11 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP and a .241 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 139 runs with a .219 batting average and a .301 on-base percentage this season. Bryan Reynolds has led Pittsburgh with five home runs and 20 RBIs, while Andrew McCutchen has added three home runs and 14 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Carmen Mlodzinski, who is 1-3 with a 5.20 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP over 36.1 innings pitched this season. 

Why the Phillies will beat the Pirates

• The Phillies have won each of their last 14 Saturday night home games against National League opponents.
• The Pirates have lost each of their last 10 Saturday games against National League opponents.
• The Phillies have covered the run line in 13 of their last 14 Saturday night home games against National League opponents.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six Saturday road games against National League opponents.
• The Phillies have led after 5 innings in each of their last nine home games against National League opponents that held a losing record.

Total Runs Facts

• Six of the Pirates’ last seven games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Four of the Phillies’ last five home games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in nine of the Pirates’ last 10 games as underdogs against NL East opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in seven of the Phillies’ last eight games against NL Central opponents.

Philadelphia Phillies Player Prop Facts

• Max Kepler has recorded a Double in three of his four previous home appearances against the Pirates after playing the previous day.
• Kyle Schwarber has hit a home run in three of the Phillies’ last five night games against NL opponents that held a losing record.
• J.T. Realmuto has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last five home appearances against NL Central opponents.
• Zack Wheeler has recorded eight or more strikeouts in nine of his last 11 appearances with the Phillies as favorites.
• Zack Wheeler has recorded a win in eight of his last 10 home appearances against opponents that held a losing record.
• Trea Turner has scored at least one run in each of the Phillies’ last seven home games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Alec Bohm has recorded a Single in each of his last seven appearances in night games against teams that held a losing record.
• Alec Bohm has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 14 home appearances against opponents that held a losing record.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Andrew McCutchen has scored at least one run in each of his last six appearances at Citizens Bank Park against NL East opponents that held a winning record.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one Single in each of his last six appearances after playing the previous day.
• Tommy Pham has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 Saturday night appearances against teams that held a winning record.
• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in two of his last three appearances in night games against NL East teams that held a winning record.
• Oneil Cruz has recorded two or more RBIs in three of his last four appearances in night games against NL East teams that held a winning record.

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Phillies vs Pirates Prediction 

Philadelphia was able to win a wild game one on Friday night to open this series, and they are now 15-8 at home this year. The Pirates are just 6-17 on the road this season, and they have one of the worst offenses in all of baseball. Pittsburgh will try to get things going at the plate in this game, but they will face Wheeler, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five straight starts. The Phillies have scored 15 runs in their last two games, and they are going against Mlodzinski, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three straight starts, but doesn’t typically go very deep into games. I have no faith in this Pittsburgh team right now, especially going against Wheeler, so take the Phillies -2.5 here at plus money. 

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Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 15-29 on the year and play the Reds, Brewers, and Diamondbacks next. The Pittsburgh Pirates are batting .220 on the season, have a .301 OBP, and a .328 slugging percentage. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching staff has a 4.01 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. Ke’Bryan Hayes leads the Pittsburgh Pirates with 40 hits and 15 RBI, while Bryan Reynolds and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have combined for 66 hits and 28 RBI.

Andrew Heaney gets the ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he is 2-3 with a 3.15 ERA and 36 strikeouts this season. Heaney is 0-2 with an 8.64 ERA and 6 strikeouts in his career against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies are 25-18 on the year and play the Rockies, Athletics, and Braves next. The Philadelphia Phillies are batting .257 on the season, have a .335 OBP, and a .402 slugging percentage. The Philadelphia Phillies’ pitching staff has a 3.90 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. Trea Turner leads the Philadelphia Phillies with 50 hits and 14 RBI, while Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber have combined for 88 hits and 56 RBI.

Ranger Suarez gets the ball for the Philadelphia Phillies, and he is 1-0 with a 5.91 ERA and 11 strikeouts this season. Suarez is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 31 strikeouts in his career against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Why the Philadelphia Phillies will win

• The Phillies have won each of their last 11 home games following a home loss.
• The Pirates have lost each of their last six road games against NL East opponents following a win.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last five games as road underdogs against National League opponents following a road win.
• The Phillies have covered the run line in four of their last five night games against National League opponents following a home loss.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win

• The Phillies have lost three of their last four games as favorites against National League opponents.
• The underdogs have won three of the last four games between the Pirates and Phillies.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last six games as road underdogs against NL East opponents.
• The Phillies have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four home games.

Philadelphia Phillies Player Prop Facts

• Kyle Schwarber has hit a home run in four of the Phillies’ last seven night games against opponents that held a losing record.
• J.T. Realmuto has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last four appearances against NL Central opponents at Citizens Bank Park.
• Ranger Suarez has recorded six strikeouts in three of his last four appearances at Citizens Bank Park.
• Trea Turner has recorded at least one Single in each of his last six appearances in night games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Trea Turner has scored at least one run in each of the Phillies’ last six games at Citizens Bank Park against opponents that held a losing record.
• Alec Bohm has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 13 appearances at Citizens Bank Park against opponents that held a losing record.
• Max Kepler has recorded a Double in four of his last five home appearances against the Pirates.
• Kyle Schwarber ranks 7th amongst qualified players for Slugging Percentage (.580) this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Andrew McCutchen has recorded a Double in three of his last four appearances after not playing the previous day.
• Jared Triolo has scored a run in each of the Pirates’ last four games at Citizens Bank Park against opponents that held a winning record.
• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in two of his last three road appearances against NL East opponents that held a winning record.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one hit in each of his last nine appearances in night games against NL teams that held a winning record.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one Single in each of his last nine appearances in night games against NL teams that held a winning record.
• Jack Suwinski has recorded at least one RBI in three of the Pirates’ last four games at Citizens Bank Park against opponents that held a winning record.

Phillies vs Pirates Prediction

The Pirates can’t string together wins and haven’t won two straight games since April 22-23. Heaney has also been shaky lately, allowing 17 hits and 10 runs in his last 14.1 innings. The Phillies are not only the better team playing the more consistent ball, but Suarez is coming off seven shutout innings against the Guardians. Suarez has also had success against the Pirates, which includes holding current hitters to a .200 batting average and four strikeouts in 20 at-bats. I need to see the Pirates win games in a row before they get my attention. Until then, the Pirates are fade material. Give me the Phillies and the RL for max betting value.

Read the rest of "Phillies vs Pirates Prediction 5/16/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 14-29 on the year and play the Phillies, Reds, and Brewers next. The Pittsburgh Pirates are batting .219 on the season, have a .300 OBP, and a .325 slugging percentage. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching staff has a 4.10 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. Ke’Bryan Hayes leads the Pittsburgh Pirates with 40 hits and 15 RBI, while Bryan Reynolds and Oniel Cruz have combined for 65 hits and 38 RBI.

Bailey Falter gets the ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he is 2-3 with a 4.36 ERA and 31 strikeouts this season. Falter is 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA and 17 strikeouts in his career against the New York Mets.

New York Mets Betting Preview

The New York Mets are 28-15 on the year and play the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers next. The New York Mets are batting .254 on the season, have a .333 OBP, and a .431 slugging percentage. The New York Mets pitching staff has a 2.81 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Francisco Lindor leads the New York Mets with 52 hits and 26 RBI, while Pete Alonso and Juan Soto have combined for 89 hits and 56 RBI.

Clay Holmes gets the ball for the New York Mets, and he is 5-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 44 strikeouts this season. Holmes is 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 4 strikeouts in his career against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Why the New York Mets will win

• The favorites have won each of the last 10 games between the Pirates and Mets.
• The Pirates have lost each of their last seven road games.
• The Mets have covered the run line in nine of their last 10 Wednesday night home games.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in nine of their last 10 Wednesday road games against National League opponents.
• The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in eight of their last nine games at Citi Field against National League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Pirates have trailed after 3 innings in 12 of their last 13 games at Citi Field against National League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Pirates have lost the first inning in three of their last four road games against opponents that held a winning record.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win

• The Pirates have won four of their last five night games against NL East opponents following a road loss.
• The Mets have lost four of their last five Wednesday night games as home favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last eight games as underdogs against NL East opponents following a loss.
• The Mets have failed to cover the run line in each of their last five games as favorites against National League opponents following a home win.
• The Pirates have led after 3 innings in three of their last four night games against opponents that held a winning record.

New York Mets Player Prop Facts

• Juan Soto has recorded at least one RBI in five of his last six home appearances against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Juan Soto has recorded at least one Single in each of his last 10 appearances against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Juan Soto has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 13 appearances in night games against teams that held a losing record.
• Jose Siri has scored a run in seven of his last eight appearances in night games.
• Jesse Winker has recorded a Double in four of his last five appearances with his team as a favorite against the Pirates.
• Brett Baty has hit at least one home run in four of his last five home appearances with the Mets against NL opponents.
• Pete Alonso ranks 5th amongst qualified players for Slugging Percentage (.589) this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Jared Triolo has recorded a Double in each of the Pirates’ last three night games against opponents that held a winning record.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one Single in each of the Pirates’ last nine night games against opponents that held a winning record.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one hit in each of his last nine appearances in night games against NL teams that held a winning record.
• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in each of his last two appearances in night games against NL East teams that held a winning record.
• Oneil Cruz has recorded two or more RBIs in each of his last three appearances in night games against NL East teams that held a winning record.
• Oneil Cruz has scored at least one run in 11 of his last 13 appearances in night games.

Mets vs Pirates Prediction

The Pirates continue to rack up the losses, as they’ve won just three games since April 26. The Pirates have scored three or fewer runs in nine of their last 10 games. There’s just not a lot to get excited about with the Pirates these days. Falter has been great lately, allowing four hits and one run in his last 13 innings, but it means nothing if the Pirates can’t produce offense. The Pirates have scored three or fewer runs in four of Falter’s last six starts.

The Mets continue to play winning baseball, and Holmes looks like an all-star this season. Holmes has allowed 15 hits and four runs in his last 17 innings. Holmes has allowed 13 earned runs in 42.2 innings, and he’s averaging more than a strikeout per game. Give me the Mets and the RL for max betting value.

Read the rest of "Mets vs Pirates Prediction 5/14/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

Before we dive into the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets game let’s review the rules for the Draftkings MLB single game showdown contest.

Draftkings Single Game Showdown Contest Rules

You have $50,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team captain. The captain accumulates 1.5 times the standard fantasy points. Additionally, the captain is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.

The remaining four players in your lineup will receive the standard fantasy points. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your captain position if you hope to win a large field DFS GPP (guaranteed prize pool) showdown contest.

If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game showdown contest, I recommend that you check out the Draftkings website for more details.

*I recommend that all readers review the starting lineups for both teams prior to setting your DFS lineup for this one game slate.

Here are my Draftkings picks for tonight’s Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets matchup.

Draftkings MLB Showdown Picks

Captain-Kodai Senga, Starting Pitcher, New York Mets $11,800

This Tuesday night, Major League Baseball presents the second game of a three-game National League series featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets.

How are these two teams playing entering this evening’s National League game? The Pittsburgh Pirates arrive at the second game of this three-game series with the New York Mets playing below average baseball. The Pirates have lost eight of the team’s last ten games played in the 2025 MLB regular season, including a 5-0 shutout loss to the St. Louis Cardinals last week.

In direct contrast to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the New York Mets are playing good baseball entering tonight’s game. More specifically, the Mets have won four of the team’s last five games played in the 2025 MLB regular season, including a dominant 7-2 win over the Chicago Cubs four days ago.

Now that we have determined how both teams are currently playing let’s turn our attention to this evening’s contest. Talented starting pitcher Kodai Senga has been a solid performer for the New York Mets this season. With that said, how has Senga pitched from a statistical standpoint? Let’s examine Senga’s game data to answer that question.

Through seven starts made for the New York Mets this season, starting pitcher Kodai Senga has compiled a robust 1.16 ERA (Earned Run Average) and a 1.14 WHIP (walks, hits, inning pitched). It should also be noted that Senga has amassed 35 strikeouts while allowing 17 walks in 38.2 innings pitched in 2025.

Last week, in the Los Angeles Dodgers dominant 7-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kodai Senga certainly pitched at a high level. Let me be more specific. Senga pitched six quality innings striking out four Arizona batters while scattering two hits and allowing five walks in the Dodgers win over the Diamondbacks.

In my view, Kodai Senga is the most likely player to post the highest number of Draftkings points in tonight’s National League game. Having stated that, I am backing New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga at the captain position for this one game MLB Draftkings Showdown contest.

Flex plays I like in tonight’s MLB regular game (Draftkings price noted): Mitch Keller, Starting Pitcher (Arizona Diamondbacks) $10,000: Francisco Lindor, Shortstop (New York Mets) $9,400: Joey Bart, Catcher (Pittsburgh Pirates) $6,600.

Read the rest of "Draftkings MLB Showdown Picks: Pirates vs. Mets 5/13/25" at Sports Chat Place

New York Mets Betting Preview

The New York Mets are 27-15 this year after they won game one by a score of 4-3 on Monday night. New York trailed 2-1 in the seventh inning, but they ended up blowing a 3-2 lead in the ninth, before scoring in the bottom of the ninth for the win. The Mets recorded nine hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Alonso, who went 1-4 with two RBIs in the win. New York started Peterson, who allowed five hits and two earned runs over 6.0 innings, while Brazoban picked up the blown save and the win in relief. 

Prior to this series, the Mets won two out of three against the Cubs, but did lose two out of three against the Cardinals before that. New York has won four of their last five games, and they are currently first in the NL East standings. The New York pitching staff has a 2.85 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP and a .230 opponent batting average, while the offense has scored 203 runs with a .255 batting average and a .334 on-base percentage this season. Pete Alonso has led New York with nine home runs and 36 RBIs, while Francisco Lindor has added nine home runs and 26 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for New York is Kodai Senga, who is 4-2 with a 1.16 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 38.2 innings pitched this year. 

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 14-28 this season after they dropped game one in this series on Monday night. Pittsburgh led 1-0 and 2-1, but they needed a ninth-inning rally to tie the game, before losing on a walk-off sac fly. The Pirates recorded seven hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Hayes, Reynolds, and Kiner-Falefa, who all had one RBI in the loss. Pittsburgh started Skenes, who allowed six hits and one earned run over 6.0 innings, while Bednar picked up the loss in the ninth. 

Prior to this series, the Pirates won two out of three against the Braves, but did lose all three against the Cardinals before that. Pittsburgh has lost nine of its last eleven games, and they are currently last in the NL Central standings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 4.12 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and a .242 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 130 runs with a .220 batting average and a .301 on-base percentage this season. Oneil Cruz has led Pittsburgh with eight home runs and 18 RBIs, while Bryan Reynolds has added five home runs and 20 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Mitch Keller, who is 1-4 with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP over 45.0 innings pitched this season. 

Why the Mets will beat the Pirates

• The favorites have won each of the last nine games between the Pirates and Mets.
• The Pirates have lost each of their last six road games.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six Tuesday games against National League opponents.
• The Mets have covered the run line in each of their last six Tuesday home games against National League opponents.
• The Pirates have trailed after 3 innings in 11 of their last 12 games at Citi Field against National League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in seven of their last eight games at Citi Field against National League opponents that held a winning record.

Why the Pirates will beat the Mets

• The Pirates have won seven of their last eight night games against NL East opponents following a road loss.
• The Mets have lost three of their last four games against National League opponents following a home win.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last seven games as underdogs against NL East opponents following a loss.
• The Mets have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four games as favorites against National League opponents following a home win.
• The Pirates have led after 3 innings in five of their last six games against National League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Pirates have led after 5 innings in eight of their last 10 night games against NL East opponents.

Total Runs Facts

• Six of the Pirates’ last seven games against NL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Five of the Mets’ last six night games against NL Central opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the last nine games between the Pirates and Mets.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Pirates’ last seven games as underdogs against NL East opponents.

New York Mets Player Prop Facts

• Kodai Senga has recorded six or more strikeouts in eight of his last 10 home appearances.
• Juan Soto has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 12 appearances in night games against teams that held a losing record.
• Brett Baty has hit at least one home run in three of his last four home appearances with the Mets against NL opponents.
• Francisco Lindor has scored a run in each of the Mets’ last six games as favorites against the Pirates.
• Kodai Senga has recorded a win in each of his last three appearances against NL Central opponents.
• Juan Soto has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last five home appearances against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Jesse Winker has recorded a Double in four of his last five appearances with his team as a favorite against the Pirates.
• Juan Soto has recorded at least one Single in each of his last nine appearances against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Kodai Senga ranks T10th in the league for Wins (4) this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Bryan Reynolds has recorded at least one RBI in five of the Pirates’ last six road games against the Mets.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has scored at least one run in each of his last five appearances with his team as an underdog against the Mets.
• Mitch Keller has recorded five or more strikeouts in eight of his last 10 appearances with the Pirates as road underdogs.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one Single in each of the Pirates’ last 10 road games against opponents that held a winning record.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one hit in each of the Pirates’ last 10 road games against opponents that held a winning record.
• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in each of his last two appearances in night games against NL East teams that held a winning record.
• Mitch Keller has recorded a win in each of his last three appearances against NL East opponents that held a winning record.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Mets rank T1st in the league for triples this season (11).
• The Mets rank 1st in the league for ERA this season (2.85).
• The Pirates rank 30th in the league for runs scored this season (130).
• The Pirates rank 30th in the league for RBIs this season (127).

David Racey is 25-7 (78%) in the MLB over the last seven days. Click here for his premium plays for today!

Mets vs Pirates Prediction 

Pittsburgh wasn’t able to carry the momentum from the series win against the Braves into this series, as they lost game one on Monday night. The Pirates are 5-15 on the road this year, while the Mets are 16-4 at home. New York is currently leading the NL East standings, and they have scored at least five runs in four of their last five games. The Mets are starting Senga, who has allowed a total of three earned runs in his last three innings. The Pirates are going with Keller, who has allowed 3+ earned runs in three of his last five starts. I really like how Senga is pitching this season, and I think the Mets will roll to an easy win. Take New York -1.5 in this contest. 

Read the rest of "Mets vs Pirates Prediction 5/13/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

Before we dive into the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets game let’s review the rules for the Draftkings MLB single game showdown contest.

Draftkings Single Game Showdown Contest Rules

You have $50,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team captain. The captain accumulates 1.5 times the standard fantasy points. Additionally, the captain is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.

The remaining four players in your lineup will receive the standard fantasy points. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your captain position if you hope to win a large field DFS GPP (guaranteed prize pool) showdown contest.

If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game showdown contest, I recommend that you check out the Draftkings website for more details.

*I recommend that all readers review the starting lineups for both teams prior to setting your DFS lineup for this one game slate.

Here are my Draftkings picks for tonight’s Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets matchup.

Draftkings MLB Showdown Picks

Captain-Paul Skenes, Starting Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates $11,800

On Monday night, Major League Baseball presents the opening game of a three-game National League series featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets.

How are these two teams playing entering tonight’s MLB game? The Pittsburgh Pirates arrive at the first game of this three-game series with the New York Mets playing below average baseball. More specifically, the Pirates have lost seven of the team’s last nine games played in the 2025 MLB regular season, including a 5-0 shutout loss to the St. Louis Cardinals last week.

Conversely, the New York Mets are playing well entering this evening’s game. The Mets have won three of the team’s last four games played in the 2025 MLB regular season, including a dominant 7-2 win over the Chicago Cubs three days ago.

Now that we have determined how both teams are currently playing let’s shift our focus to this evening’s contest. Talented starting pitcher Paul Skenes has certainly illustrated that he is a key member of the Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitching rotation this season. Having stated that, how has Skenes played from a statistical standpoint? Let’s review Paul Skene’s game data to answer that question.

Through eight starts made for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, starting pitcher Paul Skenes has compiled a robust 2.77 ERA (Earned Run Average), a 0.95 WHIP (walks, hits, inning pitched). It should also be noted that Skenes has tallied 47 strikeouts while allowing 12 walks in 48.2 innings pitched in 2025.

More recently, in the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 shutout victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers last month, Paul Skenes pitched exceptionally well. Let me be more specific. Skenes pitched 6.1 quality innings striking out nine Los Angeles batters while scattering five hits and no walks in the Pirates win over the Dodgers. I think it’s fair to say that Skenes is getting it done on the mound in 2025.

What did we learn from the data just presented? Clearly, Paul Skenes is pitching at a high-level entering tonight’s National League clash with the New York Mets. For that specific reason, I am backing Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes at the captain position for this one game MLB Draftkings Showdown contest.

Flex plays I like in tonight’s game (Draftkings price noted): David Peterson, Starting Pitcher (New York Mets) $10,600: Pete Alonso, First Baseman (New York Mets) $9,600: Joey Bart, Catcher (Pittsburgh Pirates) $7,200.

Read the rest of "Draftkings MLB Showdown Picks: Pirates vs. Mets 5/12/25" at Sports Chat Place

Starting Pitching Matchup

The Pittsburgh Pirates will send out Paul Skenes for the start here and Skenes is 3-4 with a 2.77 ERA and 47 strikeouts this season. This will be Skenes’ second career start against the Mets. David Peterson will get the start for the Mets here and is 2-2 with a 3.05 ERA and 36 strikeouts this season. In his career, Peterson is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 10 strikeouts against the Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates Recap

The Pittsburgh Pirates come into this game looking to build on to their 4-3 win over the Braves in Sunday’s series finale against the Atlanta Braves to improve to 14-27 on the year. After this series, the Pirates will head on the road again for a series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pirates Looking For Consistency After Series Win

Bryan Reynolds has 34 hits with 5 doubles, 5 home runs and 19 RBIs while also leading the Pirates with 51 strikeouts so far this season. Oneil Cruz has posted a team-high 8 home runs and 18 RBIs with 16 stolen bases while Isiah Kiner-Falefa has 28 hits with 6 stolen bases. Emmanuel Valdez also has a pair of triples as well this season. Tommy Pham has 4 doubles and Andrew McCutchen has 29 hits with 7 doubles and KeBryan Hayes has 37 hits with 14 RBIs and 4 stolen bases.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win

• The Mets have lost four of their last six games as favorites following a win.
• The Pirates have won six of their last seven night games against NL East opponents.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in seven of their last eight games as underdogs against NL East opponents.
• The Mets have failed to cover the run line in four of their last five night games against teams that held a losing record.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Bryan Reynolds has recorded at least one RBI in four of the Pirates’ last five road games against the Mets.
• Tommy Pham has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 road appearances against the Mets after playing the previous day.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has scored at least one run in each of his last four appearances with his team as an underdog against the Mets.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one Single in each of the Pirates’ last nine road games against opponents that held a winning record.
• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in each of the Pirates’ last two night games against NL East opponents that held a winning record.

New York Mets Recap

The New York Mets come into this game looking to add on to their 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs last time out to improve to 26-15 on the year. After this series, the Mets will head on the road for a rivalry series against the New York Yankees.

Mets Win Back-To-Back Series

Pete Alonso has 48 hits with 15 doubles, 9 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .320 batting average while Juan Soto has 38 hits with 9 doubles, 8 home runs and 19 RBIs on the year. Francisco Lindor has 49 hits with 7 stolen bases along with 7 doubles, 9 home runs and 26 RBIs while Mark Vientos has 5 home runs, 17 RBIs, but 31 strikeouts so far this season. Brandon Nimmo has also added 33 hits with 6 doubles and 8 home runs and 25 RBIs this season. Luis Torrens has also chipped in 8 doubles and Luisangel Acuna has 10 stolen bases as well this season.

Why the New York Mets will win

• The Mets have won each of their last 14 Monday night games.
• The Pirates have lost each of their last seven games at Citi Field following a win.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six games against the Mets following a win.
• The home team has covered the run line in each of the Pirates’ last six games.

New York Mets Player Prop Facts

• Brett Baty has hit at least one home run in each of his last three home appearances with the Mets against NL opponents.
• Brandon Nimmo has recorded at least one RBI in eight of the Mets’ last nine games against the Pirates at Citi Field.
• Juan Soto has scored at least one run in eight of the Mets’ last nine games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Juan Soto has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances in night games against teams that held a losing record.
• Jesse Winker has recorded a Double in four of his last five appearances with his team as a favorite against the Pirates.
• Nick Madrigal has recorded a Single in each of his last nine appearances in night games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Pete Alonso ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for On Base Percentage (.434) this season.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Pirates’ last six games against NL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Each of the Mets’ last five night games against NL Central opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.

Mets vs Pirates Prediction

I’m on the Mets here. I get the case to be made for the Pirates catching plus money with Paul Skenes going here. However, I still have my concerns about this Pirates offense even with Skenes going because there’s only so much that Skenes can do. But at the end of the day, the Pirates have to give him run support, and I don’t trust them to do that. I think the Mets hold it down at home, and they get the win here. Give me the Mets.

Read the rest of "Mets vs Pirates Prediction 5/12/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

Before we dive into the Atlanta Braves vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game let’s review the rules for the Draftkings MLB single game showdown contest.

Draftkings Single Game Showdown Contest Rules

You have $50,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team captain. The captain accumulates 1.5 times the standard fantasy points. Additionally, the captain is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.

The remaining four players in your lineup will receive the standard fantasy points. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your captain position if you hope to win a large field DFS GPP (guaranteed prize pool) showdown contest.

If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game showdown contest, I recommend that you check out the Draftkings website for more details.

*I recommend that all readers review the starting lineups for both teams prior to setting your DFS lineup for this one game slate.

Here are my Draftkings picks for tonight’s Atlanta Braves vs. Pittsburgh Pirates matchup.

Draftkings MLB Showdown Picks

Captain-Chris Sale, Starting Pitcher, Atlanta Braves $12,200

On Sunday afternoon, Major League Baseball presents the final game of a three-game National League series featuring the Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

How are these two teams playing entering tonight’s MLB game? The Atlanta Braves arrive at the third game of this three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates playing good baseball. The Braves have won five of the team’s last seven games played in the 2025 MLB regular season, including a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds two days ago.

In direct contrast to the Atlanta Braves, the Pittsburgh Pirates are not playing well entering this afternoon’s game. More specifically, the Pirates have lost eight of the team’s last nine games played in the 2025 MLB regular season, including a 4-0 shutout loss to the San Diego Padres last week.

Now that we have identified how both of these teams are currently playing let’s shift our focus to this evening’s contest. Starting pitcher Chris Sale has been a key contributor to the Atlanta Braves starting rotation this season. Having stated that, how has the veteran pitcher performed from a statistical standpoint? Let’s examine Sale’s relevant game data from the 2025 MLB regular season to answer that question.

In eight starts made this season, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale has compiled a 4.07 ERA (Earned Run Average) and a 1.36 WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched) in 2025. Additionally, Sale has amassed 56 strikeouts while allowing 11 walks in 42.1 innings pitched this season.

More recently, in the Atlanta Braves 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds five days ago, Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale certainly pitched at a high level. Sale pitched 6.2 quality innings while scattering five hits and two walks in the Braves victory over the Reds.

In my view, Chris Sale is the most likely player to post the most Draftkings points in this MLB regular season contest. With that said, I am backing Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale at the captain position for this one game MLB DFS slate.

Flex plays I like to play well in this MLB regular season contest (Draftkings price noted): Austin Riley, Third Baseman (Atlanta Braves) $9,600: Andrew McCutchen, Outfielder (Pittsburgh Pirates) $7,800: Alex Verdugo, Outfielder (Atlanta Braves) $6,600.

Read the rest of "Draftkings MLB Showdown Picks: Braves vs. Pirates 5/11/25" at Sports Chat Place

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 13-27 this year, and they have split the first two games in this series by scores of 3-2 and 2-3. In their game two loss, Pittsburgh trailed 2-0 early in the game, but they were able to tie the game in the eighth, before losing in the 11th. The Pirates recorded nine hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Bart and Gorski, who both had one RBI in the loss. Pittsburgh started Heaney, who allowed four hits and two earned runs over 6.0 innings, while Shugart was tagged with the loss in extras. 

Prior to this series, the Pirates were swept in three games by the Cardinals and Padres. Pittsburgh has lost eight of its last nine games, and they are currently last in the NL Central standings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 4.17 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP and a .241 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 123 runs with a .218 batting average and a .299 on-base percentage this season. Oneil Cruz has led Pittsburgh with eight home runs and 18 RBIs, while Bryan Reynolds has added five home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Carmen Mlodzinski, who is 1-3 with a 6.16 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP over 30.2 innings pitched this year. 

Atlanta Braves Betting Preview

The Atlanta Braves are 19-20 this season after they won game two by a score of 3-2 on Saturday afternoon. Atlanta led 2-0 in the third inning, but they blew the lead in the eighth, before getting the win in the 11th. The Braves recorded five hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Olson and Harris II, who both had RBIs in the win. Atlanta started Smith-Shawver, who allowed five hits and one earned run over 5.2 innings, while Blewett pitched the final two innings and picked up the win. 

Prior to this series, the Braves won three out of four against the Reds, but did lose two out of three against the Dodgers before that. Atlanta has won five of their last seven games, and they are currently third in the NL East standings. The Atlanta pitching staff has a 3.91 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP and a .230 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 154 runs with a .237 batting average and a .311 on-base percentage this year. Austin Riley has led Atlanta with eight home runs and 25 RBIs, while Sean Murphy has added seven home runs and 14 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Atlanta is Chris Sale, who is 1-3 with a 4.07 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 42.0 innings pitched this season. 

Why the Braves will beat the Pirates

• The Pirates have lost each of their last eight games after playing the previous day.
• The Braves have won five of their last six day games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven day games following a loss.
• The Braves have covered the run line in seven of their last eight Sunday games against the Pirates.
• The Pirates have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last three day games against National League opponents.
• The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in seven of their last eight day games.

Total Runs Facts

• Ten of the Pirates’ last 11 games as underdogs against NL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Each of the Braves’ last five road games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in eight of the Pirates’ last nine games as underdogs against NL East opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Braves’ last seven Sunday games.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Jack Suwinski has hit a home run in four of his 10 previous home appearances against NL East opponents that held a losing record.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one RBI in three of his last four appearances with his team as an underdog against NL East opponents.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded at least one hit in each of his last seven appearances against the Braves after playing the previous day.
• Adam Frazier has recorded at least one Single in 12 of his last 13 appearances with the Pirates as underdogs against the Braves.
• Oneil Cruz has scored a run in four of his five previous appearances against the Braves after playing the previous day.

Atlanta Braves Player Prop Facts

• Matt Olson has hit at least one home run in four of the Braves’ last six road games against NL Central opponents.
• Marcell Ozuna has recorded at least one Double in three of the Braves’ last four road games against NL Central opponents.
• Michael Harris has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Braves’ last seven road games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Chris Sale has recorded a win in each of his three previous road appearances against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Matt Olson has scored at least one run in eight of the Braves’ last nine road games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Michael Harris has recorded at least one Single in eight of his last nine appearances in day games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Michael Harris has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 appearances in day games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Chris Sale has recorded eight or more strikeouts in four of his last five road appearances against NL opponents that held a losing record.

Pirates vs Braves Prediction 

Pittsburgh continued its losing ways with another loss on Saturday, but its pitching staff has looked solid in three of its last four games. The Pirates are starting Mlodzinski, who has allowed two earned runs in two straight starts but has failed to go five innings in each of those outings. Atlanta is just 7-14 on the road this year, but they have played better over the last two weeks. The Braves are starting Sale, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four straight starts. I don’t trust this Pittsburgh offense at all, so I will take the Braves -1.5 here. 

Read the rest of "Pirates vs Braves Prediction 5/11/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

Atlanta Braves Betting Preview

The Atlanta Braves are 18-20 on the year and play the Nationals, Red Sox, and Nationals next. The Atlanta Braves are batting .239 on the season, have a .311 OBP, and a .383 slugging percentage. The Atlanta Braves pitching staff has a 3.98 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Austin Riley leads the Atlanta Braves with 46 hits and 25 RBI, while Ozzie Albies and Micheal Harris II have combined for 67 hits and 38 RBI.

AJ Smith-Shawver gets the ball for the Atlanta Braves, and he is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 27 strikeouts this season. This will be Smith-Shawver’s first career game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 13-26 on the year and play the Mets, Phillies, and Reds next. The Pittsburgh Pirates are batting .218 on the season, have a .298 OBP, and a .328 slugging percentage. The Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff has a 4.25 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Bryan Reynolds leads the Pittsburgh Pirates with 34 hits and 19 RBI while Ke’Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz have combined for 65 hits and 32 RBI.

Andrew Heaney gets the ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he is 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 34 strikeouts this season. Heaney is 0-0 with a 5.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts in his career against the Atlanta Braves.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win

• The Pirates have won four of their last five games as home underdogs against the Braves.
• The Braves have lost eight of their last nine road games against National League opponents following a road loss.
• The underdogs have covered the run line in eight of the Braves’ last nine games.
• The Braves have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four games as favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The Braves have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last six road day games.
• The Braves have lost the first inning in four of their last five day games against NL Central opponents.
• The Braves have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last six road day games.

Why the Atlanta Braves will win

• The Pirates have lost each of their last seven games after playing the previous day.
• The Braves have won seven of their last eight games against NL Central opponents following a road loss.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven day games against National League opponents.
• The Braves have covered the run line in seven of their last eight games following a road loss.
• The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in six of their last seven day games.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Jared Triolo has hit a home run in two of his last three appearances at PNC Park against NL opponents that held a losing record.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded three RBIs in three of his last four home appearances against the Braves.
• Joey Bart has scored at least one run in each of his last seven Saturday day appearances against teams that held a losing record.
• Andrew Heaney has recorded six or more strikeouts in six of his last eight appearances with his team as a home underdog against NL opponents.
• Bryan Reynolds has recorded at least one Single in each of the Pirates’ last seven home games against the Braves.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded two or more hits in each of his six previous home appearances against the Braves after playing the previous day.
• Oneil Cruz ranks T1st in the league in Steals (15) this season.

Atlanta Braves Player Prop Facts

• Michael Harris has hit at least one home run in three of the Braves’ last four road games against NL Central opponents.
• Michael Harris has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Braves’ last six road games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Matt Olson has scored at least one run in seven of the Braves’ last eight road games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Michael Harris has recorded at least one Single in each of his last eight appearances in day games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Michael Harris has recorded at least one hit in each of his last nine appearances in day games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Marcell Ozuna ranks 3rd amongst qualified players for On Base Percentage (.425) this season.

Pirates vs Braves Prediction

The Braves keep going in their hole offensively at times these last couple of weeks, but this is a game they should win. Smith-Shawver has been solid, allowing nine runs in 27 innings and averaging a strikeout per inning. The Pirates are a mess, from the front office to the product on the field, and they don’t win enough to be worth a look in the underdog role most nights. The Pirates have won two straight games just three times this season. Heaney is having a great season with a top-40 ERA and WHIP, but it doesn’t matter much when the Pirates have been shutout in each of his last two starts. Give me the Braves and the reasonable price.

Read the rest of "Pirates vs Braves Prediction 5/10/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 12-26 this season after they lost all three against the Cardinals by scores of 3-6, 1-2, and 0-5. In their game three loss, Pittsburgh allowed two runs in the third inning, which was enough in the shutout loss. The Pirates recorded just four hits in the game, and they were led by Pham, Hayes, McCutchen, and Cruz, who all had one hit in the game. Pittsburgh started Keller, who allowed seven hits and three earned runs over 6.0 innings in the loss, while Ferguson allowed two hits and two earned runs in 0.2 innings of relief. 

Prior to that series, the Pirates lost all three against the Padres and two out of three against the Cubs. Pittsburgh has lost seven games in a row, and they are currently last in the NL Central standings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 4.31 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP and a .245 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 118 runs with a .219 batting average and a .300 on-base percentage this season. Oneil Cruz has led Pittsburgh with eight home runs and 18 RBIs, while Bryan Reynolds has added five home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Bailey Falter, who is 1-3 with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP over 37.1 innings pitched this season. 

Atlanta Braves Betting Preview

The Atlanta Braves are 18-19 this year after they won three out of four against the Reds by scores of 4-0, 2-1, 3-4, and 5-4. In their game four win, Atlanta trailed 4-2 in the ninth, but they scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth and got the win in the 11th. The Braves recorded 10 hits in the game, and they were led by Harris II, who went 3-5 with two RBIs in the win. Atlanta started Schwellenbach, who allowed five hits and one earned run over 6.0 innings, while Iglesias allowed two earned runs in the ninth, and Blewett got the win in extras. 

Prior to that series, the Braves lost two out of three against the Dodgers, but did win two out of three against the Rockies before that. Atlanta has won four of their last five games, and they are currently third in the NL East standings. The Atlanta pitching staff has a 4.00 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP and a .231 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 149 runs with a .240 batting average and a .312 on-base percentage this year. Austin Riley has led Atlanta with eight home runs and 25 RBIs, while Sean Murphy has added seven home runs and 14 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Atlanta is Bryce Elder, who is 2-1 with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP over 32.0 innings pitched this year. 

Why the Braves will beat the Pirates

• The Pirates have lost each of their last seven games.
• The Braves have won four of their last five games.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven games.
• The Braves have covered the run line in four of their last five road games against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last six Friday games against opponents that held a losing record.
• The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in eight of their last nine home games.

Total Runs Facts

• Eight of the Pirates’ last nine games as underdogs against NL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Eight of the Braves’ last 10 games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in eight of the Pirates’ last nine home games against NL East opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in nine of the Braves’ last 11 road games against NL Central opponents.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Adam Frazier has recorded at least one Single in each of his last 11 appearances with the Pirates as underdogs against the Braves.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded three RBIs in each of his last three home appearances against the Braves.
• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in each of the Pirates’ last two games against NL East opponents.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded a Double in each of his last three appearances against the Braves after not playing the previous day.
• Adam Frazier has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances with the Pirates as underdogs against the Braves.
• Oneil Cruz has scored at least one run in 11 of the Pirates’ last 12 night games.

Atlanta Braves Player Prop Facts

• Michael Harris has hit at least one home run in each of the Braves’ last three road games against NL Central opponents.
• Michael Harris has recorded at least one hit in each of the Braves’ last 15 road games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Matt Olson has scored at least one run in each of the Braves’ last seven road games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Michael Harris has recorded at least one Single in each of the Braves’ last eight games at PNC Park against NL opponents that held a losing record.
• Ronald Acuna Jr. has recorded at least one RBI in seven of his last eight appearances in night games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.

Pirates vs Braves Prediction 

Atlanta was able to get a nice comeback win on Thursday night to stay hot in recent games, but they are just 6-13 on the road this season. The Braves have had some solid pitching in their last five games, but Elder has an elevated ERA and WHIP on the year. Pittsburgh has been one of the worst teams in the MLB to start the season and they just fired their manager. The Pirates are 7-12 at home, and they are starting Falter, who has allowed 3+ earned runs in three of his last five starts. I don’t believe in this Pittsburgh offense at all, so give me the Braves here. 

Read the rest of "Pirates vs Braves Prediction 5/9/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 18-19 this year, and they have won the first two games in this series by scores of 6-3 and 2-1. In their game two win, St. Louis trailed 1-0 in the sixth, but they scored two in the bottom half of the inning for the win. The Cardinals recorded four hits in the game, and they were led by Burleson, who went 1-3 with two RBIs in the win. St. Louis started Liberatore, who allowed three hits and one earned run over 7.0 innings in the win, while Matz and Graceffo finished the last two innings. 

Prior to this series, the Cardinals won two out of three against the Mets and split four games with the Reds. St. Louis has won four games in a row, and they are currently fourth in the NL Central standings. The St. Louis pitching staff has a 4.19 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP and a .243 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 169 runs with a .258 batting average and a .333 on-base percentage this season. Lars Nootbaar has led St. Louis with five home runs, 18 RBIs, and four stolen bases, while Wilson Contreras has added five home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for St. Louis is Sonny Gray, who is 3-1 with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 39.1 innings pitched this year. 

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 12-25 this season after they lost game two by a score of 2-1. Pittsburgh was able to score the first run in the game in the sixth inning, but they couldn’t find any more offense in the loss. The Pirates recorded four hits in the game, and they were led by Hayes, who went 2-4 with one RBI in the loss. Pittsburgh started Skenes, who allowed three hits and two earned runs over 6.0 innings in the loss, while Santana and Bednar threw two scoreless innings in relief. 

Prior to this series, the Pirates lost all three against the Padres and two out of three against the Cubs. Pittsburgh has lost nine of its last ten games, and they are currently last in the NL Central standings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 4.28 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and a .242 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 118 runs with a .221 batting average and a .304 on-base percentage this season. Oneil Cruz has led Pittsburgh with eight home runs and 18 RBIs, while Bryan Reynolds has added five home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Mitch Keller, who is 1-3 with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 39.0 innings pitched this season. 

Why the Cardinals will beat the Pirates

• The Pirates have lost each of their last six games.
• The Cardinals have won each of their last eight Wednesday home games.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line each of their last seven games at Busch Stadium against teams that held a losing record.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in nine of their last 10 home games against the Pirates.
• The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in five of their last six day games.
• The Pirates have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four games as road underdogs against NL Central opponents.

Why the Pirates will beat the Cardinals

• The underdogs have won five of the last six games between the Pirates and Cardinals.
• The Cardinals have lost seven of their last eight day games against National League opponents following a win.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven day games following a win.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last six Wednesday games.
• The Pirates have led after 5 innings in three of their last four games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
• The Cardinals have lost the first inning in six of their last eight day games at Busch Stadium.

Total Runs Facts

• Fourteen of the Pirates’ last 16 day games against NL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Six of the Cardinals’ last seven games have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 11 of the Cardinals’ last 12 games as home favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 11 of the Pirates’ last 12 games at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Willson Contreras has hit a home run in two of his last three appearances with the Cardinals as home favorites against the Pirates.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded a Double in four of the Cardinals’ last five home games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one RBI in four of the Cardinals’ last five games as home favorites against NL Central opponents.
• Willson Contreras has scored a run in each of his last five home appearances against the Pirates.
• Sonny Gray has recorded seven or more strikeouts in each of his last five home appearances against the Pirates.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one Single in each of his last eight Wednesday day appearances against teams that held a losing record.
• Nolan Arenado has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cardinals’ last eight games as home favorites.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in three of the Pirates’ last five games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Mitch Keller has recorded a win in four of his last five appearances with the Pirates as road underdogs against NL Central opponents.
• Tommy Pham has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last seven Wednesday day appearances against teams that held a losing record.
• Adam Frazier has recorded at least one Single in each of the Pirates’ last seven games as road underdogs.
• Oneil Cruz has scored at least one run in seven of his last eight road appearances after playing the previous day.
• Mitch Keller has recorded five or more strikeouts in nine of his last 11 appearances with the Pirates as underdogs against NL Central opponents.
• Bryan Reynolds has recorded a hit in each of the Pirates’ last 11 games as road underdogs against the Cardinals.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one Double in three of his last four appearances at Busch Stadium.

Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction 

St. Louis has won four games in a row coming into this contest, and they will look for the series sweep here. The Cardinals are 14-6 at home this year, while the Pirates are 5-13 on the road. Pittsburgh desperately needs to find some offense, but they will be going against Gray, who has been solid this year but has allowed 10 earned runs in his last three starts. The Cardinals have scored at least five runs in three of their last four games, and they will face Keller, who has allowed 3+ earned runs in two of his last four starts. I think we could see some scoring in this game, and I like the over here. 

Read the rest of "Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction 5/7/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 17-19 this year after they won game one by a score of 6-3 on Monday night. St. Louis trailed 3-2 in the fourth inning, but they scored four runs in the sixth to escape with the win. The Cardinals recorded 11 hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Barrero, who went 2-4 with one home run and three RBIs in the win. St. Louis started Mikolas, who allowed four hits and three earned runs over 5.0 innings, while Graceffo picked up the win in relief. 

Prior to this series, the Cardinals won two out of three against the Mets and split four games with the Reds. St. Louis has won five of their last seven games, and they are currently fourth in the NL Central standings. The St. Louis pitching staff has a 4.28 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP and a .246 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 167 runs with a .261 batting average and a .335 on-base percentage this season. Lars Nootbaar has led St. Louis with five home runs, 18 RBIs, and four stolen bases, while Wilson Contreras has added five home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for St. Louis is Matthew Liberatore, who is 2-3 with a 3.44 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP over 34.0 innings pitched this year. 

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 12-24 this season after they dropped game one in this series on Monday night. Pittsburgh led 2-0 in the first inning and 3-2 in the fourth, but their pitching had some issues in the sixth, which led to the loss. The Pirates recorded seven hits in the game, and they were led by Reynolds, who went 1-5 with one home run and two RBIs in the loss. Pittsburgh started Mlodzinski, who allowed four hits and two earned runs over 4.2 innings, while Shugart allowed five hits and four earned runs, without recording an out, for the loss. 

Prior to this series, the Pirates lost all three games against the Padres and two out of three against the Cubs. Pittsburgh has lost eight of its last nine games, and they are currently last in the NL Central standings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 4.33 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and a .244 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 117 runs with a .223 batting average and a .306 on-base percentage this season. Oneil Cruz has led Pittsburgh with eight home runs and 18 RBIs, while Bryan Reynolds has added five home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Paul Skenes, who is 3-3 with a 2.74 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP over 42.2 innings pitched this season. 

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Alec Burleson has hit a home run in each of the Cardinals’ last two games against NL opponents.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded a Double in each of the Cardinals’ last four home games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one RBI in seven of his last eight appearances with the Cardinals as home underdogs against NL opponents.
• Masyn Winn has scored at least one run in each of his last four appearances with the Cardinals as underdogs.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one Single in each of the Cardinals’ last seven games against NL opponents that held a losing record.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one hit in each of his 19 previous home appearances against the Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in three of the Pirates’ last four games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Oneil Cruz has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Pirates’ last four games as favorites against NL opponents.
• Oneil Cruz has scored at least one run in 10 of the Pirates’ last 11 night games.
• Adam Frazier has recorded at least one Single in each of his last seven road appearances after playing the previous day.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one hit in 14 of his last 15 appearances with his team as a road favorite.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one Double in three of his last four appearances at Busch Stadium.

Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction 

Pittsburgh comes into this contest desperately trying to snap their losing streak, but they have played very poorly over the last two weeks. The Pirates are 5-12 on the road this year, while the Cardinals are 13-6 at home. St. Louis has won three games in a row, and they have scored 17 runs in those three wins. The Pirates have the advantage with Skenes on the mound, but Liberatore has been very good in his last four outings. Pittsburgh is really skidding right now, so I like the Cardinals and the plus money here. 

Read the rest of "Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction 5/6/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

Before we dive into the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals game let’s review the rules for the FanDuel single game showdown contest.

FanDuel Single Game Contest Rules

Here are the FanDuel single game contest rules. You have $60,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team MVP. The MVP accumulates 1.5x times the standard FanDuel fantasy points value. Additionally, the MVP is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.

The remaining five players in your lineup will be flex plays. The five flex positions will receive the standard FanDuel points value. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your MVP position if you hope to win a large field GPP (guaranteed prize pool) FanDuel single game contest.

If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game contest, I highly recommend that you check out the FanDuel website for more details.

*It should be noted that FanDuel does not utilize the pitcher position in single game MLB contests. Having stated that, only batters are available for single game MLB lineups on the FanDuel platform.

Here are my FanDuel picks for this evening’s Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals matchup.

FanDuel MLB Player Selections

MVP-Victor Scott II, Outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals $9,600

On Monday night, Major League Baseball presents the opening game of a three-game National League series featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals.

How are these two teams playing entering tonight’s MLB game? The St. Louis Cardinals arrive at the first game of this three-game National league series with the Pittsburgh Pirates playing rather good baseball. The Cardinals have won four of the team’s last six games played in the 2025 MLB regular season, including a 9-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds last week.

In direct contrast to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been playing below average baseball recently. More specifically, the Pirates have lost six of the team’s last eight games played this season, including a 9-4 loss to the San Diego Padres three days ago.

Now that we have ascertained how both of these Major League Baseball teams are currently playing let’s shift our focus to this evening’s contest. Talented outfielder Victor Scott II has certainly been playing quality baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals this season. Let’s examine Scott II’s recent game data to better shed light on my previous statement.

In the 24 games that Victor Scott II has played for the St. Louis Cardinals this season, Scott II has compiled a .290 batting average, 30 hits, 15 RBIs (runs batted in), two home runs, 12 walks, a .356 OBS (On-Base Percentage) and 16 runs scored. Clearly, Victor Scott II is swinging the bat at a high-level entering tonight’s MLB game.

More recently, in the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0 shutout win over the Cincinnati Reds earlier this month, St. Louis outfielder Victor Scott II played exceptionally well. In the Cardinals victory over the Reds, Scott II amassed two hits, three RBIs, one run scored, one home run, one walk and one stolen base. It should also be mentioned that in the Cardinals defeat of the Reds, Scott II tallied a massive 37.7 FanDuel points.

In my opinion, Victor Scott II is the most likely player to accumulate the most FanDuel points in this MLB game. With that said, I am backing St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II at the MVP position for this one game MLB DFS slate.

Flex plays I like in this game (FanDuel price noted): Brendan Donovan, Third Baseman (St. Louis Cardinals) $11,200: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Third Baseman (Pittsburgh Pirates) $7,200: Alec Burleson, Outfielder (St. Louis Cardinals) $3,800.

Read the rest of "FanDuel Best MLB DFS Picks: Pirates vs. Cardinals 5/5/25" at Sports Chat Place

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pirates opened up the 2025 campaign with a string of series losses, falling to the Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees in succession. Pittsburgh got a set win over the St. Louis Cardinals, then got swept by the Reds ahead of a series victory over the Nationals. Following a sweep by Cleveland, the Pirates beat the Angels in two of three and lost a seat against the Dodgers. Pittsburgh lost two of three against the Cubs last week, then fell to the Padres 9-4 on Friday. In Saturday’s game two, Pittsburgh lost another one, this time 2-1. Starting pitcher Bailey Falter had a nice outing, though, logging 7.0 innings with one earned run on two hits and two walks alongside six Ks. Oneil Cruz had the lone RBI (and four walks) with a hit, totaling a 1-for-1 day.

On Sunday, the Pirates gave up all four runs in the first inning along the way to a 4-0 shutout defeat. Joey Bart, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Tommy Pham, and Matt Gorski each had two hits but couldn’t do much with them. Starter Andrew Heaney left after 3.2 innings, four earned, eight hits, and four walks.

In the starter slot for Monday, the Pirates are going with Carmen Mlodzinski. This year, Mlodzinski is 1-3 with a 6.58 ERA in six starts and 26.0 innings total. Mlodzinski is 9-11 with a 3.75 ERA in 81 career games (11 starts).

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

Over on the Cardinals’ side, they swept the Minnesota Twins in their first series of the season, then lost sets versus the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Series wins over the Phillies and Astros came next, then a sweep by the Mets and a set loss to the Braves. St. Louis would win two of three versus the Brewers and split a four-game set versus the Reds. After a 9-3 loss to the Mets on Friday, in game two, the Cards had a rainout, which resulted in a doubleheader on Sunday.

On Sunday, St. Louis took a 6-5 victory in game one thanks to Willson Contreras’ three hits, three RBI, and a homer. In the nightcap, the Cardinals eked out another win, this time 5-4.

As a starter for Monday’s matchup, the Cardinals are sending out Miles Mikolas. This year, Mikolas is 1-2 with a 4.66 ERA in six starts over 29.0 total frames. Mikolas is 65-66 with a 4.17 ERA in 216 career games (188 starts).

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Pirates have lost seven of their last eight games.
• The Cardinals have won five of their last six home games against the Pirates.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine night games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in seven of their last eight home games against the Pirates.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in three of their last four games against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have trailed after 3 innings in five of their last six road games against National League opponents.
• The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last six games against NL Central opponents.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win

• The Pirates have won each of their last seven games against the Cardinals following a home loss.
• The Cardinals have lost nine of their last 11 games as favorites against the Pirates following a win.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six games as favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last five games as underdogs against the Cardinals following a home loss.
• The Pirates have led after 3 innings in four of their last five games.
• The Pirates have led after 5 innings in three of their last four games against National League opponents that held a losing record.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Cardinals’ last five games have gone OVER the total runs line.
• Nine of the Pirates’ last 11 road games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cardinals’ last 11 games as home favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Pirates’ last 10 games at Busch Stadium.

Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction

I’ll lean toward the Cardinals. St. Louis should be in pretty good shape with Mikolas on the mound—if he can maintain form, that is. Mikolas took a no-decision versus the Mets back on April 18 with 4.2 innings, two earned, five hits, and two walks. In his two starts since then, however, Mikolas is 1-0 with a combined 11.1 innings, nine hits, two walks, and zero earned runs. He should do pretty well here if all goes according to plan. As for Mlodzinski, he gave up five earned runs on nine hits and two walks in a loss versus Cleveland on April 18. In his two outings combined since then, however, Mlodzinski has five earned runs in 9.0 innings on 11 hits and two walks total.

St. Louis posted a good showing on Sunday to finish off the Mets in their pair of doubleheader wins, but it was close in both cases. Still, that makes four wins in the last six games for the Cards, with five or more runs scored in each of those victories. St. Louis needs to keep it going with the bats on Monday.

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