Saturday, July 18, 2015
Miller Park
For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here
Probable Pitchers: Francisco Liriano (5-6) vs. Jimmy Nelson (6-9)
The Milwaukee Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park on Saturday. Francisco Liriano is the probable starter for the Pirates and he'll face Jimmy Nelson of the Brewers. The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at -130 and Milwaukee at +120. The over/under was set at 7. The Pirates, with a 38-50 run line record, cover the spread 43% of the time. They also have a 37-42 over/under record. The Brewers have a 45-40 over/under record and a 42-48 run line mark, which means they are covering the spread 47% of the time.
The Pirates head into this matchup with a 53-35 record, including 21-19 on the road. Francisco Liriano has an earned run average of 2.98 and is 5-6 so far on the season while having a 1.03 WHIP. The Pirates are 8-10 over his 114.2 innings pitched and he's also given up 79 hits over that time period. The Pirates are also 8-7 against the over/under in his starts. The team is averaging 4.4 runs when he starts. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.48 and they have given up 238 base hits on the year. The bullpen has struck out 239 and walked 74 batters this season while opposing teams hit .233 against them. Pittsburgh has a team average of 8.14 hits allowed per game and are averaging 7.87 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 2.86, they are 2nd in the league.
Pittsburgh is batting .256 as a team, which is good for 11th in the league and hitting .256 away from home. The Pirates hold a .381 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .317 which is good for 14th in baseball. With 92 hits, Andrew McCutchen leads the team while his team ranks 7th in hits per game with 8.86.
With a 16-28 home record, Milwaukee will hope to improve on their 38-52 overall mark. Jimmy Nelson is starting this game 6-9 for the season with an earned run average of 4.21 and a WHIP of 1.29. The Brewers have a record of 7-11 over the 109 innings he's pitched during which he's given up 103 hits. The Brewers are also 9-9 against the over/under in his starts. The team is averaging 4.1 runs when he takes the field. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.28 and they have given up 242 base hits on the year. The Brewers bullpen has struck out 276 batters and walked 98 this season while opposing teams have hit .233 against them. Milwaukee has a team average of 9.09 hits per game and are averaging 7.76 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 4.20, they are 24th in the league.
They are batting .250 as a team, which is good for 19th in the league and hitting .238 at home. The Brewers hold a .396 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .302 which is good for 25th in baseball. With 86 hits, Gerardo Parra leads the team while his team ranks 16th in hits per game with 8.49.
Pittsburgh has a team fielding percentage of .983 after having committed 62 errors with 1064 assists and 2,447 put outs for the season. Over the course of this season, the Brewers have accumlated 69 errors while having 935 assists and 2,405 put outs leading to a .980 fielding percentage.
Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 37-42 against the over/under so far this season
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 38-50 against the run line so far this season
Milwaukee Brewers Betting Trends
The Milwaukee Brewers are 45-40 against the over/under so far this season
The Milwaukee Brewers are 42-48 against the run line so far this season
Injuries to Watch
Pittsburgh Pirates
07/06/15 3B Josh Harrison Thumb Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/6)
06/24/15 RF Corey Hart Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (6/22)
06/04/15 LF Jaff Decker Calf Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (3/30)
05/07/15 LF Andrew Lambo Plantar Fasciitis Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (5/4)
04/06/15 P Brandon Cumpton Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)
04/06/15 SS Justin Sellers Heel Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)
Milwaukee Brewers
07/07/15 P Matt Garza Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/3)
06/04/15 P Brandon Kintzler Knee Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (5/26)
05/24/15 P Wily Peralta Oblique Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (5/23)
Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates
Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here
Read more articles by Guy Bruhn
Get all of Today's Free MLB Picks
Get all of Today's Expert MLB Picks