Wednesday, May 18, 2016

PNC Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Julio Teheran vs. Francisco Liriano

The Atlanta Braves visit PNC Park on Wednesday to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Julio Teheran for the Braves and Francisco Liriano for the Pirates. The opening line for this matchup has Atlanta at +168 and Pittsburgh at -178. The over/under was set at 7. The Braves have a 18-15-4 over/under record and a 14-23-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 38% of the time. The Pirates are 18-19-0 against the run line and have a 24-12-1 over/under record. They cover the spread 49% of the time.

The Braves head into this matchup with a 9-28 record, including 7-11 on the road. Starting pitcher Julio Teheran has a 0-4 record with an earned run average of 3.17 and a WHIP of 1.18. He has 44 strikeouts over his 48.1 innings pitched and he has given up 40 hits so far this season. He has allowed 7.4 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.8. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 4.78 and they have given up 123 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .254 against the bullpen while being struck out 134 times and walking 63 times this season. As a team, Atlanta has allowed 8.77 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.77 batters per nine. They are 22nd in the league in team earned run average at 4.49. The Braves pitchers have collectively given up 326 base hits and 167 earned runs. They have allowed 40 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. Atlanta as a pitching staff has walked 133 batters and struck out 289. They walk 3.6 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.37 and their FIP as a unit is 4.24.

As a team, Atlanta is batting .229, good for 29th in the league while putting together a .223 average away from home. The Braves hold a .302 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .292 which is good for 29th in baseball. They rank 26th in baseball with 7.78 hits per game. Nick Markakis comes into this game hitting .257 and his on-base percentage is at .364. He has 35 hits this season along with 13 runs scored and 21 runs batted in. He's struck out 26 times and has walked 22 times. Freddie Freeman is hitting .284 and he has an on-base percentage of .381. He has totaled 38 hits so far while scoring 17 runs and he's driven in 10. He has walked 18 times and has struck out 38 times. The Braves have 288 hits, including 55 doubles and 11 home runs. They've stolen 16 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 10 times. Atlanta has walked 105 times this season and they've struck out 306 times as a unit. They've left 258 men on base and have a team OPS of .594. They score 3.08 runs per contest and have scored a total of 114 runs so far this year.

Pittsburgh comes into this matchup with a 8-7 home record and a 20-17 overall mark. With an earned run average of 4.99, Francisco Liriano has a 3-2 record and a 1.54 WHIP. He has 46 strikeouts over the 39.2 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 38 hits. He has allowed 8.6 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 5.29. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 4.31 and they have given up 123 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .251 against the Pirates bullpen while being struck out 107 times and walking 62 times this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has allowed 8.85 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.91 batters per nine. They are 21st in the league in team earned run average at 4.46. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 329 base knocks and 166 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 48 home runs this year and they give up 1.3 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 150 hitters and struck out 294. They give up a walk 4 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.43 while their FIP as a staff is 4.69.

As a team, they are batting .275, good for 4th in the league while putting together a .278 average at home. The Pirates hold a .425 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .356 which is good for 3rd in baseball. They rank 3rd in baseball with 9.65 hits per contest. Andrew McCutchen comes into this matchup batting .243 and he has an OBP of .337. He has 36 hits this year along with 25 runs scored and 16 RBI. He's struck out 40 times and has walked on 19 occasions. Starling Marte is hitting .326 and he has an OBP of .374. He has collected 47 hits so far while he's scored 21 runs and drove in 14. He has earned a walk 4 times and has punched out 35 times. The Pirates as a unit have 357 base hits, including 71 doubles and 37 homers. They have 26 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 11 times. Pittsburgh as a team has walked 147 times this year and they have struck out 296 times. They've had 305 men left on base and have an OPS of .781. They score 4.84 runs per game and have totaled 179 runs so far this season.

Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 18-15-4 against the over/under so far this season

The Atlanta Braves are 14-23-0 against the run line so far this season

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 24-12-1 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 18-19-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Atlanta Braves

05/11/16 P Jim Johnson Groin 15-day DL (5/9)
04/13/16 2B Hector Olivera Legal problems out indefinitely
04/12/16 P Daniel Winkler Elbow 15-day DL (4/11)
04/04/16 P Andrew McKiraha Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Manuel Banuelos Elbow 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Paco Rodrigue Elbow out for season
04/04/16 P Shae Simmons Elbow 15-day DL (3/25)

Pittsburgh Pirates

03/31/16 C Elias Diaz Elbow 15-day DL (3/25)

Josh's Pick: Take the Braves

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