Monday, May 22, 2017

Turner Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Gerrit Cole vs. Mike Foltynewicz

The Pittsburgh Pirates head to Turner Field on Monday, May 22, 2017 to take on the Atlanta Braves. The expected starting pitchers are Gerrit Cole for the Pirates and Mike Foltynewicz for the Braves.

The odds for this matchup have Pittsburgh at -121 and Atlanta at +111. The Pirates have a 19-22-2 over/under mark and a 22-21-0 run line record. The Braves are 22-18-0 against the run line and have a 25-15-0 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 19-22-2 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 22-21-0 against the run line

Important Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 25-15-0 against the over/under

The Atlanta Braves are 22-18-0 against the run line

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

05/17/17 RF Gregory Polanco Hamstring 10-day DL (5/15)
05/06/17 P Jameson Taillon Groin 10-day DL (5/4)
04/26/17 P Antonio Bastardo Quad 10-day DL (4/25)
04/18/17 CF Starling Marte Suspension 80-game suspension

Key Atlanta Braves Injuries

05/21/17 P Eric O'Flaher Back 10-day DL (5/20)
05/20/17 P Chaz Roe Shoulder 60-day DL (5/20)
05/18/17 3B Adonis Garcia Achilles 10-day DL (5/16)
05/18/17 1B Freddie Freeman Wrist 10-day DL (5/18)
04/03/17 P Armando Rivero Shoulder 10-day DL (3/30)
04/03/17 P Daniel Winkler Elbow 10-day DL (3/30)
04/02/17 2B Micah Johnson Wrist 60-day DL (3/30)
04/01/17 1B Sean Rodriguez Shoulder 60-day DL (2/25)
03/31/17 P Mauricio Cabrera Elbow 10-day DL (3/30)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Pirates have a 19-24 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole has a 2-4 record with an earned run average of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.02. He has 50 strikeouts over his 57 innings pitched and he's given up 46 hits. He allows 7.3 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.52. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.98 and they have given up 149 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .261 against the bullpen and they've struck out 124 hitters and walked 55 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 9.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.3 batters per nine innings. They are 14th in the league in team earned run average at 4.15. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 394 base hits and 176 earned runs. They have allowed 45 home runs this season, ranking them 24th in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 127 batters and struck out 311. They have walked 3 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.3 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.37 and their FIP as a unit is 4.08.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other MLB games check out our handicapping tips.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .227, good for 29th in the league. The Pirates hold a .368 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .307, which is good for 26th in baseball. They rank 29th in MLB with 7.5 hits per game. Josh Bell is hitting .248 with an on-base percentage of .333. He has 33 hits this season in 133 at bats with 19 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .511 and an OPS+ of 119. Josh Harrison is hitting .286 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .355. He has totaled 42 hits and he has driven in 14 men in 147 at bats. His OPS+ is 114 while his slugging percentage is at .463. The Pirates have 323 hits, including 64 doubles and 39 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 151 times so far this season and they have struck out 309 times as a unit. They have left 289 men on base and have a team OPS of .675. They score 3.86 runs per contest and have scored a total of 166 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Atlanta has a 18-22 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.10, Mike Foltynewicz has a 2-4 record and a 1.32 WHIP. He has 32 strikeouts over the 41.2 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 43 hits. He allows 9.3 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.77. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.23 and they have given up 117 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .234 against the Braves bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 117 batters and walked 48 opposing hitters. As a team, Atlanta allows 8.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 6.7 batters per nine innings. They are 24th in the league in team earned run average at 4.68. The Braves pitchers as a team have surrendered 353 base knocks and 186 earned runs this season. They have given up 55 home runs this year, which ranks 11th in Major League Baseball. Atlanta as a staff has walked 137 hitters and struck out 265 batters. They give up a walk 3.4 times per 9 innings while they strike out 6.7 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.37 while their FIP as a staff is 4.85.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .263, good for 7th in the league. The Braves hold a .411 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .336, which is good for 6th in baseball. They rank 7th in MLB with 9.1 hits per contest. Nick Markakis comes into this matchup batting .303 with an OBP of .377. He has 47 hits this year along with 22 RBI in 155 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .387 with an OPS+ of 102. Brandon Phillips is hitting .292 this season and he has an OBP of .348. He has collected 38 hits in 130 at bats while driving in 12 runs. He has an OPS+ of 98 and a slugging percentage of .408. The Braves as a unit have 362 base hits, including 63 doubles and 44 homers. Atlanta has walked 132 times this year and they have struck out on 316 occasions. They have had 283 men left on base and have an OPS of .747. They have scored 4.65 runs per game and totaled 186 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Pirates/Braves MLB game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Pirates -121

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 Tony Sink