Colorado Rockies at Pittsburgh Pirates 4/18/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

PNC Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Kyle Freeland vs. Chad Kuhl

The Colorado Rockies visit PNC Park on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Kyle Freeland for the Rockies and Chad Kuhl for the Pirates.

The opening line for this matchup has Colorado at +114 and Pittsburgh at -124. The Rockies have a 8-8-2 over/under record and a 10-8-0 run line mark. The Pirates are 9-7-0 against the run line and have a 10-5-1 over/under record.

Valuable Colorado Rockies Betting Trends

The Colorado Rockies are 8-8-2 against the over/under

The Colorado Rockies are 10-8-0 against the run line

Important Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 10-5-1 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 9-7-0 against the run line

Key Colorado Rockies Injuries

04/14/18 3B Nolan Arenado Shoulder 5-game suspension (eligible to return 4/20 vs Chicago Cubs)
03/30/18 P Zac Rosscup Finger 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Carlos Estevez Oblique 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Jeff Hoffman Shoulder 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Rayan Gonzalez Elbow 60-day DL (03/12)

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

04/17/18 2B Josh Harrison Hand 10-day DL (04/16)
04/03/18 P Joe Musgrove Shoulder 10-day DL (03/30)
03/26/18 P A.J. Schugel Shoulder 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Nick Burdi Elbow 60-day DL (02/20)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Rockies have a 10-8 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland has a 0-2 record with an earned run average of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.44 this season. He has 15 strikeouts over his 16 innings pitched and he's given up 16 hits. He's allowed 9 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 5.77. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.68 and they have given up 50 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .212 against the bullpen and they've struck out 64 hitters and walked 22 batters. As a team, Colorado allows 7.8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.5 batters per nine innings. They are 19th in the league in team earned run average at 4.13. The Rockies pitchers collectively have given up 138 base hits and 73 earned runs. They have allowed 21 home runs this season, ranking them 5th in the league. Colorado as a pitching staff has walked 66 batters and struck out 151. They have walked 3.7 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.5 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.28 and their FIP as a unit is 4.30.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Colorado is hitting .218, good for 27th in the league. The Rockies hold a .393 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .286, which is good for 29th in baseball. They rank 29th in MLB with 7.2 hits per game. Charlie Blackmon is hitting .314 with an on-base percentage of .397. He has 16 hits this season in 51 at bats with 13 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .784 and an OPS+ of 200. Nolan Arenado is hitting .288 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .387. He has totaled 15 hits and he has driven in 6 men in 52 at bats. His OPS+ is 121 while his slugging percentage is at .462. The Rockies have 129 hits, including 22 doubles and 26 home runs. Colorado has walked 57 times so far this season and they have struck out 168 times as a unit. They have left 101 men on base and have a team OPS of .679. They score 4 runs per contest and have scored a total of 72 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Pittsburgh has a 11-5 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 5.74, Chad Kuhl has a 1-1 record and a 1.79 WHIP. He has 13 strikeouts over the 15.2 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 24 hits. He's allowing 13.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.21. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.98 and they have given up 55 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .261 against the Pirates bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 42 batters and walked 25 opposing hitters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 7 batters per nine innings. They are 22nd in the league in team earned run average at 4.5. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 141 base knocks and 73 earned runs this season. They have given up 15 home runs this year, which ranks 20th in Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 53 hitters and struck out 113 batters. They give up a walk 3.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.33 while their FIP as a staff is 4.11.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .264, good for 4th in the league. The Pirates hold a .443 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .335, which is good for 8th in baseball. They rank 5th in MLB with 9.1 hits per contest. Josh Bell comes into this matchup batting .286 with an OBP of .352. He has 18 hits this year along with 10 RBI in 63 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .397 with an OPS+ of 109. Corey Dickerson is hitting .351 this season and he has an OBP of .377. He has collected 20 hits in 57 at bats while driving in 12 runs. He has an OPS+ of 158 and a slugging percentage of .561. The Pirates as a unit have 145 base hits, including 29 doubles and 19 homers. Pittsburgh has walked 57 times this year and they have struck out on 112 occasions. They have had 101 men left on base and have an OPS of .778. They have scored 5.56 runs per game and totaled 89 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates -124

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