Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds Predictions, MLB Picks, Betting Tips 8/15/2020

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds

Date: Saturday, August 15, 2020

Location: Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH

TV: ATPT/FSOH/FS1

Odds/Point Spread: Pirates (+175) Reds (-190)

Kevin Newman and the Pittsburgh Pirates (4-13, 5th in NL Central) go to Great American Ball Park on Saturday where they'll meet the Cincinnati Reds (8-11, 2nd in NL Central). The Pirates open this matchup at +175 while the Reds are coming in at -190. The O/U opens at 8.5. The men taking the mound are Steven Brault and Trevor Bauer.

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

8/14/2020 Kyle Crick RP Shoulder Expected to be out until at least Aug 18
8/11/2020 Clay Holmes RP Forearm Expected to be out until at least Sep 21
8/11/2020 Joe Musgrove SP Triceps Expected to be out until at least Aug 25
8/11/2020 Mitch Keller SP Oblique Expected to be out until at least Aug 25
8/9/2020 Phillip Evans 3B Jaw Expected to be out until at least Sep 21

Key Cincinnati Reds Injuries

8/13/2020 Robert Stephenson RP Back Expected to be out until at least Aug 15
8/13/2020 Wade Miley SP Undisclosed Expected to be out until at least Aug 18
8/11/2020 Pedro Strop RP Groin Expected to be out until at least Aug 18
8/9/2020 Mike Moustakas 2B Quadriceps Expected to be out until at least Aug 16
7/31/2020 Matt Bowman RP Elbow Expected to be out until at least Sep 4

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Pirates have a 4-13 overall record this season. Brault has pitched in 280 frames and has tallied 240 strikeouts so far in his MLB career. His ERA is 4.89 (152 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.564. He has given up 291 base knocks (9.4 hits per nine innings) and has 147 walks. Brault (11-12 career win-loss mark) holds a FIP of 4.81 while he has faced 1,276 opposing hitters during his time in the major leagues. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.54 and they have given up 82 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .224 against the bullpen and they've struck out 89 hitters and walked 47 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.3 batters per nine innings. They are 26th in the league in team earned run average at 5.36. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 148 base hits and 91 earned runs. They have allowed 24 home runs this season, ranking them 14th in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 79 batters and struck out 158. They have walked 4.7 men per 9 innings while striking out 9.3 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.49 and their FIP as a unit is 4.84.

Related: Get MLB picks & tips on all of today's games

Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .214, good for 29th in the league. The Pirates hold a .345 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .278, which is good for 30th in baseball. They rank 24th in MLB with 7.2 hits per game. Kevin Newman is hitting .246 with an on-base percentage of .271. He has 14 hits this season in 57 at bats with 6 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .333 and an OPS+ of 67. Adam Frazier is hitting .194 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .250. He has totaled 13 hits and he has driven in 5 men in 67 at bats. His OPS+ is 62 while his slugging percentage is at .343. The Pirates have 123 hits, including 19 doubles and 18 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 49 times so far this season and they have struck out 141 times as a unit. They have left 87 men on base and have a team OPS of .623. They score 4.29 runs per contest and have scored a total of 73 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Cincinnati has a 8-11 overall mark this year. In his pro baseball career, Bauer has surrendered 1,017 base hits and he has 1,211 K's in 1,136 frames. He has conceded 504 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.283 and a FIP of 3.9. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.75 and he has gone up against 4,822 hitters in his pro baseball career. Bauer (72-60 career record) has earned a 3.99 earned run average while giving up 8.1 hits per nine innings. The bullpen has an earned run average of 6.45 and they have given up 56 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .186 against the Reds bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 91 batters and walked 37 opposing hitters. As a team, Cincinnati allows 7.2 hits per nine innings while striking out 11.9 batters per nine innings. They are 20th in the league in team earned run average at 4.45. The Reds pitchers as a team have surrendered 131 base knocks and 81 earned runs this season. They have given up 24 home runs this year, which ranks 13th in Major League Baseball. Cincinnati as a staff has walked 71 hitters and struck out 217 batters. They give up a walk 3.9 times per 9 innings while they strike out 11.9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.23 while their FIP as a staff is 3.89.

Related: Gambling 101 - MLB Betting Tips - Tony George of Doc’s Sports

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .215, good for 27th in the league. The Reds hold a .414 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .322, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 29th in MLB with 6.8 hits per contest. Eugenio Suarez comes into this matchup batting .123 with an OBP of .278. He has 8 hits this year along with 6 RBI in 65 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .246 with an OPS+ of 44. Nick Senzel is hitting .262 this season and he has an OBP of .333. He has collected 11 hits in 42 at bats while driving in 8 runs. He has an OPS+ of 126 and a slugging percentage of .524. The Reds as a unit have 129 base hits, including 26 doubles and 30 homers. Cincinnati has walked 82 times this year and they have struck out on 160 occasions. They have had 124 men left on base and have an OPS of .737. They have scored 4.37 runs per game and totaled 83 runs this season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Reds (-190)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here