Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 9/16/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Thursday, September 16, 2021

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

Odds/Point Spread: Cincinnati (-152) Pittsburgh (+120)

Max Kranick and the Pittsburgh Pirates (53-91, 5th in NL Central) play the Cincinnati Reds (75-70, 3rd in NL Central) at PNC Park on Thursday. The Reds open this matchup at -152 while the Pirates are priced at +120. The total has been set at 8.5. The pitchers who are expected to start are Tyler Mahle and Max Kranick.

The Reds have hit 260 two-baggers as a squad and have knocked 197 baseballs out of the park. Cincinnati has a slugging rate of .428 and have struck out 1,289 times, while being walked on 492 occasions. As a unit, the Cincinnati Reds are recording 4.9 runs per game, which ranks them 9th in baseball. They have earned 678 runs batted in in addition to 1,209 hits on the season, and their team batting average is at .249. They have racked up 706 runs while holding a team on-base percentage of .327.

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The Reds hold a team ERA of 4.37 on the year (17th in MLB), and the staff has rung up 1,359 hitters. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.48 and their pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.35. Reds pitchers have conceded 186 home runs and 678 total runs (18th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 548 opposing hitters and their FIP comes in at 4.35 as a unit so far this year.

The Reds have dispatched 508 relievers to the hill over the course of the season. The relief pitchers have inherited 220 base runners this season with 39.1% of them ended up scoring. They have tallied 39 saves this year and have not converted 25 out of their 64 chances to get a save. The Reds bullpen have recorded a save rate of 60.9% and has stepped onto the mound in 132 save situations. The relief pitchers have tallied 66 holds this season (17th in MLB). Reds relief pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on base 146 times in addition to having 171 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Reds have turned 69.1% of balls in play into outs out of 11,553 innings on the field, which ranks them 22nd in MLB. The Cincinnati Reds have accumulated 3,851 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 1,266 assists and 79 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .985 which has them ranked 15th in pro baseball, and have accumulated 938 double plays.

Mahle has pitched in 468 innings and has accounted for 501 strikeouts thus far in his career. His earned run average is 4.36 (227 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.334. He has given up 450 hits (8.6 hits per nine innings) and has 175 free passes. Mahle (24-30 career win-loss record) holds a FIP of 4.44 while he has faced 2,026 opposing batters in the major leagues.

Pittsburgh has accounted for 113 HRs this year to go along with 499 runs batted in. They have recorded 218 doubles, while walking 458 times and earning 531 runs. The Pittsburgh Pirates have an OBP of .307 in addition to a team batting average of .235 for the year. The Pirates have a SLG% of .363 and they are earning 3.69 runs per contest (30th in MLB). They have been rung up on 1,170 occasions (26th in baseball) and have accounted for 1,115 base hits.

The Pittsburgh pitching staff have yielded 739 runs this season while having an ERA of 5.09 (701 earned runs surrendered). They have allowed 187 dingers and they allow 5.37 runs per 9 innings (28th in baseball). The Pirates have a team WHIP of 1.428 in addition to having a FIP of 4.71 as a team on the year. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.17 (1,159 strikeouts vs 534 walks). They rank 25th in baseball as a staff in total hits surrendered with 1,236.

Pittsburgh relievers hold an inherited score rate of 33.9% out of their 177 inherited base runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 113 times in high leverage situations in addition to 106 occasions with base runners. Sitting with 101 save situations, the Pirates have amassed 60 holds in addition to 16 blown saves. They rank 21st in baseball with a save percentage of 57.9%, and they have dispatched 504 relievers onto the field on the season. Pittsburgh has had relief pitchers enter the contest in 38 save opportunities and they have recorded 22 saves.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have turned 125 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .987 (5th in MLB). The Pirates have racked up 1,240 assists, 65 errors and have a total of 3,718 putouts so far this year. In 11,154 innings played, the Pirates have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 68.7% (24th in baseball).

During his MLB career, Kranick has allowed 34 hits while he has tallied 19 strikeouts in 24 frames. Kranick (1-3 record in his career) has a 7.66 ERA while surrendering 12.4 hits per 9 innings. He has given up a total of 21 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.784 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.8. His strikeout to walk ratio is 1.90 and he has faced 119 hitters so far in his MLB career.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Cincinnati (-152)

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