Pittsburgh Pirates vs Atlanta Braves Prediction, 5/21/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Atlanta Braves

Date: Friday, May 21, 2021

Location: Truist Park in Cumberland, GA

TV: Bally Sports South

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+164) Atlanta (-178)

Ian Anderson and the Atlanta Braves (20-23, 3rd in NL East) play the Pittsburgh Pirates (17-25, 5th in NL Central) at Truist Park on Friday. The Pirates open this contest at +164 while the Braves are priced at -178. The over/under has been set at 8. The expected starting pitchers will be Tyler Anderson and Ian Anderson.

As a unit, the Pittsburgh Pirates are notching 3.4 runs per game, which is 30th in baseball. They have accounted for 140 runs while holding a team on-base percentage of .302. The Pirates have tallied 69 two-baggers as a unit and have smacked 26 baseballs out of the park. They have accounted for 132 RBI's as well as 309 hits on the season, while their team batting average comes in at .227. Pittsburgh has a slugging % of .344 and have been rung up 352 times, while drawing a walk on 130 occasions.

The Pirates hold a team ERA of 4.35 this year (20th in the league), and the staff has rung up 348 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 140 batters and their FIP is 4.11 as a squad over the course of the season. Their K/BB ratio is 2.49 and the pitching staff sits with a WHIP of 1.28. Pirates pitchers have given up 44 home runs in addition to 187 total runs (18th in the league).

The Pirates relievers have a save percentage of 85.7% and has entered the game in 29 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 53 base runners on the campaign and 26.4% of those runners crossed the plate. Pirates relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on 35 times in addition to having 35 appearances in high leverage situations. The Pirates have sent 143 relievers to the mound over the course of the season. The bullpen have a total of 20 holds this year (18th in baseball). They have 6 saves so far this season and have missed out on 1 of their 7 save chances.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are sitting with 1,068 putouts on the campaign, as well as 385 assists and 26 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .982 which is 20th in professional baseball, and have accumulated 295 double plays. The Pirates have transformed 70.0% of balls in play into outs out of their 3,204 innings, which ranks them 13th in MLB.

Anderson has taken the mound for 503 frames and has earned 452 strikeouts thus far in his career. Anderson (25-30 record in his career) has a FIP of 4.37 while facing 2,130 opposing batters in the major leagues. His earned run average is 4.54 (254 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.318. He has conceded 500 hits (8.9 hits per nine innings) with 163 free passes.

The Braves hold a slugging percentage of .413 and they tally 4.55 runs per outing (12th in baseball). They have hit 59 two-baggers, while taking a walk 146 times as well as racking up 191 runs. Atlanta has hit 62 home runs on the season and 185 RBIs. They have struck out on 387 occasions (11th in baseball) and have tallied 308 hits. The Atlanta Braves have accounted for an OBP of .308 and a batting average of .225 for the season.

The Braves hold a team WHIP of 1.396 in addition to having a FIP of 4.47 as a team so far this season. They rank 25th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 357. The Atlanta pitching staff have yielded 209 runs so far this season and come in with a team ERA of 4.60 (188 earned runs allowed). Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.46 (386 strikeouts against 157 walks). They have conceded 56 HR's and they surrender 5.11 runs per 9 innings (24th in the league).

Sitting with 41 save situations, the Braves have accrued 26 holds in addition to 6 blown saves. Atlanta has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the mound in 14 save opportunities and they have walked away with 8 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 69 times in high leverage situations and on 41 occasions with runners on base. Atlanta relief pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 29.0% out of their 62 inherited runners. They rank 18th in baseball with a save rate of 57.1%, and they have sent 156 relievers to the hill over the course of the season.

The Atlanta Braves have twisted 28 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .987 (5th in the majors). The Braves have racked up 383 assists, 20 errors and have accounted for 1,105 putouts so far this season. Out of their 3,315 innings played, the Braves have a defensive efficiency of 68.4% (24th in MLB).

So far in his pro baseball career, Anderson has conceded 55 base hits while totaling 88 punch outs in 77 innings pitched. Anderson (6-3 record in his career) has a 2.68 ERA while allowing 6.4 hits per nine innings. He has conceded a total of 23 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.164 and a FIP of 3.2. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.51 and he has gone up against 324 hitters in his MLB career.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Atlanta (-178)

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