Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 4/21/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Friday, April 21, 2023

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

Odds/Point Spread: Cincinnati (+100) Pittsburgh (-120)

PNC Park is where the Pittsburgh Pirates (12-7) will compete against the Cincinnati Reds (7-11) on Friday. The line on this contest has the Reds at +100 while the Pirates are sitting at -120. The betting total is set at 8.5. The pitchers who are expected to start will be Graham Ashcraft and Mitch Keller.

Cincinnati is slugging .371 and have been called out on strikes 171 times, while drawing a walk on 70 occasions. They have earned 79 RBI's as well as 141 hits on the year, and their team batting average sits at .239. The Reds have accrued 27 doubles as a team and have smacked 15 balls out of the park. They have racked up 82 runs while holding a team OBP of .326. As a squad, the Cincinnati Reds are compiling 4.6 runs per contest, which has them at 18th in baseball.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.32 and their pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.62. Reds pitchers have allowed 20 long balls and 98 runs (23rd in the league). Cincinnati has conceded 187 base knocks (10.6 per 9 innings) and also 95 earned runs. The Reds have an earned run average of 5.40 for the season (26th in baseball), and the staff has struck out 160 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 69 hitters and their FIP is 4.39 as a team for the year.

The Reds relief pitchers have compiled a save rate of 50.0% and has stepped onto the mound in 19 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 46 runners so far this season and 30.4% of them ended up crossing the plate. Reds relief pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on 26 times and also have had 27 appearances in high leverage situations. The Reds have sent 65 relievers to the mound on the season. The bullpen have tallied 9 holds on the campaign (18th in baseball). They have tallied 4 saves on the season and have not converted 4 of their 8 save chances.

The Cincinnati Reds have amassed 475 putouts thus far, as well as 139 assists and 9 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .986 which ranks 19th in professional baseball, and have a total of 13 double plays. The Reds have converted 63.2% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 1,425 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 30th in MLB.

Ashcraft has thrown 124 frames and has accumulated 88 punch outs in his career. Ashcraft (7-6 win-loss mark in his career) has a FIP of 4.10 and he has faced 540 opposing batters in the majors. His earned run average is 4.35 (60 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.379. He has conceded 133 base knocks (9.7 hits per nine innings) and has 38 walks.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have accounted for an on-base percentage of .335 and a team batting average of .257 on the year. They have struck out on 148 occasions (24th in baseball) and have recorded 167 base hits. Pittsburgh is sitting with 25 HRs on the campaign as well as 94 runs batted in. The Pirates have a team SLG% of .449 and they average 5.21 runs per contest (7th in the league). They have hit 38 doubles, while walking 75 times as well as putting up 99 runs.

The Pittsburgh pitching staff have given up 80 runs over the course of the season while having an ERA of 4.10 (77 earned runs allowed). They have allowed 20 homers and they relinquish 4.26 runs per 9 innings (12th in baseball). The Pirates have a team WHIP of 1.430 in addition to having a FIP of 4.43 as a squad over the course of the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 8.40 (158 strikeouts vs 77 bases on balls). They are currently ranked 23rd in MLB as a staff in total hits conceded with 165.

Pittsburgh has had bullpen pitchers enter the contest in 10 save chances and they have walked away with 8 saves. They are currently ranked 6th in MLB holding a save rate of 80.0%, and they have dispatched 59 relievers to the mound so far this year. Their relief pitchers have come in 24 times in high leverage situations in addition to 15 occasions with runners on. Pittsburgh bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 21.7% out of 23 inherited runners. Sitting with 25 save situations, the Pirates have 14 holds and 2 blown saves.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have turned 16 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .985 (20th in pro baseball). The Pirates have accrued 152 assists, 10 errors and have accounted for 509 putouts this year. In their 1,527 innings played, the Pirates have earned a defensive efficiency of 68.8% (16th in pro baseball).

Keller (13-29 career win-loss record) has earned a 4.92 earned run average while surrendering 10.1 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.20 and he has gone up against 1,572 opposing hitters in his MLB career. He has given up a total of 193 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.555 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.1. During his MLB career, Keller has conceded 396 base knocks while totaling 336 strikeouts in 353 innings pitched.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (-120)

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