Pittsburgh Pirates vs Atlanta Braves Prediction, 9/8/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Atlanta Braves

Date: Friday, September 8, 2023

Location: Truist Park in Cumberland, GA

TV: Bally Sports South

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+154) Atlanta (-185)

Truist Park is the site where the Atlanta Braves (90-48) will try to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates (65-75) on Friday. The moneyline on this game has Pittsburgh at +154 while Atlanta is sitting at -185. The total has been set at 9.5. The expected starting pitchers will be Mitch Keller and Bryce Elder.

The Pirates have hit 244 doubles as a squad and have knocked 137 baseballs out of the park. Pittsburgh owns a slugging percentage of .388 and have been called out on strikes 1,234 times, while taking a walk on 487 occasions. As a unit, the Pittsburgh Pirates are recording 4.2 runs per contest, which puts them at 24th in the league. They have accumulated 564 RBI's in addition to 1,095 hits this season, and their average at the plate is sitting at .236. They have earned a total of 589 runs scored while having a team OBP of .313.

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The Pirates are sitting with a team ERA of 4.49 for the year (20th in the league), and the staff has rung up 1,188 hitters. Pirates pitchers have surrendered 149 home runs and also 674 runs (21st in baseball). Their pitching staff has walked 514 opposing hitters and their FIP comes in at 4.33 as a team so far this year. Pittsburgh has surrendered 1,192 hits (8.7 per 9 innings) and 617 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.31 and their pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.38.

The Pirates have sent 448 relief pitchers to the hill on the season. The relievers have inherited 204 base runners so far this year with 33.3% of those players crossed the plate. They have earned 40 saves for the year and have not converted 16 of 56 chances to save the game. The Pirates relief pitchers have a save percentage of 71.4% and has entered the game in 129 save situations. The bullpen have recorded 70 holds for the year (19th in the league). Pirates relief pitchers have entered the game with opponents on base 138 times as well as having 142 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have earned 3,710 putouts this season, in addition to 1,179 assists and 80 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .984 which has them ranked 24th in baseball, and have 119 double plays. The Pirates have turned 68.4% of balls in play into outs out of their 11,130 innings on the field, which has them sitting 23rd in professional baseball.

Keller has taken the hill for 499 innings and has accumulated 498 strikeouts thus far in his career. Keller (23-37 career win-loss record) has a FIP of 3.95 and he has gone up against 2,191 batters during his time in the majors. His earned run average is 4.64 (257 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.461. He has given up 535 hits (9.6 hits per nine innings) and has 194 walks.

The Atlanta Braves are sitting with a team OBP of .344 and a team batting average of .275 so far this year. They have been called out on strikes on 1,096 occasions (25th in the league) and have recorded 1,303 base hits. Atlanta has recorded 265 home runs for the season to go along with 774 RBIs. The Braves have a team slugging % of .501 and they are earning 5.80 runs per outing (1st in MLB). They have 241 two-baggers, while taking a walk 465 times as well as racking up 801 runs.

The Atlanta pitching staff have given up 571 runs on the campaign while holding a team ERA of 3.87 (527 earned runs conceded). They have given up 149 home runs and they concede 4.20 runs per 9 innings (6th in the league). The Braves hold a team WHIP of 1.271 in addition to having a FIP of 3.96 as a staff so far this year. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 9.50 (1,299 strikeouts vs 444 bases on balls). They come in at 4th in the league as a staff in total hits given up with 1,113.

Atlanta relievers have an inherited score rate of 30.1% out of their 166 inherited base runners. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 148 times in high leverage situations in addition to 111 occasions with runners on. With 152 save situations, the Braves have earned 87 holds and 20 blown saves. They rank 6th in the league with a save percentage of 68.8%, and they have sent 454 bullpen pitchers to the hill this season. Atlanta has called on relievers to enter the game in 64 save chances and they have walked away with 44 saves.

The Atlanta Braves have turned 118 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .985 (15th in professional baseball). The Braves have accrued 1,133 assists, 71 errors and have accumulated 3,675 putouts on the campaign. In 11,025 innings on the diamond, the Braves have a defensive efficiency of 68.7% (19th in pro baseball).

Elder (13-8 mark in his career) is the owner of a 3.35 ERA and has given up 7.8 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.08 and he has faced 869 batters so far in his pro baseball career. He has allowed 78 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.228 and a FIP of 4.1. So far in his career, Elder has conceded 181 hits while he has accumulated 158 punch outs in 209 innings pitched.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Atlanta (-185)

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