Pittsburgh Pirates vs Miami Marlins Prediction, 3/29/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Miami Marlins

Date: Friday, March 29, 2024

Location: loanDepot park in Miami, FL

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+110) Miami (-130)

loanDepot park is the site where the Miami Marlins (84-77 last season) will meet the Pittsburgh Pirates (76-86 last year) on Friday. The moneyline on this contest has the Pirates at +110 while the Marlins are coming in at -130. The total is set at 7.5. The expected starting pitchers will be Martin Perez and A.J. Puk.

Pittsburgh had a slugging % of .392 and struck out 1,464 times, while taking a walk on 556 occasions. They tallied 662 runs batted in and 1,293 base knocks for the prior year, while their team batting average was at .239. The Pirates accumulated 287 two-baggers as a team and hit 159 baseballs out of the park. They tallied 692 runs scored and held an OBP of .315. As a team, the Pittsburgh Pirates scored 4.3 runs per outing, which ranked them 22nd in MLB.

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The Pirates had a team earned run average of 4.60 for the prior year (22nd in the league), and the staff rung up 1,363 hitters. Pirates pitchers yielded 179 home runs and 790 runs in total (22nd in baseball). Their pitching staff walked 596 hitters and their FIP finished at 4.40 as a team in the prior season. Pittsburgh yielded 1,380 hits (8.7 per 9 innings) and 731 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio was 2.29 and their pitching staff held a collective WHIP of 1.38.

Pirates relief pitchers stepped onto the hill with runners on 156 times and also had 170 games in high leverage situations. The bullpen had a total of 88 holds over the course of the prior season (13th in baseball). The Pirates relief pitchers recorded a save rate of 69.1% and came into the game in 160 save situations. They recorded 47 saves over the course of the prior season and blew 21 of their 68 chances to get a save. The relievers inherited 231 base runners over the course of last year with 33.8% of them ended up scoring. The Pirates dispatched 529 relievers to the hill for the previous season.

The Pirates converted 68.6% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 12,870 innings, which ranked them 18th in the majors. The Pittsburgh Pirates finished with 4,290 putouts for the previous season, as well as 1,403 assists and 91 errors. Their fielding rate held steady at .984 which had them sitting 20th in pro baseball, and they twisted 135 double plays.

Perez has taken the ball for 1,440 innings and has 1,002 K's thus far in his career. His ERA is 4.44 (710 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.442. He has surrendered 1,559 hits (9.7 hits per nine innings) and has had 519 walks. Perez (85-81 record in his career) has earned a FIP of 4.41 while going up against 6,252 batters during his time in the majors.

The Marlins held a team slugging percentage of .405 and they averaged 4.12 runs per contest (26th in MLB). They recorded 259 doubles, while getting a free base 430 times as well as racking up 668 runs. Miami was sitting with 166 home runs last season in addition to 635 runs batted in. They were rung up on 1,288 occasions (26th in baseball) and earned a total of 1,427 base hits. The Miami Marlins tallied a team on-base percentage of .317 and a batting average of .259 in the prior season.

The Marlins had a WHIP of 1.293 with a FIP of 4.13 as a squad in the previous season. They had a K/BB ratio of 9.30 (1,490 strikeouts against 514 free passes). They were sitting at 17th in MLB as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,341. They surrendered 191 HR's and they surrendered 4.53 runs per 9 innings (17th in MLB). The Miami pitching staff given up 723 runs over the course of last year while having a team ERA of 4.22 (673 earned runs given up).

Wrapping up the year with 166 save situations, the Marlins accumulated 91 holds in addition to 31 blown saves. Miami had relievers take the mound in 74 save chances and they recorded 43 saves. Their relievers came in 210 times in high leverage situations and also on 160 occasions with runners on base. Miami relievers had an inherited score percentage of 28.9% out of 232 inherited base runners. They ranked 21st in the league with a save rate of 58.1%, and they dispatched 544 bullpen pitchers onto the field last season.

Out of their 12,918 innings on the diamond, the Marlins earned a defensive efficiency of 68.3% (23rd in MLB). The Miami Marlins had 144 double plays and held a fielding percentage of .983 (24th in MLB). The Marlins recorded 1,412 assists, 97 errors and earned a total of 4,306 putouts over the course of last season.

Puk (13-11 mark in his career) has earned a 3.72 ERA and has conceded 8.2 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.89 and he has gone up against 635 opposing hitters during his MLB career. He has allowed 61 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.233 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.6. So far in his pro baseball career, Puk has surrendered 135 hits while totaling 183 K's in 147 frames.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Miami (-130)

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