Osvaldo Bido will get the start for the Pirates (50-61, 26-28 home) as they host the Braves (70-39, 33-19 away) at PNC Park. The Braves will give the starting nod to Spencer Strider. Check out my prediction for game one of this National League matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates.

ATLANTA BRAVES VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at PNC Park at 7:05 ET on Monday, August 7th.

WHY BET THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES:

  • In their previous five games, the Pirates are 3-2 vs. the runline.
  • Pittsburgh is riding a 3 runline win streak when going into a game as the underdog.
  • Spencer Strider has given up five home runs across his last four starts.

CAN THE ATLANTA BRAVES PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

This season, the Braves have an overall series record of 25-9-2 and are currently 1st in the NL East. Atlanta’s overall record is 70-39, which includes their current two game losing streak. On the road, the Braves are 33-19 and 37-20 at home.

Spencer Strider will take the mound for the Braves with an impressive 12-3 record. In 22 appearances, Strider has an ERA of 3.61 and a batting average allowed of .206. He has struck out 208 batters while allowing 38 walks, resulting in a WHIP of 1.09 and a SLG allowed of .359.

Spencer Strider earned a quality start and the win in his latest outing, as the Braves defeated the Angels 5-1. The right-hander allowed one run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings of work.

Having gone deep 9 times in their last five games, the Braves are 5th in that span. At 5.7 runs per game, Atlanta is 3rd in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .270 while hitting a total of 212 home runs (1st).

The Braves have been on a hot streak recently, and Matt Olson has been at the center of it. In their last five games, Olson has hit three home runs, bringing his total to 39 for the season. His batting average stands at .264.

WILL THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Pirates’ record of 50-61 has them ranked 4th in the NL Central. So far, they have a below .500 series record of 12-20-3. This season, they have gone 26-28 at home and 24-33 on the road.

Pittsburgh’s Osvaldo Bido has a 2-2 record and an ERA of 5.18. On the road, Bido has been impressive with an ERA of 1.99, but his performance at home is less stellar with a 9.36 ERA. His season-long WHIP stands at 1.51 and opposing teams have managed a .267 batting average against him, as well as a .348 slugging percentage.

Osvaldo Bido is aiming to rebound from a brief performance against the Tigers. In the Pirates’ 6-3 defeat, he yielded four runs in three frames.

The Pirates have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 14 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 8th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 19th in home runs and 20th in slugging percentage. Overall, Pittsburgh is averaging 4.1 runs per game (24th).

Over the Pirates’ last five games, Bryan Reynolds has been the standout hitter, batting .507 and leading the team in hits. This season, Reynolds is hitting .267 and has racked up 53 RBIs.