The Pittsburgh Pirates (5-9) and Cincinnati Reds (6-8) meet in an NL Central clash on Saturday afternoon at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. ET; the game will be broadcast on SportsNet-PIT and FanDuel Sports Ohio. It can also be streamed on MLB.TV.
Pirates-Reds on Saturday features two southpaws (and Andrews) on the hill with Andrew Heaney and Andrew Abbott, the latter of which is making his season debut.
Continue below for my two Saturday Pirates vs Reds predictions, which are picks on home run props that are showing value.
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- Andrew McCutchen Home Run
- TJ Friedl Home Run
- Parlay Odds: +2500 (BetMGM)
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Pirates vs Reds Odds
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- Pirates vs Reds Moneyline: Pirates +106, Reds -125
- Pirates vs Reds Total: 8.5 (-101o / -120u)
- Pirates vs Reds Spread: Pirates +1.5 (+164), Reds -1.5 (-198)
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Pirates vs Reds Projected Starting Pitchers
| LHP Andrew Heaney (PIT) | Stat | LHP Andrew Abbott (CIN) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-0 | W-L | 0-0 (season debut) |
| 0.5 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | — |
| 1.50 / 2.51 | ERA /xERA | — |
| 1.48 / 3.17 | FIP / xFIP | — |
| 0.92 | WHIP | — |
| 21.3% | K-BB% | — |
| 34.4% | GB% | — |
| 101 | Stuff+ | — |
| 105 | Location+ | — |
Alex Kolodziej’s Pirates vs Reds Preview & Predictions
Consider a couple home run picks if you’re dabbling in the Pirates-Reds game on Saturday.
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Bet365 is currently offering their Saturday Sluggers promo, where you can place a certain amount on MLB picks and receive bonus bets in return. This is an excellent opportunity to utilize our PRO Projections, particularly through home run picks, with one selection from each team.
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For the Pirates, Andrew McCutchen is a tempting option with odds of +475 at bet365.
Our models forecast 0.23 home runs for him in this game, suggesting a fair price of +334, making it a solid pick.
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On the Reds‘ side, consider lead-off hitter TJ Friedl at +1100.
A left-handed hitter, Friedl is undervalued in this context, with the ballpark playing to his strengths.
Meanwhile, Great American Ball Park’s home run-friendly nature boosts both hitters’ chances of going deep.
Pirates vs Reds Prediction, Betting Analysis
Both picks present at least a 3% edge over the market, making them smart choices for this Saturday’s showdown.
Picks:
- Andrew McCutchen Home Run (+475)
- TJ Friedl Home Run (+1100)
Pirates vs Reds Betting Trends
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