Braves vs Pirates Odds & Pick
| Atlanta Braves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Over/Under | Run Line |
-238 | 8 -110o / -110u | -1.5 -148 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Over/Under | Run Line |
+195 | 8 -110o / -110u | +1.5 +124 |
It’s been a great couple of weeks for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and they’ll look to cap off their weekend series with the Atlanta Braves with a sweep. Martin Perez gets the ball for the Pirates, and he’ll have a tall task at hand against Chris Sale.
Sale has rediscovered his peak form and is now a serious National League Cy Young Award contender. Perez has had his moments of being an effective pitcher, but he is far too inconsistent.
Braves vs Pirates odds have the Braves as -238 moneyline favorites, with an over/under of 8 (-110o /-110u). Find my Braves vs Pirates prediction on the F5 run line below.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves have truly struggled as of late, losing seven of their last 10 contests. Sunday afternoon is crucial for them to get back on track.
Luckily for them, they have their ace on the mound in Chris Sale. The veteran has been nothing short of spectacular thus far, entering the start with a 2.22 ERA and 0.86 WHIP.
He’s racked up 70 strikeouts in 56 IP, which tells me he is missing a ton of bats consistently. In the last month, he has a 0.56 ERA to go along with a .72 WHIP.
Nothing is stopping Sale on Sunday, and his team needs a big performance from him. The offense has been lacking consistency lately, but the team is hitting .280 in their careers against Perez.
The Braves are far too talented to continue trending downward and there’s a good chance Sale stops the bleeding.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates are trying to prove that they are far more superior of a team than their record reflects, and their recent play speaks volumes. They’ve racked up two wins in a row against the tough Braves, and now have a chance to pull off an improbable sweep.
Perez on the year has a 4.80 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP, and even those numbers do not truly illustrate how shaky he has been. His lack of ability to generate strikeouts is what hurts him, and the loaded right-handed hitting lineup of the Braves can make him pay.
The state of the Braves offense is not the best right now, but Perez is just what the doctor ordered. I’d be extremely surprised if Perez lasted past the 5th inning.
The Pirates are playing good baseball, but against Sale, I can not put any faith in them to score runs for Perez. Sale is on such a groove on the mound and there are no signs of him slowing down.
Braves vs Pirates
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Braves are not going to get swept on Sunday with Sale on the mound. It’s also a great matchup for the offense against Perez, so I expect them to come out with their hair on fire.
It’s a bit of a steep price, but I prefer laying the run line in the first five innings as opposed to a heavy -220 full-game number. The Braves are set up to roll on Sunday and avoid the sweep, but the safer investment is in the F5.
