Betsided

Pirates vs. Braves Prediction and Odds for Friday, June 10 (Pittsburgh Thrives as a Big Road Underdog)

By Ben Heisler

Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Roansy Contreras should keep the Pirates in the game as a big underdog vs. the Atlanta Braves.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Roansy Contreras should keep the Pirates in the game as a big underdog vs. the Atlanta Braves. / Denis Poroy/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

One of the hottest teams in baseball faces off against a team that held that title just last week when the Atlanta Braves host the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 2 of their four game set at Truist Park.

Atlanta has climbed out of their slow start, slowly approaching a long arm's length away from the New York Mets for the top spot in the NL East. Meanwhile, the Pirates have hung tough at just six games under .500, but are a week removed from sweeping the World Series favored L.A. Dodgers in Los Angeles and being the most profitable team in baseball over their last 10 games.

Can the Buccos shock the Braves as near 2/1 underdogs?

Let's get the latest odds for Friday night in Atlanta over at WynnBET Sportsbook.

Pirates vs. Braves Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line:

  • Pirates +1.5 (-115)
  • Braves -1.5 (-105)

Moneyline:

  • Pirates +180
  • Braves -220

Total:

  • 8.5 (OVER -120 | UNDER +100)

Pirates vs. Braves Prediction and Pick

I think the Pirates are live on Friday night, as we've got a battle of two bright young prospects on the mound.

Pirates No. 3 prospect Roansy Contreras faces No. 11 prospect Spencer Strider, in a battle of up-and-coming right-handers, and both have shown that they belong at the big league level.

Let's start with Contreras, who entered the season at Fangraphs as the No. 42 prospect in baseball this year. He's started three games after working out of the bullpen in early-to-mid April, and has looked terrific in all three. He's given up just two earned runs in 15.2 IP as a starter, giving up 12 hits while striking out 16 batters; including eight in his last start vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Meanwhile, Strider deserves his due as well. He's got a 2.76 ERA this year with an insane strikeout percentage of 36.8%. However, he's only started two of his 13 games this year, and had issues in both of them. On May 30th, he lasted just 4.1 innings, giving up five runs (3 ER), in a loss, and in his next start, he went just 4 innings; walking five batters in the process.

I get that the Braves' lineup is smokin-hot right now, but Contreras has the stuff to hold them down, especially given that Atlanta still leads the Majors in strikeout rate.

I'll take the underdog Pirates in the first five innings while Contreras is likely on the bump, factoring out what could be issues once he's out of the game.

LEAN: Pirates F5 (+160)

Follow all of Ben Heisler's betting plays in real-time HERE!

Home/MLB Picks