Betsided

Yankees vs. Pirates Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, July 5 (Look for Jameson Taillon to Get Back on Track Today)

By Matt De Saro

New York Yankees starter Jameson Taillon.
New York Yankees starter Jameson Taillon. / Jim McIsaac/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

It’s no secret that the New York Yankees are the team to beat right now in the MLB. They have an insane lead in the AL East of more than a dozen games over the rest of the field and by far the best overall record in the league. 

The Pirates, on the other hand, might be the worst third-place team in all of baseball. For example, they enter this series 13 games out of first place and 11 behind the Cardinals in second. With a 3-7 record in the lead-up to this series, I think the Pirates are going to serve as cannon fodder tonight with Jose Quintana going up against Jamison Taillon. 

Here are the odds for this game, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook. 

Yankees vs. Pirates Odds, Run Line, and Total

Run Line

  • Yankees: -1.5 (-110)
  • Pirates: +1.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

  • Yankees: -165
  • Pirates: +152

Total:

  • Total 10.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Yankees vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

While the season-long stats for Taillon and Quintana suggest the Yankees have the advantage, their recent results are far closer. Taillon enters with an impressive 9-1 record, 3.32 ERA, and 1.15 WHIP in 84 innings. Quintana, meanwhile, is 1-4 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 76 innings. 

The issue is that Taillon has been very poor over his last six starts with an ERA of 4.59. But, is this really an issue? The Yankees' offense is so damn good that Taillon went 4-0 in those starts and the team went 6-0. New York has just two losses when Taillon starts all year and it almost doesn't matter what he does at this point. He has one of the best run support figures at 5.8 among starters with at least 15 appearances. 

So, I think this game comes down to whether or not the Yankees bats stay hot tonight or not. New York is coming off a three-game series over the weekend where it scored 19 runs against the Guardians on the road. The Yankees did get shut out on Sunday, but overall this is one of the most dangerous offenses in the MLB.

Pick: Yankees RL

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE

Home/MLB Picks