Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Boston Red Sox odds, tips and betting trends | April 19

A series opener between the Boston Red Sox (10-10) and Pittsburgh Pirates (11-8) is on deck Friday at 6:40 PM ET, at PNC Park.

Oddsmakers project the Pirates as a tight favorite (-115 on the moneyline) against the Red Sox (-104). The starting pitchers are Quinn Priester for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Brayan Bello (2-1) for the Boston Red Sox.

Prepare for the Pirates vs. Red Sox with what you need to know ahead of Friday’s baseball action, including viewing options.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Boston Red Sox odds and betting lines

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Friday at 3:16 PM ET. For a full list of Sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

• Favorite: Pirates (-115, bet $115 to win $100)
• Underdog: Red Sox (-104, bet $104 to win $100)
• Over/under: 8.5

Pirates vs. Red Sox: Live streaming info & game time

• Game Day: Friday, April 19, 2024
• Game Time: 6:40 PM ET
• Stadium: PNC Park
• TV Channel: NESN
• Live Stream: Fubo (Watch for free)

Pirates stats and trends

Pirates betting records

• This season, the Pirates have been favored four times and won two of those games.
• Pittsburgh has a record of 2-2 in games when bookmakers favor them by at least -115 on the moneyline.
• The Pirates have a 53.5% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
• Pittsburgh and its opponents have hit the over in 11 of its 19 games with a total this season.
• The Pirates have an ATS record of 11-7-0 in 18 games with a spread this season.

Quinn Priester (Pirates probable starter)

• Priester will start for the Pirates, his first of the season.
• The 23-year-old right-hander started and threw 5 1/3 innings when he last appeared Saturday, Sept. 30 against the Miami Marlins.
• Last season he finished with a 7.74 ERA and a 1.7 WHIP over his 10 games, compiling a 3-3 record.
• The Red Sox rank 17th in MLB action with 85 runs scored this season, and are batting .224 with 24 home runs (third in baseball).

Pirates batting stats

• The Pirates’ 16 home runs rank 23rd in Major League Baseball.
• The offense for Pittsburgh has a slugging percentage of .361 this season, 23rd in MLB.
• The Pirates’ .244 batting average ranks 14th in the league this season.
• Pittsburgh has scored 92 runs (4.8 per game) this season, which ranks 11th in MLB.
• The Pirates have an OBP of .332 this season, which ranks seventh in MLB.
• Pittsburgh is one of the least-disciplined teams at the plate this season, ranking 27th with an average of 10 strikeouts per game.

Red Sox stats and trends

Red Sox betting records

• The Red Sox have been underdogs in nine games this season and have come away with the win three times (33.3%) in those contests.
• This year, Boston has won one of six games when listed as at least -104 or worse on the moneyline.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Red Sox have a 51% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.
• Boston’s games have gone over the total in nine of its 20 opportunities.
• The Red Sox are 10-10-0 against the spread in their 20 games that had a posted line this season.

Brayan Bello (Red Sox probable starter)

• Bello gets the start for the Red Sox, his fifth of the season. He is 2-1 with a 3.92 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings pitched.
• The right-hander last appeared on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels, when he tossed 5 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs while giving up six hits.
• The 24-year-old has amassed an ERA of 3.92, with 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings in four games this season. Opposing hitters have a .244 batting average against him.
• Bello will aim to last five or more innings for his fifth straight appearance. He’s averaging 5.1 innings per outing.
• He will face a Pirates offense that ranks ninth in the league with 164 total hits (on a .244 batting average). The squad also slugs a collective .361 (23rd in the league) with 16 total home runs (23rd in MLB action).
• Among pitchers who qualify in MLB action this season, the 24-year-old ranks 49th in ERA (3.92), 44th in WHIP (1.210), and 43rd in K/9 (8.3).

Red Sox batting stats

• The Red Sox are third in MLB play with 24 home runs. They average 1.2 per game.
• So far this year, Boston is 18th in the majors, slugging .378.
• The Red Sox have the 24th-ranked batting average in the league (.224).
• Averaging 4.3 runs per game (85 total), Boston is the 17th-highest scoring team in baseball.
• The Red Sox are 25th in the majors with an on-base percentage of .298.