On Thursday, a clash of NL Central rivals is on the schedule, with the Cincinnati Reds (62-65) visiting the Pittsburgh Pirates (59-67) at 6:40 p.m. ET.
The Pirates are favored at home (-145) against the Reds (+123). The Pirates will give the ball to Paul Skenes (7-2) against the Reds and Nick Lodolo (9-5).
The Pirates lost 1-0 against the Rangers yesterday, with David Bednar taking the loss. He threw 2/3 of an inning, giving up one earned run on three hits while striking out one. Yasmani Grandal went 2-for-4 to lead the Pirates offensively.
The Reds knocked off the Blue Jays 11-7 yesterday. Elly De La Cruz went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, and Emilio Pagan got the win, pitching 1 1/3 innings without giving up a hit or an earned run while striking out one.
Before this Pirates vs. Reds showdown, here’s everything you need to get ready for Thursday’s MLB action, including viewing options.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cincinnati Reds odds and betting lines
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Thursday at 9:16 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
- Favorite: Pirates (-145, bet $145 to win $100)
- Underdog: Reds (+123, bet $100 to win $123)
- Over/under: 7.5
Pirates vs. Reds: Live streaming info & game time
- Game Day: Thursday, August 22, 2024
- Game Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
- Stadium: PNC Park
- TV Channel: Bally Sports
- Live Stream: Fubo (Watch for free)
Pirates stats and trends
Pirates betting records
- The Pirates have won 25, or 55.6%, of the 45 games they’ve played as favorites this season.
- This season Pittsburgh has won six of its 14 games, or 42.9%, when favored by at least -145 on the moneyline.
- Oddsmakers have implied with the moneyline set for this matchup that the Pirates have a 59.2% chance to win.
- Pittsburgh and its opponents have gone over the total this season in 59 of 126 opportunities.
- The Pirates are 70-55-0 ATS in their 125 games with a spread this season.
Paul Skenes (Pirates probable starter)
- Skenes gets the start for the Pirates, his 17th of the season. He is 7-2 with a 2.30 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 98 2/3 innings pitched.
- The right-hander last pitched on Friday against the Seattle Mariners, when he threw six innings, allowing two earned runs while giving up three hits.
- In 16 games this season, the 22-year-old has put up a 2.30 ERA and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings, while giving up a batting average of .202 to his opponents.
- Skenes is trying to record his 13th quality start of the year in this outing.
- Skenes is looking for his 16th straight outing lasting five or more innings. He averages 6.1 frames per appearance on the mound.
- In three of his appearances this season he did not allow an earned run.
- The opposing Reds offense has the 14th-ranked slugging percentage (.401) and is 10th in MLB play with 152 home runs. It has a collective .231 batting average, and is 28th in MLB with 963 total hits and 14th in MLB action scoring 566 runs.
- In six innings over one appearance against the Reds this season, Skenes has a 1.5 ERA and a 1.167 WHIP while his opponents are batting .261.
Pirates batting stats
- The Pirates’ 124 home runs rank 26th in MLB this season.
- Hitters for Pittsburgh have combined to rank 26th in MLB with a team slugging percentage of just .371 this season.
- The Pirates’ .234 batting average ranks 22nd in the league this season.
- Pittsburgh has scored 518 runs (4.1 per game) this season, which ranks 24th in MLB.
- The Pirates are among the worst in the league at getting on base, ranking 27th with an OBP of .300.
- Pittsburgh ranks just 27th in MLB in strikeouts per game with an average of 9.4 whiffs per contest.
Reds stats and trends
Reds betting records
- The Reds have been victorious in 30, or 45.5%, of the 66 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season.
- Cincinnati has a win-loss record of 12-12 when favored by +123 or worse by sportsbooks this year.
- The Reds have an implied victory probability of 44.8% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.
- Cincinnati’s games have gone over the total in 59 of its 126 opportunities.
- The Reds are 69-56-0 against the spread in their 125 games that had a posted line this season.
Nick Lodolo (Reds probable starter)
- Lodolo looks for his 10th win when he gets the start for the Reds, his 21st of the season. He is 9-5 with a 4.55 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 110 2/3 innings pitched.
- In his last appearance on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals, the lefty threw 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs while surrendering eight hits.
- Over 20 games this season, the 26-year-old has a 4.55 ERA and 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings, while giving up a batting average of .235 to opposing hitters.
- Lodolo is trying to pick up his ninth quality start of the year in this game.
- Lodolo is trying to record his 17th start of five or more innings this season in this outing.
- He has had one outing this season that he kept his opponents to zero earned runs.
- The opposing Pirates offense has a collective .234 batting average, and is 21st in the league with 1002 total hits and 24th in MLB action with 518 runs scored. They have the 26th-ranked slugging percentage (.371) and are 26th in all of MLB with 124 home runs.
- Head-to-head against the Pirates this season, Lodolo has thrown seven innings, giving up one earned run on four hits while striking out eight.
Reds batting stats
- The Reds average 1.2 home runs per game to rank 10th in baseball with 152 total home runs.
- So far this year, Cincinnati’s .401 slugging percentage ranks 14th in the majors.
- The Reds have the fifth-worst batting average in the league (.231).
- Averaging 4.5 runs per game (566 total), Cincinnati is the 14th-highest scoring team in baseball.
- The Reds are 24th in baseball with an on-base percentage of .303.
