Phillies Favored to Beat Pirates in Another Series

Weather Could Wreak Havoc in First Series of 2024 Between Pirates and Phillies

The surprising Pittsburgh Pirates head to Philadelphia looking to stay in first place in the National League Central Division while the Phillies look to shake off a tough start at home. The Pirates vs Phillies odds have Philadelphia favored in the series opener.

The Phillies have won four of the last five series against the Pirates even though the Pirates have won four of the last seven games with five of the last eight meetings going under the total.

The MLB betting lines have Philadelphia priced at +145 to cover as the 1.5-run home favorites with -140 odds to win the game outright. Pittsburgh is priced at +125 to win Thursday’s game.

When looking at the National League baseball standings, Pittsburgh leads Milwaukee by two games in the National League Central while Philadelphia is two games behind Atlanta in the NL East.

The Phillies are fifth at +1400 in the odds of winning the World Series while the Pirates come in at +8000 in the championship odds.

Keep on reading for more on the four-game series between the Pirates and the Phillies.

Pirates vs Phillies Probable Starting Pitchers

• Thursday: Jared Jones (Pirates); Ranger Suarez (Phillies)
• Friday: Bailey Falter (Pirates); Cristopher Sanchez (Phillies)
• Saturday: Marco Gonzales (Pirates); Spencer Turnbull (Phillies)
• Sunday: Mitch Keller (Pirates); Zack Wheeler (Phillies)

Making Themselves Right At Home

The Pirates opened the 2024 season by winning six of the seven games on the road and if that sounds familiar, that is because the Pirates won six of their first nine games on the road to begin the 2023 season.

Pittsburgh won 11 of its first 15 road games to get out to a 20-8 start. However, the Pirates finished seven games under .500 on the road and 76-86 to miss the MLB playoffs yet again.

The hope is that the Pirates can keep things going this time around as Pittsburgh leads the majors with a .381 on-base percentage and is second in both slugging percentage and OPS on the road. Keep that in mind when looking at the Pirates vs Phillies odds.

The total went over in eight of Pittsburgh’s last 12 games.

Turning the Corner

Spencer Turnbull wasn’t even the former Detroit Tigers pitcher who attracted the most buzz when he was acquired by the Phillies. That honor goes to reliever Gregory Soto.

However, it is hard to find fault with Turnbull’s first two starts as the 31-year-old righty has allowed five hits and one unearned run while striking out more than a batter per inning.

The last time out, Turnbull left with a two-run lead and he would have improved to 2-0 had the Philadelphia bullpen not squandered a two-run lead in the ninth inning.

Turnbull only pitched in seven games in the previous two MLB seasons so it remains to be seen how his first season with the Phillies will play out.

He last pitched against the Pirates in 2021 when he allowed two hits and one run in five innings. That is something to consider when looking at the Pirates vs Phillies odds.

Each of Philadelphia’s last seven games went under the total.

Who’s Hot

• Aroldis Chapman, Pittsburgh Pirates P: Chapman has faced 14 batters without allowing a hit or a run this season. He has eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
• Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies OF: Marsh is 5-for-11 with two runs, a home run, and two RBIs in his last three games.
• Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates OF: Reynolds is 3-for-9 with a double, a home run and no strikeouts in his last two games.
• Spencer Turnbull, Philadelphia Phillies P: Turnbull has given up five hits and no runs with 13 strikeouts over 11 innings in his first two starts of the season.

Who’s Not

• David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates P: Bednar has allowed six hits and six runs in 3.1 innings over his last four appearances with three blown saves.
• Henry Davis, Pittsburgh Pirates C-OF: Davis is 1-for-16 with eight strikeouts in his last five games.
• Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies 1B: Harper is 0-for-11 over his last three MLB games with three strikeouts.
• Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies P: Sanchez surrendered six hits, walked three batters, and gave up three runs in 4.1 innings in his last start.

Pirates vs Phillies Injury Update

Catchers Jason Delay, Yasmani Grandal, infielder Ji Hwan Bae as well as pitchers Ryan Borucki, Colin Holderman, and Carmen Mlodzinksi are on the MLB injured list for the Pirates.

Pitchers Dylan Covey, Luis Ortiz, Michael Rucker, and Michael Rucker are on the injured list for the Phillies.

Pirates vs Phillies Betting Preview

The Pirates look to keep things going after winning seven of their last eight games against National League teams. Can that continue against the Phillies?

There is an 85% chance of rain for Thursday’s series opener.

The Pirates are 5-1 as an underdog this season with the Phillies 2-4 when listed as the favorite.
When considering free MLB picks, keep in mind that the Phillies have covered in just 31 of 77 games as a home favorite since the start of the 2023 season while the Pirates are 46-34 ATS as the road underdog.

The Pirates are 6-1 against the spread on the road with each of those six games landing over the total. Five of Philadelphia’s six home games went over the total as well. The total is set at 8.5 runs for the series opener.

The Pirates are 5-0 against left-handed starters this season with the Phillies expected to throw lefties in each of the first two games of the series

The total has gone over in six of Pittsburgh’s last seven games and that trend could continue in this series with the way Pittsburgh is swinging the bat on the road so far this season.

For MLB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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