Pittsburgh Pirates vs Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction, Preview and Odds - 07/26/2024

Game Time: 9:40 pm ET, Friday, July 26, 2024

Venue:  Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ

Where to Watch:  ARID

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +150, Diamondbacks -180; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +150, Diamondbacks -180; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +150, Diamondbacks -180; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Pittsburgh Pirates:  52-50 (3rd place, NL Central)

Arizona Diamondbacks:  53-50 (3rd place, NL West)

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Pittsburgh Pirates:  8-2 last 10

Arizona Diamondbacks:  7-3 last 10

The Pirates are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the St Louis Cardinals 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 52-50 record overall and have a road record of 26-24. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Diamondbacks on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 27th in the MLB with a .669 OPS. Martín Pérez was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Luis Ortiz is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 5-2 with a 2.57 ERA this season. His team won their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 0 ER, 0 HR, and 2 BB with 2 Ks on 3 hits through 7 IP against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Diamondbacks are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Kansas City Royals in their last series. They enter this game with a 53-50 record overall and have a home record of 26-24. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Pirates on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 9th in the MLB with a .735 OPS. Ryne Nelson was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Zac Gallen is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 7-5 with a 3.64 ERA this season. His team lost 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 0 earned runs, 0 homers, and 6 BB with 4 strikeouts on 3 hits through 5 innings played against the Chicago Cubs.

The current betting odds have the Diamondbacks listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Diamondbacks have looked good in their games this season with their 53-50 record overall which has them in 3rd place of the NL West and slowly getting back into the playoff race. They have looked better in their home games too with their 26-24 home record. Meanwhile, the Pirates have also looked good in their games this season with their 52-50 record overall which has them in the middle of the NL Central and getting themselves into the playoff race too. They have looked better in their road games with their 26-24 road record. Both of these teams have looked really good lately with the Pirates being 8-2 in their last 10 games while the Diamondbacks are 7-3, but the Diamondbacks are going to have the edge in this one at home with their better offense. Ortiz is on the mound for the Pirates in this one and he has looked good in his starts with his 5-2 record and his 2.57 ERA. He gave up no runs in his last start and the team has won 2 games in a row with him starting too. The Diamondbacks have the much better offense this season though, and they have been putting up a ton of runs in their games lately. They also have their own stud on the mound here with Gallen starting. He is 7-5 with a 3.64 ERA and he has been a really reliable starter for them all season. He gave up no runs in his last start which has been a common theme for him all year. His team has lost 2 of their last 3 games with him starting, but he is due for another win here with the team playing much better in their games lately, getting really hot on offense now. The best way to place a bet here is on the Diamondbacks to win this game. 

Pirates Diamondbacks Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Friday, July 26, 2024 (9:40 pm ET start time) is Diamondbacks 4 Pirates 2.

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Pittsburgh Pirates: 33-25 (+8.90 units) on the moneyline in their last 58 games. 37-26 (+10.30 units) on the runline in their last 63 games. 27-13 to the under in their last 40 games. 

Arizona Diamondbacks: 15-22 (-3.40 units) on the first 5 moneyline in their last 37 home games. 18-25 (-11.25 units) on the first 5 runline in their last 43 home games. 

Pittsburgh Pirates:  L. Ortiz (RP) out for season - Ankle. S. Turnbull (SP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. T. Walker (SP) Out indefinitely - Finger. M. Rucker (RP) Out indefinitely - Finger. D. Covey (RP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder.

Arizona Diamondbacks:  E. Rodriguez (SP) Mid Jul - Shoulder. B. Walston (SP) Late Aug - Elbow. M. Kelly (SP) Mid Aug - Shoulder. D. Jameson (RP) out for season - Elbow. K. Nelson (RP) out for season - Shoulder.

“Very important. We get the best team in baseball and then we get the team that's ahead of us in the division. So, to go 4-2 on the homestand is off to a good start. ... We have to continue to play well, but very proud of how we responded coming out of the break.” - Derek Shelton after his team’s win against the Cardinals in their game on Wednesday.

“We never shut down. It was a character win. I think the guys dug as deep as they could. It was a tough environment against a good team. We just got one guy on and kept the line moving.” - Torey Lovullo after his team’s win against the Royals in their game on Wednesday.

A McCutchen (R) DH

N Gonzales (R) 2B

C Joe (R) RF

O Cruz (L) SS

K Hayes (R) 3B

J Palacios (L) LF

J Bart (R) C

R Tellez (L) 1B

M Taylor (R) CF

C Carroll (L) RF

K Marte (S) 2B

J Pederson (L) DH

C Walker (R) 1B

J McCarthy (L) LF

E Suárez (R) 3B

A Thomas (L) CF

G Perdomo (S) SS

J Herrera (S) C

Batting Average:  Bryan Reynolds (.288)

Hits:  Bryan Reynolds (117)

Home Runs:  Bryan Reynolds (18)

RBI:  Bryan Reynolds (61)

Stolen Bases:  Oneil Cruz (9)

Wins:  Mitch Keller (10)

Saves:  David Bednar (18)

ERA:  Colin Holderman (1.67)

Batting Average:  Jose Herrera (.304)

Hits:  Ketel Marte (113)

Home Runs:  Christian Walker (23)

RBI:  Christian Walker (70)

Stolen Bases:  Corbin Carroll (20)

Wins:  Ryne Nelson (7)

Saves:  Paul Sewald (15)

ERA:  Justin Martinez (1.64)

Managers:

Pittsburgh Pirates: Derek Shelton (5th season)

Arizona Diamondbacks: Torey Lovullo (8th season)