Pittsburgh Pirates vs Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction, Preview and Odds - 07/27/2024

by Rod Pearson

Friday, Jul 26, 2024
Game Time: 8:10 pm ET, Saturday, July 27, 2024
Venue:  Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Where to Watch:  ARID


Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +140, Diamondbacks -165; Over/Under:  8.5 runs
Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +140, Diamondbacks -165; Over/Under:  8.5 runs
BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +140, Diamondbacks -165; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Season Record

Pittsburgh Pirates:  52-50 (3rd place, NL Central)
Arizona Diamondbacks:  53-50 (3rd place, NL West)

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Recent Form
Pittsburgh Pirates:  8-2 last 10
Arizona Diamondbacks:  7-3 last 10



Pittsburgh Pirates vs Arizona Diamondbacks Preview and Analysis


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 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Diamondbacks on Saturday with the series opener of this series still to be played on Friday. Their offense ranks 27th in the MLB with a .669 OPS. Luis Ortiz is their starting pitcher on Friday while Marco Gonzales is making his start in this game on Saturday. He is 1-1 with a 2.70 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 2 ER, 0 HR, and 1 BB with 4 Ks on 6 hits through 4.2 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 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Pirates on Saturday with the 1st game of this series still to be played on Friday. Their offense ranks 9th in the MLB with a .735 OPS. Zac Gallen is their starting pitcher on Friday while Brandon Pfaadt is making his start in this game on Saturday. He is 4-6 with a 3.74 ERA this season. His team won 4 of their last 5 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 0 earned runs, 0 homers, and 1 BB with 7 strikeouts on 1 hit through 7 innings played against the Chicago Cubs.


Pirates vs Diamondbacks Prediction

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 have been much better on offense lately, putting up a lot more runs in their games. The Pirates will have Gonzales on the mound here and he is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He has looked good in his starts this season since he hasn't been giving up many runs at all and he only gave up 2 earned runs in his last start too, but his team has still lost 2 of their last 3 games with him starting. The Pirates have been pitching well lately, but they are going to need some runs to win this game and that is something they haven't been producing a lot of lately. The Diamondbacks are going to have Pfaadt on the mound here and he has looked great in his starts lately. He is 4-6 with a 3.74 ERA and hasn't been giving up many runs. He is coming off a start in which he gave up no runs, and the team has won 4 of their last 5 games with him starting. Pfaadt will be able to shut down this weaker Pirates lineup here and the Diamondbacks much hotter offense will give them the edge in this one. The best way to place a bet here is on the Diamondbacks to win this game.

Pirates Diamondbacks Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Saturday, July 27, 2024 (8:10 pm ET start time) is Diamondbacks 5 Pirates 1.
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MLB Betting Trends


Pittsburgh Pirates: 28-31 (+11.80 units) on the first 5 moneyline in their last 59 games. 38-26 (+11.30 units) on the runline in their last 64 games. 28-13 to the under in their last 41 games. 

Arizona Diamondbacks: 15-23 (-5.35 units) on the first 5 moneyline in their last 38 home games. 18-26 (-12.55 units) on the first 5 runline in their last 44 home games.

Key Injuries


Pittsburgh Pirates:  B. Reynolds (LF) Out indefinitely - Back. B. Falter (RP) Out indefinitely - Arm. D. Jefferies (RP) Out indefinitely - Elbow. J. Jones (SP) Out indefinitely - Back. H. Stratton (SP) Out indefinitely - Tricep. R. Borucki (RP) Out indefinitely - Wrist. D. Moreta (RP) out for season - Elbow. J. Oviedo (SP) out for season - Elbow. E. Rodriguez (C) out for season - Elbow.

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.


Notable Quotes


“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.


Starting Lineups


Pittsburgh Pirates
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

Arizona Diamondbacks
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

Statistical Leaders


Pittsburgh Pirates
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)

Arizona Diamondbacks
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)


Rod Pearson

About the Author:

Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life.  He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years.  In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective.  Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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