The Pittsburgh Pirates meet the Texas Rangers this afternoon in the rubber game of their three-game inter-league series.
The pitching in this series has been spectacular, the bats have been ice-cold, and my Pirates vs. Rangers predictions expect both to continue today.
See why my MLB picks are targeting another slow day for the scoreboard.
Pirates vs Rangers prediction
My best bet
Under 8.5 (-115 at FanDuel)
My analysis
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers meet this afternoon in the rubber game of their three-game series.
Righty Domingo German makes his first start for the Pirates, and he’s been serviceable in his three bullpen stints. German has surrendered a pair of earned runs with four strikeouts and a stunning .064 BABIP across six relief innings.
The good thing for German is that the Rangers don’t score runs at home. Texas has scored 4+ in only two of its previous six at Globe Life, which is below its season average of 4.05 runs per home bout.
Making matters worse for the Rangers, they offer starter Andrew Heaney 3.46 runs of support per start.
That’s a pity because Heaney has been good at Globe Life Field. He’s surrendered only eight earned runs across his past five starts (26 2/3 innings). He’s struck out 32 with four bombs, and he has a good matchup against a strikeout-prone Pirates offense averaging 4.13 runs per away game.
When today’s starters leave the game, they’ll turn it over to bullpens that have been decent during this series — they haven’t allowed a single earned run, and that’s because these teams can’t seem to put any runs on the board, a trend that should continue this afternoon.
The pitching has been terrific during this series, the bats have been quiet, and I’m playing the Under today.
Pirates vs Rangers same-game parlay (SGP)
Under 8.5
Marcus Semien Over 2+ total bases
The underlying metrics point to a low-scoring affair, but I also like Rangers 2B Marcus Semien to clear 2+ total bases.
Mitch Keller snapped Semien’s eight-game hitting streak, but the Texas 2B has been hot. He boasts a .257 xBA against righties with past success against German (6-16). Semien has cleared his total bases prop in four of his previous five home games and should do so again today.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Pirates vs Rangers odds
Pirates vs Rangers live odds
Pirates vs Rangers opening odds
- Moneyline: Pittsburgh +1.5 (-152) | Texas -1.5 (+126)
- Run line: Pittsburgh (+136) | Texas (-152)
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-105) | Under 8.5 (-115)
Pirates vs Rangers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- Pittsburgh is 1-6 across its last seven away clashes. BetMGM reports 16% of the wagers and 2% of the cash is on the Pirates moneyline (+140).
- The Rangers are 2-6 across their last eight at Globe Life Field. FanDuel reports 84% of the wagers and 98% of the money is on the Rangers (-156).
- The Pirates have hit the Under in 36 of their last 63 games (+6.35 Units / 9% ROI) and are 3-7-0 to the Under across their past 10.
- BetMGM reports 65% of the bets and 67% of the money is on Under 8.5 runs.
Pirates vs Rangers trend
The Rangers have hit the Under in 33 of their last 52 games at home (+14.60 Units / 26% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Rangers.
Pirates vs Rangers game info
| Location: | Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX |
| Date: | Wednesday, 8-21-2024 |
| First pitch: | 2:35 p.m. ET |
| TV: | SNP, BSSW |
| Pirates starting pitcher: | Domingo German (0-0, 3.00 ERA) |
| Rangers starting pitcher: | Andrew Heaney (4-13, 4.20 ERA) |
Pirates vs Rangers latest injuries
Pirates vs Rangers weather
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