Washington Nationals at Pittsburgh Pirates odds, predictions, picks and best bets

Skip Snow | Sportsbook Wire

The Washington Nationals (67-56) and Pittsburgh Pirates (51-72) meet Monday night at 7:05 p.m. Eastern. The host Pirates have been in a second-half tailspin - they are 7-27 since the break. Washington arrives off a 5-1 home stand.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook; for a full-set of today's sports betting odds, access them at Paste BN Sports.

Washington Nationals at Pittsburgh Pirates Projected Starting Pitchers

RHP Joe Ross vs. RHP Trevor Williams

Ross owns a 5.91 ERA through four starts and 18 relief appearances this season. He's a Tommy John returnee who has struggled with control (4.6 BB/9). His velocity; however, has rebounded, and then some - Ross has been up to 94-95 mph (was around 92 in doing his best work in 2015-16). The 26-year-old right-hander has been terrific over three starts this month but alongside an asterisk noting extreme BABIP, strand-BABIP and HR/FB rates. Ross' xFIP in August is 5.16. Ross pitches in front of a much-maligned Nationals bullpen (5.12 xFIP, 29th in MLB).

Williams has registered a 5.25 ERA/5.12 xFIP over 18 starts in 2019. His last three starts have been a mess (7.88 ERA, 6.78 xFIP, 5.1 BB/9). On the upside, Williams has held current Nationals bats to a .522 OPS. There is some good BABIP fortune; however, built into that number. The right-hander has a solid history at PNC Park, and he does a nice job in limiting hard contact.

Washington Nationals at Pittsburgh Pirates: By the Numbers

Washington gets swung around to lesser splits when on the road (.732 OPS), but the Nationals have overcome early-season platoon issues and have been on fire against right-handers (.844 OPS since July 1).
Pittsburgh owns an anemic .700 OPS since the All-Star break. The Pirates have come off scoring 29 runs over three games from Aug. 11-13 to score just 2.0 RPG on a .516 OPS in four games since.

The Washington lineup leans right (65 percent of plate appearances vs. RHPs). It plays into an advantage for the Pirates bullpen (.475 SLG allowed).
An otherwise average Pittsburgh 'pen has posted a 3.60 xFIP in August (second in MLB).
The Nationals have taken the opening game in four of their last five road trips.

Washington Nationals at Pittsburgh Pirates: Picks and Betting Tips

</div> Moneyline: The number ( WAS -124/PIT +108) is too … on the number. The Nationals are a lean if the price drifts upward. Pittsburgh has troubles against quality teams. Run line: WAS -1.5, +120, but not as a high-confidence play. Over/under: This is the most palatable play of the three. Take the OVER (9.5, -116). The over has gone 69-47-6 in PIT games. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter at <a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/SportsBookWire">@SportsbookWire</a>. MORE: <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/09/jalen-hurts-oklahoma-heisman-alabama-stats-passing-highlights/?utm_source=USATAPP&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=inline-related">Jalen Hurts solidifies spot as a Heisman favorite with another monster game</a> <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/09/draymond-green-tried-to-bluff-a-poker-pro-and-lost-everything/?utm_source=USATAPP&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=inline-related">Draymond Green tried to bluff a poker pro and lost everything</a> <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/09/ad-astra-brad-pitt-explained-right-wrong/?utm_source=USATAPP&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=inline-related">Where Ad Astra went right and where it went very wrong</a> <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/06/mystery-steelhead-caught-wedding-ring-attached-solved/?utm_source=USATAPP&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=inline-related">Mystery of fish caught with wedding ring attached solved</a> <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/09/nfl-defense-rankings-2019-season-patriots-broncos-vikings/?utm_source=USATAPP&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=inline-related">All 32 NFL teams' 2019 defenses, ranked</a></body></html>

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