Pittsburgh Pirates at Washington Nationals odds, picks and predictions

The Pittsburgh Pirates (18-8) and Washington Nationals (9-15) clash in the opener of a 3-game set at PNC Park Friday. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let's analyze FanDuel Sportsbook's lines around the Pirates vs. Nationalsodds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: First meeting of 2023. The Pirates took 4 of 7 games in 2022.

Pittsburgh is back on the road where it is 8-2 over its last 10 games. The Pirates are fresh off a 6-1 homestand bolstered by a 2.29 ERA and had Thursday off.

Washington is just 2-9 at home this season. The Nationals are a bottom-third team at the plate, scoring just 3.88 runs per game (23rd) with a .665 OPS (26th), and they've scored 2 runs or fewer in 6 of their 11 home games.