The Pittsburgh Pirates head to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles this Monday night to open a three-game series against the reigning World Series champions, so let’s see what’s the best Pirates vs. Dodgers betting pick. 

Pittsburgh and LA met in a three-game set at PNC Park in June, and the Dodgers swept the Pirates to extend their winning streak over the Bucs to 13 games. LA is a heavy favorite for Monday’s clash, while the totals sit at 9.0 runs on BetUS Sportsbook.

The Pirates scored 14 runs on Saturday’s doubleheader

Excluding their Sunday afternoon’s closer of a three-game home set against Milwaukee, the Pittsburgh Pirates have dropped nine of their last ten games overall. They split a seven-inning doubleheader last Saturday, thrashing off the Brewers 14-4 in the first contest and suffering a 6-0 defeat in the second.

The Bucs have scored only 46 runs through their first 13 outings in August. They’ve compiled a poor .227/.290/.345 batting line while slugging just eight home runs in the process. On the other side of the ball, Pittsburgh has registered an awful 6.67 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, and a .293 batting average against.

Steven Brault will get his first career start against the Dodgers on Monday. He met LA four times in relief and yielded ten earned runs on 16 hits and eight walks across 12.2 innings of work. The 29-year-old lefty joined the Bucs’ rotation on August 4 after spending some time on the IL, and in a couple of starts and nine innings of work, Brault has allowed three earned runs (two homers) on eight hits and a walk while punching out eight.

The Dodgers are pitching well in August

The Los Angeles Dodgers improved to 71-46 on the season following a 2-1 win at the New York Mets in ten innings this past Saturday. It was their sixth victory in the previous seven outings, and the reigning champs were second in the NL West on Sunday, four games behind San Francisco.

The Dodgers are ruthless on the mound in August. They’ve registered a sparkly 2.05 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a .192 batting average against. LA has scored 58 runs through its first 11 games this month, slashing .255/.339/.433, so the Dodgers can be happy with their overall performance.

David Price was expected to face off against the Bucs in the opener, but the Dodgers decided to move the veteran lefty to the middle contest and go with a bullpen day. LA’s last bullpen day ended in a 2-1 defeat at the Phillies, as Mitch White took a loss after getting 12 outs, while four relievers fired a scoreless frame each.

Trends:

Pittsburgh:

  • 1-9 in the last ten games overall
  • 0-9 in the last nine road games against the Dodgers 

LA Dodgers:

  • 13-0 in the last 13 games against Pittsburgh
  • 5-2 in the last seven games at home

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Pick

The Pirates have nothing to play for. Sometimes they’ll score 14 runs through seven innings, but most of the time, they’ll struggle mightily on both sides of the ball. Hereof, I’m backing the hosts to win comfortably.

The Dodgers are undefeated in nine consecutive home encounters with the Pirates. Seven of those nine wins came by two or more runs, and I’m expecting LA to easily cover the spread in this one.

Pick: Take Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5

The Total:

The Pirates bullpen has been terrible over the last couple of weeks, tallying a 7.47 ERA and 4.87 FIP. Steven Brault will try to extend his solid form, but he’ll have a tall task to take the distance and keep the Dodgers away from the Bucs ‘pen.

The totals seem a tricky wager. The visitors could struggle mightily against the Dodgers’ in-form pitching staff, and LA’s relievers have recorded a shiny 2.08 ERA and 2.47 FIP so far this month. I would stick with the Dodgers to cover.

Pick: Go under