Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the MLB match.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are gradually pulling themselves out of their early-season slump following the dismissal of their manager in early May. They concluded their most recent road trip with a 3:3 record, a respectable return for a team currently near the bottom of the National League standings. The new series gets underway in the early hours of Wednesday as they host the Houston Astros, one of the leading contenders in the American League West.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates go into this matchup as slight favourites, primarily due to their starting pitcher. Paul Skenes, a leading candidate for the Cy Young Award with a 2.15 earned run average (ERA), will take the mound. He has been in impressive form over his last three outings and finally received solid run support in a dominant 10:1 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Across his last four starts, totalling 26 innings, Paul Skenes has allowed just three earned runs. He returns to the mound on five days’ rest, a standard rotation for the 23-year-old right-hander.
Houston Astros
Lance McCullers Jr. will start for the Houston Astros as he continues his return from a major injury that kept him out for two full seasons. Last week, Lance McCullers Jr. matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in a 5:3 win over the Oakland Athletics. Since a difficult outing against the Cincinnati Reds in early May — an incident that led to threats on social media and police involvement — he has recorded three consecutive victories. The Astros have not allowed more than three runs in any of those games.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Houston Astros Prediction
Both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Houston Astros rank among the weakest offensive teams in the league. Games involving either side see the Total Under land 57.5% of the time. With the Pittsburgh Pirates sending their ace to the mound, the value lies with the under.
