Padres vs. Pirates Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers for Thursday, Aug. 8 (Can Pirates Win Series Finale?)

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the San Diego Padres-Pittsburgh Pirates matchup on Thursday afternoon.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Luis L. Ortiz. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres are rolling right now, winning four straight games overall and back-to-back matchups against the Pittsburgh Pirates heading into Thursday’s afternoon matchup. 

The series finale between the Pirates and Padres is a big one for Pittsburgh, who has dropped three games in a row and is now four games out of a wild card spot in the National League. 

Luis Ortiz is on the mound for the Pirates after he was rocked in the first inning in his last outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Can he bounce back to salvage this series and help the Pirates avoid the sweep?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, probable pitchers and my best bet for this matinee matchup. 

Padres vs. Pirates Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line

• Padres -1.5 (+150)
• Pirates +1.5 (-180)

Moneyline

• Padres: -108
• Pirates: -112

Total

• 8.5 (Over -120/Under +100)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Padres vs. Pirates Probable Pitchers

• San Diego: Randy Vasquez (3-6, 4.62 ERA)
• Pittsburgh: Luis Ortiz (5-2, 3.21 ERA)

Padres vs. Pirates How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, Aug. 8
• Time: 12:35 p.m. EST
• Venue: PNC Park
• How to Watch (TV): AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, MLB Network
• Padres record: 63-52
• Pirates record: 56-57

Padres vs. Pirates Key Players to Watch

San Diego Padres

Jackson Merrill: Rookie Jackson Merrill has been terrific for the Padres this season, making the All-Star team and hitting .288 with 15 homers and 59 runs batted in across 111 matchups. Merrill had a massive game on Wednesday night, going 4-for-6 with two homers and three runs batted in. 

Pittsburgh Pirates

Luis Ortiz: Even though Ortiz didn’t pitch well in his last outing, he’s been great as a starter this season, posting a 2.83 ERA in six starts. Mainly the second pitcher in after an opener, Ortiz can give the Pirates some length in this one after they allowed 15 runs in the first two games of this series. 

Padres vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

I’m going to take a chance on the Pirates to avoid the series sweep on Thursday afternoon. 

San Diego has been playing great, going 8-2 in its last 10 games and moving to 10 games over .500 on the road, but I’m worried about righty Randy Vasquez in this one. 

San Diego is just 6-10 when he takes the mound in 2024, and Vasquez has allowed seven runs and seven hits over his last two starts (seven total innings pitched). 

Ortiz, despite his last outing, has been great as a starter in 2024, and the Pirates will need some length for him before handing things over to the bullpen (4.40 ERA this season). 

It’s extremely tough to beat a team three times, and the Pirates nearly pulled off a comeback win in extra innings on Tuesday. They’ll avoid the sweep today. 

Pick: Pirates Moneyline (-112)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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