Phillies vs. Pirates Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers for Saturday, July 20

Iain MacMillan | Jul 20, 2024

Jun 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) walks off of the field at the end of the third inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies hold the best record in Major League Baseball at 62-35 and look to build on that lead today when they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates won the first game of the series on Friday night, which brought them to one game above .500 with a 49-48 record. Can they pull off the upset for the second straight night?

Let's find out what the oddsmakers think and then I'll give you my best bet.

Phillies vs. Pirates Odds, Run Line, and Total

All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Run Line:

• Phillies -1.5 (+100)
• Pirates +1.5 (-120)

Moneyline:

• Phillies -168
• Pirates +142

Total:

• 8.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Phillies vs. Pirates Probable Pitchers

• Philadelphia: Cristopher Sanchez (7-4, 2.96 ERA)
• Pittsburgh: Luis L. Ortiz (4-2, 2.84 ERA)

Phillies vs. Pirates How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, July 20
• Time: 6:40 p.m. EST
• Venue: PNC Park
• How to Watch (TV): SportsNet-Pit, NBCSP
• Phillies record: 62-35
• Pirates record: 49-48

Phillies vs. Pirates Key Players to Watch

Philadelphia Phillies

Alec Bohm: Fresh off a strong performance at the Home Run Derby, Alec Bohm is looking to continue his success from the first half of the season. He's tied for fourth in the Majors in RBIs this season with 70, proving to be a huge part of the Phillies' offense.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Luis Ortiz: All talk about the Pirates' rotation is about Paul Skenes, but Luis Ortiz has quietly been having a fantastic season, sporting a 2.84 ERA across 66.2 innings. Since joining the rotation, Ortiz has allowed only three earned runs in 17.2 innings pitched. He's the guy to watch today.

Phillies vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

I'm looking at the total for tonight's National League showdown and with the total set at 8.5, I love the under. This game is set to feature two pitchers who have their ERA under three with Sanchez at 2.96 and Ortiz at 2.84. Ortiz has also been fantastic for the Pirates this season, continuing his strong play from the bullpen since he's joined the rotation.

Meanwhile, the Phillies' offense has regressed a bit lately, ranking seventh in OPS over the past two months. While that's not a bad ranking by any means, they aren't as hot as they were at the start of the 2024 season.

The Pirates offense, as you'd expect, comes in at 21st in OPS since June 1.

I'm going to back the pitchers in this showdown and bet the UNDER.

Pick: UNDER 8.5 (-105)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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