Houston Astros hitting coach Troy Snitker and his father Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker speaks to the media before the start of Game 1 of the World Series at Minute Maid Park, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021 in Houston .
The Atlanta Braves (44-35) welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates (39-41) to Truist Park on Friday for the 1st game of a 3-game series. First pitch is set for 7:20 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Pirates vs. Braves odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Pirates lead 2-1
The Braves lost to the Chicago White Sox 1-0 Thursday in a make-up game. Atlanta has lost 2 straight and is just 2-4 over its last 6 games. It will return home after a 7-game road trip and the Braves are 5-1 in their last 6 home games and 24-13 for the season. The Braves are 37-42 against the spread (ATS).
The Pirates, who are 20-21 on the road, have won 2 straight games and are 5-4 in their last 9. Pittsburgh is coming off a 6-1 road win over the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday, closing as +121 on the moneyline. It is 4-4 over its last 8 on the road. The Pirates are 42-38 ATS on the season.
While the Pirates could pull off the upset, the better play here is to back the road side on the run line.
The Braves haven’t been playing well enough over the last week to back here and aren’t worthy of a play as it will cost you almost 2x your bet in potential return.
The Pirates are a streaky team and have been both incredible for betters on the run line after a win and as an underdog. They are 32-15 ATS as an underdog this season, the 4th-best record in the MLB, and they are 24-14 ATS following a win.
