Pittsburgh Pirates vs Atlanta Braves Prediction, Odds & Starting Pitchers (Saturday, June 29)

• The Pirates and Braves continue their three-game series on Sunday, June 29
• The MLB odds favor the Braves at home despite Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes taking the mound
• Read below for Pirates vs Braves prediction, odds, and starting pitchers

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves are set to clash in Saturday MLB action on June 29, 2024, at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. This game is scheduled to start at 4:10 PM ET and will be broadcast on BSSE.

The Braves enter the game as the favorites, with a moneyline of -160, while the Pirates are the underdogs at +135. The total for the game is set at 8 runs.

Here is our Pirates vs Braves prediction for Saturday, along with MLB odds and starting pitchers breakdown.

Pirates vs Braves Prediction

The Braves took the first game of the series on Friday night with a convincing 6-1 victory. The Pirates will be looking to bounce back and even the series, while the Braves aim to secure the series win with another dominant performance.

Pittsburgh and Atlanta have had contrasting seasons so far. The Pirates currently sit at 39-41, third in the NL Central and two games behind the second-placed St. Louis Cardinals. Meanwhile, the Braves are 44-35, second in the NL East but eight games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies.

Final. pic.twitter.com/8pD7WrDh7I

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 29, 2024

These two teams have already met this season, with the Pirates snagging two out of three games in Pittsburgh back in May. But don’t let that fool you – the Braves have been a force at home, boasting a 25-13 record at Truist Park compared to a less impressive 20-22 on the road.

Offensively, the Pirates have been struggling, ranking near the bottom of the league in batting average (.229), runs scored (327), and home runs (76). Their slugging percentage is a paltry .361.

The Braves, in contrast, have been swinging the bats well, ranking in the top half of the league in batting average (.243), runs scored (344), and home runs (87), with a respectable .403 slugging percentage.

Leading off the homestand with a dub!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/XiYJmvd8xd

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 29, 2024

On the mound, the Pirates have been middle-of-the-road with a 4.01 ERA (15th) and 1.27 WHIP (16th), while opponents are hitting .246 against them (20th). The Braves have been more dominant, with a 3.56 ERA (7th), 1.21 WHIP (8th), and holding opponents to a measly .236 batting average (10th).

Given the Braves’ strong home record, superior offense, and impressive pitching staff, we predict another Braves victory in this matchup. The best odds we can find for this bet right now is -149 at Bet365.

• Pick: Braves ML (-149 at Bet365 )

Pirates vs Braves Odds

The Braves are the favorite in this game, with a moneyline of -160, implying a 61.1% probability of winning. The Pirates are the underdog at +135, with a 43.1% implied probability of victory.

The Saturday MLB odds reflect the Braves’ overall stronger performance this season, the advantage of playing at home, and their dominant win in the series opener. Atlanta is +950 in the World Series odds, while Pittsburgh is priced as huge +31000 longshots.

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The Braves have won 41 out of 70 games (58.6%) as favorites this season, including a 27-16 record when favored by at least -160 on the moneyline. Interesting, they are also 23-3 in Frieds’ last 26 starts during game 2 of a series.

The Pirates have been victorious in 23 out of 47 games (48.9%) as underdogs, with a 4-9 mark when priced at +135 or worse. Pittsburgh is 4-0 in Skenes’ last four starts during game 2 of a series.

Pirates vs Braves Starting Pitchers

The starting pitching matchup is a tantalizing one, featuring rookie sensation Paul Skenes (4-0, 2.14 ERA) for the Pirates and the crafty lefty Max Fried (7-3, 3.00 ERA) for the Braves.

Skenes, just 22 years old, has been nothing short of spectacular in his first eight starts, posting a 0.99 WHIP and holding opponents to a measly .164 batting average. He ranks in the 94th percentile in xERA and 86th percentile in xBA. In his last three starts, Skenes has allowed one or fewer runs, with five or fewer total runs scored in each game.

Fried had a bit of a rocky start to the 2024 season but has turned things around in a big way. The southpaw ranks in the 87th percentile or higher in average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate. In his last outing against the Yankees, Fried allowed just one earned run on six hits over 6.0 innings, leading to a 3-1 Braves victory.

Pirates vs Braves Injury Report

The Braves have dealt with significant injuries this season, losing both Spencer Strider (elbow) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) for the entire year. Despite these setbacks, the Braves have managed to maintain their spot atop the NL East odds.

The Pirates saw Martin Perez return from the injured list to start Friday’s game after missing a month with a groin injury. However, he struggled in his return, allowing six earned runs over four innings in the loss.