Reds vs. Pirates Prediction, Betting Tips & Picks 5/8/2022

The Cincinnati Reds (4-22) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (10-14) meet in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday at 1:40 PM ET. The Reds are -132 favorites on the moneyline to win the series over the Pirates (+111). Cincinnati’s Tyler Mahle and Pittsburgh’s Zach Thompson have been named the starters for this contest.

Reds vs. Pirates Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Reds vs. Pirates

Our computer pick: Pittsburgh Pirates (+111) and Over (8)

Reds vs. Pirates Game Info

• Cincinnati Reds probable starting pitcher: Tyler Mahle
• Pittsburgh Pirates probable starting pitcher: Zach Thompson
• Game Day: Sunday, May 8, 2022
• Game Time: 1:40 PM ET
• Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
• Stadium: Great American Ball Park

Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates Pitching Matchup

Reds Starter Tyler Mahle

• The Reds are sending Mahle (1-4) to the mound for his seventh start of the season. He is 1-4 with a 7.01 ERA and 26 strikeouts through 25 2/3 innings pitched.
• In his last outing on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, the right-hander tossed 3 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs while surrendering four hits.
• In six games this season, the 27-year-old has an ERA of 7.01, with 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are batting .286 against him.
• Mahle has not recorded a quality start so far this season.
• Mahle enters this matchup with two outings of five or more innings pitched this season.
• He will face a Pirates offense that ranks 18th in MLB with 192 total hits (on a .240 batting average). The team also slugs a collective .346 (23rd in MLB) with 14 total home runs (28th in MLB).

Pirates Starter Zach Thompson

• Thompson (1-3) will take to the mound for the Pirates and make his fifth start of the season.
• The right-hander’s last appearance came in relief on Wednesday when he threw one scoreless inning out of the bullpen against the Detroit Tigers while allowing one hit.
• The 28-year-old has pitched to a 9.39 ERA this season with 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 5.9 walks per nine across five games.
• The Reds have scored 88 runs this season, which ranks 26th in MLB. They are batting .205 for the campaign with 18 home runs, 24th in the league.

Reds Betting Picks & Insights

• This season, the Reds have been listed as the favorite in three games and failed to win any of those contests.
• Cincinnati has not entered a game this season with shorter moneyline odds than -132.
• The moneyline for this contest implies a 56.9% chance of a victory for the Reds.
• Cincinnati’s games have gone over the total in 17 of their 27 chances.
• In 27 games with a spread this season, the Reds are 7-20-0 ATS.

Pirates Betting Picks & Insights

• The Pirates have won in eight, or 40%, of the 20 contests they have been named as odds-on underdogs in this year.
• This year, Pittsburgh has won six of 17 games when listed as at least +111 or worse on the moneyline.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Pirates have a 47.4% chance of walking away with the win.
• Pittsburgh and their opponents have gone over in 11 of their 25 games with a total set by sportsbooks this season.
• The Pirates have an against the spread mark of 14-11-0 in 25 games with a line this season.

Reds Leaders & Batting Stats

• The Reds leader in both batting average and homers is Tommy Pham, who comes into the game hitting .235 and has left the yard four times while driving in seven runs this season.
• Including all MLB hitters, Pham is 98th in batting average, 59th in on-base percentage, and 54th in slugging.
• Brandon Drury has put his power on display as he leads his team with four home runs.
• Drury has four games in a row with at least one hit. During his last five outings he is hitting .333 with three doubles, a home run, a walk and seven RBI.
• Tyler Stephenson is batting .310 with two doubles, three home runs and four walks.
• Tyler Naquin has totaled 13 runs batted in to lead his team.

Pirates Leaders & Batting Stats

• Ben Gamel is batting .306 with five doubles, a triple, a home run and nine walks, while getting on base at a rate of .383.
• Gamel’s home run total puts him 177th in MLB, and he is 88th in RBI.
• Gamel has collected a hit in five games in a row. During his last five outings he is hitting .550 with three doubles, a triple, a home run, a walk and six RBI.
• Daniel Vogelbach has shown off his power as he paces his team with four home runs.
• Vogelbach is 35th in homers and 88th in RBI among all major league hitters this year.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has put up a team-high batting average of .309.
• Michael Chavis has recorded a team-best 12 runs batted in.

Betting Tips for Reds vs. Pirates

After digging through all of the key trends and statistics for this matchup, our best bet is the Pirates on the moneyline at +111. Our computer prediction sees the scoring going over the total of 8 runs.