The baseball wagering menu sees a clash between Washington and Pittsburgh on Friday, with the host Nationals trying to win for themselves and reward bettors who back them on the moneyline.

The Nationals will rely on Tom Gorzelanny to turn in a quality outing on the mound in this one, while Charlie Morton will be his counterpart for the Pirates. Tom Gorzelanny is 2-6 this season, and Charlie Morton is 7-4.



View Pittsburgh vs Washington Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Baseball odds makers opened the Nationals as -150 moneyline favorites in this matchup. Over under bettors saw the number open at 8.

Power Rankings:
It's a baseball betting matchup between the National League No. 12-rated Nationals and the league No. 13-ranked Pirates, according to the latest MLB power poll here at Odds Shark.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Washington's No. 11 ranked National League offense (3.9 runs per game) against a Pirates defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 6 in the National League at 3.9 runs allowed per game. The Nationals have been averaging 7.8 hits per game, less than the Pirates have managed so far this season (8 hits on average).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Washington has the National League's No. 5-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Pirates own the National League's No. 6 mark in runs allowed.

In their last action, Pittsburgh was a 6-2 Sportsbook on the road against the Blue Jays. Bettors on Pittsburgh at +138 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (8) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. The Pirates enjoyed a 6-2 victory at the expense of the Blue Jays on Thursday, with Jeffrey Karstens throwing 7 innings of 5-hit ball at Rogers Centre.

In their last action, Washington was a 1-0 loser on the road against the Angels. Bettors on Los Angeles at -135 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (1) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. Washington didn't plate a single run in their last outing, shut down by Dan Haren in a losing cause, 1-0, against Los Angeles on Wednesday.


Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
Before playing Washington are 2-8
After playing Toronto are 3-5
After a win are 6-4

Washington Nationals Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Pittsburgh are 5-5
After playing LA Angels are 6-4
After a loss are 6-4

A few Pirates at Nationals trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
Washington is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
Washington is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Pittsburgh


Next up:
Pittsburgh at Washington, Saturday, July 2