The Pittsburgh Pirates look to emerge victorious in MLB odds action as the Nationals arrive at PNC Park on Friday.

The Pirates will rely on Jeff Karstens to turn in a quality outing on the mound in this one, while Livan Hernandez will be his counterpart for the Nationals. Jeff Karstens is 0-0 this season, and Livan Hernandez is 2-1.



View Washington vs Pittsburgh Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had installed the Pirates as +100 moneyline underdogs in this particular MLB matchup. The total, meanwhile, was set early at 8.5 before betting started to move the line.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Pittsburgh's No. 13 ranked National League offense (3.5 runs per game) against a Nationals defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 9 in the National League at 4.3 runs allowed per game. The Pirates have been averaging 7.8 hits per game, more than the Nationals have managed so far this season (7.1 hits on average).

Pittsburgh owns the National League's No. 13 defense, allowing 4.9 men per game to cross the plate. That contrasts with Washington's National League No. 9-rated defense.

Last time out for Washington, they were a 5-0 loser as they battled the Cardinals on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Cardinals at -157 were rewarded, while the 5 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. Kyle Lohse shut down the Nationals in their last game, striking out 6 in a 5-0 shutout over Washington in baseball action at Busch Stadium.

In their last action, Pittsburgh was a 9-5 loser on the road against the Marlins. Bettors on Florida at -140 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (14) sent OVER bettors home happy as well. Pittsburgh suffered a 9-5 loss against Florida on Thursday, as James McDonald wasn't able to lead his team to victory at Sun Life Stadium.


Washington Nationals Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Pittsburgh are 4-6
After playing St. Louis are 4-6
After a loss are 5-5

Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Washington are 3-7
After playing Florida are 1-9
After a loss are 5-5

A few Nationals at Pirates trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games on the road
Washington is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Pittsburgh's last 22 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games


Next up:
Washington at Pittsburgh, Saturday, April 23