Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Texas Rangers 8/21/24 – With a mid-week clash against the Texas Rangers (58-69), the Pittsburgh Pirates (59-66) face relatively low stakes but high competition. This Wednesday’s game at Globe Life Field highlights the failures and successes of two teams who have yet to find their groove this year. Whether you’re a fan or bettor, finding the best exclusive picks for games like these means getting into each team’s season story.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Texas Rangers 8/21/24 Game Info |
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| When: | Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at 2:35 PM ET |
| Where: | Globe Life Field |
| TV: | ESP+ |
| Stream: | MLB.TV |
Pittsburgh Pirates (59-66) vs. Texas Rangers (58-69)
This game is interesting because the Pirates are coming in with a worse win-loss record than their opponent, but there are some statistical areas where they have the advantage. They’ve been pretty bad offensively this season, hitting just .234 as a team with a .301 on-base percentage. But their pitching staff has been decent, posting a 3.98 earned run average that indicates games are often decided by whether or not they can keep the other team from scoring much rather than trying to outscore them themselves — which is also true of this afternoon’s Phillies-Braves matchup.
On the other hand, the Texas Rangers also have a bad record this season but they have a slightly better offensive setup with a .239 batting average and .382 slugging percentage courtesy of 138 home runs hit this year. However, their problem is the same one affecting teams such as the Brewers vs. Cardinals game – inconsistent pitching; their own pitchers just cannot keep opposing batters quiet when games turn into shootouts because, more times than not, they end up playing high-scoring affairs with an ERA of 4.32.
Domingo German (0-0, 3 ERA) vs. Andrew Heaney (4-13, 4.2 ERA)
Domingo German gave the Pirates a solid but limited demonstration this year. He keeps an ERA of 3 and a WHIP of 0.83 over 6 innings pitched. His control and ability to limit hits may be huge, given that he doesn’t have many chances. He might dominate if German can manage more playing time while keeping up the quality.
Andrew Heaney has had anything but an exciting season for the Rangers, as he stands with a record of 4-13 and an ERA of 4.2 through 124.1 innings pitched. However, Heaney still manages to strike out batters at a high rate (123 Ks), which shows off his ability to get them out in general. Being consistent and limiting home runs is where he struggles, having already allowed 18 this year alone; experience can go either way depending on how well executed his game-day performance.
MLB Odds/Point Spread: Texas Rangers -1.5 +144, Total Odds: 8.5
The Rangers are the favorites, with the home-field advantage and slightly better offensive numbers. The spread indicates that Texas is expected to beat Pittsburgh by at least two runs; this coincides with the over/under of 8.5, which means it could be a higher-scoring game.
Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends
In their past nine games on the road, the Pirates have won only once. Four of their last six contests have gone above, pointing to pitching problems that result in high-scoring affairs — good news for over bettors looking for excitement.
Texas Rangers Betting Trends
Although not outstanding this year, the Rangers have been consistently under at home with four of five going below. This correlates with recent stretch where they haven’t put up many runs due largely to poor ERA from staff but decent WHIPs.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Texas Rangers 8/21/24 Betting Picks
The match means a close game as both teams have similar weaknesses and strengths. Texas is better placed than Pittsburgh due to current forms, trends, and home advantage. It may, therefore, be advisable for bettors who would like to take less risk on their bets or rather play safe by considering Rangers covering the spread; this is mostly because pirates don’t perform well when playing away from home, which contributes to their decline.
When scoring trends are compared, where Pirates’ games usually exceed while Rangers’ fall short at home, it could be safer to go for an under bet provided that both starting pitchers perform according to what they have been doing throughout this season. Looking at the nature of these games plus profiles of pitchers involved in them, taking under 8.5 as a total can serve as a careful but shrewd pick for those who want free baseball picks.