<p>
The Pirates lug an eight-game losing streak into the opener of a three-game series with the rival Reds in Cincinnati Monday night. But Pittsburgh owns the upper hand in the season series with Cincy, so far. Which way are we going here for our <a href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/free-mlb-picks&quot; title="Excpert MLB Picks">free MLB pick</a>?
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<h2>
MLB Betting Odds<br />
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<p>
Monday's MLB betting odds opened Cincinnati at around -185 over Pittsburgh, with an over/under of 9.5 runs. Early betting action then dipped that line down to -180.
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<h2>
Pirates vs. Reds Set-Up<br />
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<p>
Pittsburgh just got swept three games at the Mets over the weekend, losing Sunday's series finale 8-7. The Pirates trailed after one inning Sunday 6-0, pulled to within one run with four runs in the top of the ninth inning but came up short.
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<p>
Just before that Pittsburgh got swept four games by St. Louis, and just before that the Pirates lost two of three to Philadelphia, going back a bit further Pittsburgh is 0-5 over its last five series and just 2-14 over its last 16 games.
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<p>
At 46-59 overall the Pirates trail the division-leading Cubs and Cardinals by ten games in the NL Central, and they're ten games off the pace in the battle for the second National League wild-card spot.
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<p>
Cincinnati, meanwhile, just took two of three games at home from Colorado over the weekend, winning Sunday's series rubber match 3-2. In the previous series, the Reds took two of three games from Milwaukee. So Cincy is 2-0 over its last two series and 4-2 over its last six games.
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<p>
At 48-55 overall the Reds are seven games out in both the NL Central and in that NL wild-card race.
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<p>
Pittsburgh leads the season series with Cincinnati seven games to three.
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<h2>
Monday's Starting Arms<br />
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<p>
<a href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/pitcherlog/48323&quot; title="Sonny Gray Pitching Logs">Gray</a>, by our stringent standards, is 9/20 on quality starts this season and working on a run of five in a row. Last Monday he held the Brewers to one run and four hits through six innings of a 6-5 Reds victory. And over his last five starts, he's allowed just six runs and 19 hits through 33 1/3 innings, with 42 strikeouts.
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Cincinnati is 11-9 with Gray this season, 6-2 over his last eight starts.
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In three starts already this year against the Pirates Gray allowed just four earned runs and 13 hits through 15 1/3 innings. Thanks to poor run support the Reds lost two of those three games.
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<a href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/pitcherlog/40165&quot; title="Jordan Lyles Pitching Logs">Lyles</a> is just 5/17 on quality starts this year and 0 for his last nine. Last Wednesday he got bombed by St. Louis for eight runs – five earned – and seven hits, including three home runs, through just an inning and two-thirds of a 14-8 Pittsburgh defeat. And over his last four outings, he's been tagged for 20 ER and 28 hits through only 12 total innings.
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The Pirates are 8-9 with Lyles this year, 0-8 over his last eight starts.
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However, in two starts this season against Cincinnati Lyles only allowed three runs and six hits over nine innings. Pittsburgh split those two games.
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<h2>
Monday's Batting Splits<br />
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Pittsburgh is batting .275/.338/.443 against right-handed pitching this season.
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Cincinnati is batting .240/.308/.422 against RH pitching this season.
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<h2>
The Bullpens<br />
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<p>
The Pirates bullpen owns a 4.78 ERA this season and a 1.44 WHIP while allowing a .778 OPS.
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The Reds pen owns a 4.22 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP while allowing a .728 OPS.
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<h2>
Totals Report<br />
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<li>
Overs are 59-42 in Pirates games this season.
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<li>
Unders are a lopsided 63-37 in Reds games this season.
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Unders are 31-19 in games played at Great American Ballpark this season.
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Unders are 5-4 in Pirates-Reds games this season.
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Unders are a combined 21-15 with Gray and Lyles this season.
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</ul>
<p><section></p>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-size:16px;"><b><span style="color:#008000;">Get more details:</span></b> <a class="advblue" href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/matchup/1081198">Pittsburgh at Cincinnati MLB Match-up Stats</a> </span>
</li>
</ul>
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