Blue Jays vs Pirates Prediction - MLB Picks 5/7/23

Pittsburgh Pirates (20-14) vs Toronto Blue Jays (20-14)

Game Info: Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 1:35 pm (PNC Park)

Roansy Contreras (3-2) (4.09) vs Yusei Kikuchi (4-0) (4.02)

Betting Odds: Pittsburgh Pirates +120 / Toronto Blue Jays -145 --- Over/Under: 9 Click Here for the Latest Odds

Where to Watch: MLB.tv Stream the MLB Game of the Day all season on ESPN+. Sign up now! Advertisement

The Toronto Blue Jays will play the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 3 of their series on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Blue Jays Preview

The Toronto Blue Jays are 20-14 this season and they have won two games in a row. Toronto has won the first two games in this series by scores of 4-0 and 8-2. The Toronto pitching staff has a 4.15 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a .243 opponent batting average this year. The Blue Jays offense has scored 163 runs with a .258 batting average and a .334 on base percentage. Bo Bichette is batting .326 with seven home runs and 22 RBI’s for the Blue Jays. The projected starting pitcher for Toronto is Yusei Kikuchi, who is 4-0 with a 4.02 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP over 31.1 innings pitched this season.

Pirates Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 20-14 this season and they have lost six games in a row. Prior to losing the first two games in this series, Pittsburgh lost all three games in their series with the Rays. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 3.71 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and a .244 opponent batting average. The Pirates offense has scored 162 runs with a .250 batting average and a .329 on base percentage this season. Bryan Reynolds is batting .320 with five home runs and 23 RBI’s for the Pirates. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Roansy Contreras, who is 3-2 with a 4.09 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP over 33.0 innings pitched this year. 

Trends

Toronto is 12-5 in their last 17 interleague games and 2-5 in their last 7 game three’s of a series. The over is 7-1 in Toronto’s last 8 Sunday games. Pittsburgh is 6-3 in their last 9 home games and 3-7 in their last 10 Sunday games. The under is 14-5-1 in Pittsburgh’s last 20 game three’s of a series. Toronto is 7-0 in these two teams last 7 head to head meetings.

Pick

Pittsburgh had started the season playing very well, but they come into this game on a six game losing streak. Toronto struggled in recent games coming into this series, but they have been able to win the first two games and will look for the sweep here. The Blue Jays will have Yusei Kikuchi on the mound, who has been very good in three of his last four starts, but did allow five earned runs in his last start. Pittsburgh will start Roansy Contreras, who has also been good in three of his last four starts. This pitching matchup is pretty even, but I am taking the Pirates at home to snap their losing streak. 

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

Mitch's Take...

NBA, MLB, NCAAB, Best Bets for Today Picks & Predictions Thursday 3/28/24 | 7 Picks in 5 Minutes

18+ Has gambling become a problem for you? Call the National Problem Gambling Hotline.
1-800-522-4700 | ncpgambling.org

Credit Guaranteed Packages

Packages with Credit Guarantees automatically give you a credit if the package does not turn a profit—the sum of betting all individual picks. THESE ARE NOT PARLAYS UNLESS OTHERWISE CLEARLY STATED. If a credit guaranteed package does not profit, a credit for its full purchase price is automatically issued after picks are graded and verified.

For example, if you purchase a $39.95 package that doesn’t profit, you’ll get a $39.95 credit towards any future purchase(s) on our site. Credits are usually issued within hours of a game’s conclusion, so please allow a few hours for final verification.

To use your credits, log in to your account and add another package or pass to your cart. Credits will automatically reduce what you owe. Any remaining balance will be settled through our payment system, with any leftover credits available future purchases. Credits do not expire.

Dismiss