Pirates vs. Reds prediction and odds for Opening Day

There are a lot of games to watch on Opening Day of the 2023 MLB season, and I'm going to be honest, this one probably isn't going to be the most watched.

But, even a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds is one worth betting on. So that's what we're going to focus on today.

It's a showdown between Mitch Keller and Hunter Greene, two players who were one of the only bright spots for their respective teams last season.

Let's dive into the odds for this game and then I'll break down my best bet.

Pirates vs. Red odds, spread, and total

Pirates vs. Reds prediction and pick

As I mentioned earlier, Keller and Greene were bright spots for their respective teams last season, so with as unpredictable as Opening Day is, let's just bank on those two continuing to impress.

Keller had a terrible 2021 for the Pirates, racking up a 6.17 ERA in 23 starts. Then, he took a massive step forward last season, recording a 3.91 ERA in 29 starts. He's still young as he's just about to turn 27, so I expect another year of progression from him this year.

The same thing can be said for the 23-year old Hunter Greene, who I also expect to progress this season. He had a solid rookie campaign, recording a 4.44 ERA in 24 starts. If Spring Training is any indication, where he had a 3.12 ERA in 17.1 innings pitched, he will take another step toward becoming a bonafide ace for the Reds.

Then, there's the offenses. Objectively, neither are going to be great this season. The two teams ranked 26th and 28th in OPS last season and they didn't make any moves in the offseason to make me think we're going to see huge improvements.

With the total set at 8.5 for their Opening Day matchup, I'm going to bet on the starting pitchers and take the UNDER.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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