Braves vs. Pirates prediction: Picks, odds, live stream, TV channel, start time on Monday, August 21

The Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates square off on Monday with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. ET. The game takes place at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Jake Odorizzi (4-5, 4.15 ERA) will start for the Braves with Roansy Contreras (3-3, 4.02 ERA) on the mound for the Pirates.

Atlanta (75-48) won 11 of its last 13 games but failed to complete a sweep of the Houston Astros in a 5-4 loss on Sunday. Odorizzi will make his fourth start for the Braves after making 12 starts with Houston earlier this season, and he gave up five runs over five innings in a loss to the New York Mets Wednesday. The Braves rank fourth in runs per game (4.9), and Austin Riley is the team leader in home runs with 31.

Pittsburgh (47-74) lost the final two games of its series against the Cincinnati Reds including a 9-5 loss on Sunday. Contreras will make his 13th appearance and 10th start after playing just one game in his first MLB season in 2021, and he allowed four runs over six innings on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox. The Pirates score 3.6 runs per game, which ranks No. 28, and Bryan Reynolds drove in a team-high 46 RBI.

Braves vs. Pirates

Pitchers: Jake Odorizzi vs. Roansy Contreras
First pitch: 7:05 p.m. ET
Braves local broadcast: Bally Sports South
Pirates local broadcast: AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Braves -1.5 (-120)
Run total: 8.5
Moneyline odds: Braves -195, Pirates +165

Moneyline pick: Braves -195

It's tough to stop Atlanta right now as it looks to get back into National League East contention, just four games behind the New York Mets heading into Monday. If any team is going to stop the hot streak the Braves are on, it's not going to be the Pirates, which are one of the worst teams in the league.

Player prop pick: Jake Odorizzi Over 3.5 strikeouts (-135)

The Braves starter is not a very good strikeout thrower with a 6.6 K/9 through 15 starts this season. However, he will face a Pirates lineup that strikes out 9.3 times per game, which is the second most in all of baseball. With how much Pittsburgh struggles as an offense, Odorizzi should be able to get deep into this start and reach four strikeouts.

  
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