The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Washington Nationals on April 13, 2026. First pitch from PNC Park is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on SportsNet PT.
The Pirates are favored by -225 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Nationals are +184 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 7.5 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Nationals vs Pirates prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Nationals vs Pirates Prediction
- Nationals vs Pirates Pick: Over 4.5 Pirates Team Total or Over 7.5 Game Total
My Nationals vs Pirates best bet is the Pirates to go over their team total. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Nationals vs Pirates Odds
| Nationals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -122 | 7.5 -102o / -118u | +184 |
| Pirates Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +102 | 7.5 -102o / -118u | -226 |
- Nationals vs Pirates spread: Pirates -1.5 (+103 ), Nationals +1.5 (-123)
- Nationals vs Pirates over/under: 7.5 (-102o / -118u)
- Nationals vs Pirates moneyline: Nationals +184, Pirates -226
Nationals vs Pirates Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Cade Cavalli (WSN) | Stat | RHP Paul Skenes (PIT) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-0 | W-L | 2-1 |
| 0.2 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.1 |
| 2.51/4.22 | ERA /xERA | 5.25/2.59 |
| 3.91/5.10 | FIP / xFIP | 4.22/4.78 |
| 1.47 | WHIP | 1.25 |
| 3.2% | K-BB% | 11.5% |
| 50.0% | GB% | 43.8% |
| 100 | Stuff+ | 105 |
| 92 | Location+ | 101 |
Nationals vs Pirates Preview
Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes doesn't have a big home-road split, or at least we don't have a long enough data sample to measure it. Regardless, he's going to pitch deep enough into the game that you don't really get exposure to the Pirates' bullpen.
On the other hand, Washington's offense has been great, and they've been hitting against everybody. They have this entirely new analytical GM, staff, and coaching, and their new process has their offense playing so well that they keep scoring against everybody this year.
However, they've been an over team because their bullpen is terrible, projecting the worst on the slate today, as they do most days. Today, they've also got multiple guys who are down or fatigued, and just one reliever, Clayton Beeter.
Nationals vs Pirates Picks
Sometimes a trend is simple. When Skenes started, the run support showed up from the Buccos. Their lineup is averaging eight runs' worth of run support in their three starts this year.
I do project value in the game total over here. I make this total around 7.75, and you can get 7.5 at plus money.
I'm not sure I want the game over, however. Teams scoring three or four runs are not going to get it done; you probably need the home team to score five runs.
The forecast wind blows out the projections; it points towards the over, but I want to see the final forecast before making a decision here. It's borderline enough that I want to see umpires, too.
Over 4.5 for the Pirates team total looks like the likeliest bet to hit.
Pick: Over 4.5 Pirates Team Total or Over 7.5 Game Total
