The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Washington Nationals on April 14, 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 -184 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Nationals are +154 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 9.5 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: Oneil Cruz Home Run
Nationals vs Pirates Odds
| Nationals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -137 | 9.5 -102o / -120u | +154 |
| Pirates Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +114 | 9.5 -102o / -120u | -184 |
Nationals vs Pirates MLB Betting Preview
Pittsburgh Pirates Home Run Picks
When it comes to smashing deep dingers, Pirates' outfielder Oneil Cruz is one of the best.
Pittsburgh’s young superstar is one of the most unique players in MLB history, standing at 6-foot-7 with insane bat-speed and exit-velocity metrics.
In addition to hitting over 20 homers in each of the past two seasons, Cruz smashed a 513-foot moonshot in the 2025 Home Run Derby with an insane exit velocity of 122mph — amongst the hardest hit balls in the Statcast era.
Despite striking out a ton, Cruz hits for extreme raw power, blasting several homers upwards of 450 feet over the course of his young career.
The Pirates are set to host the Cardinals on Tuesday night at PNC Park in Pittsburgh in the second of a three-game homestand.
There is no doubt that Oneil will have a prime matchup against St. Louis righty Miles Mikolas, who has got off to a dreadful start to his 2026 campaign, posting a 12.40 ERA over his first two starts.
On the contrary, the Pirates’ superstar is scorching to start his third season in the Big Leagues, ranking among the top-10 MLB hitters with a .345 average. Cruz also ranks in the top-10 in homers, having already mashed five.
While the current form of this matchup is surely significant, Oneil also has a solid history against the 37-year-old veteran, having blasted a double and a triple.
The Cardinals’ right-hander has been very susceptible to allowing homers in recent years — even tying an MLB record after allowing six in a single game — and has already allowed four this season in just over 12 innings of work.
Mikolas had a rather impressive arsenal earlier in his career, but has had terrible command issues over the past two seasons, losing control of his off-speed pitches and having to rely more on his four-seam fastball.
The longtime veteran has also had far more struggles pitching on the road, which is certainly significant in this case.
Cruz has punished fastballs in the upper zone and has shown far more patience in the box than in 2025, demonstrating impressive discipline to get ahead in the count. The Pirates’ young star also thrives on off-speed pitches that get left in the zone.
Cruz is off to a phenomenal start in 2026, and I expect that to continue on Tuesday.
Pick: Oneil Cruz Home Run Picks
