Pittsburgh Pirates vs Washington Nationals Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 09/13/25

While Saturday’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals is not my favorite game on the slate from a betting perspective, I do lean slightly toward the over on the posted game total. The total is set at 8.5 for this matchup, and while neither offense is consistently explosive, I do see concerns for both starting pitchers. Bubba Chandler is an ultra-talented pitching prospect from the Pirates organization, but the right-hander has yet to be fully unleashed at the MLB level. His first 2 outings resulted in scoreless 4-inning stints. Chandler’s last 2 appearances have resulted in 12 earned runs across 6.2 innings, however, including 9 earned runs allowed in 2.2 innings against Milwaukee last time out. I expect a better effort in this outing, but he is still able to allow some runs.

Andrew Alvarez is a 26-year-old lefty for the Nationals who is set to make his third career MLB start in this game. Alvarez started the season in AAA, tossing 123.0 innings at the level while posting a 4.10 ERA and 4.44 FIP. His 21.5% strikeout rate and 9.8% walk rate are both iffy numbers for that level, and in his first 9.2 MLB innings he has allowed 5 walks to only 6 strikeouts recorded. Pittsburgh has been a bit better at the plate of late and should contribute toward the over.

Pirates vs Nationals prediction: Over 8.5 (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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