The Atlanta Braves (53-38) beat the Pirates (47-46), 3-0, after Jared Jones had a perfect game going after six innings for Pittsburgh. Atlanta scored twice in the eighth inning and once in the ninth for insurance to seal the win.
The win for Atlanta snapped a three-game losing streak, while the loss did the same for Pittsburgh’s three-game winning streak. To start July, Atlanta has had a top five offense, ranking second in runs scored (51), third in home runs (14), and 10th in batting average (.260). The pitching staff has a 5.50 ERA (22nd) as Atlanta has started 4-4 record. The Braves have a three-game road trip to St. Louis this weekend to wrap up the first half of the regular season.
Pittsburgh brought their offense in Wednesday’s win, but forget it on Thursday. The Buccos have been shut out seven times this season and in the following game, Pittsburgh has a 3-4 record and averages 4.2 runs per game. During July, the Pirates’ offense leads the MLB with a .312 batting average this month, plus 81 hits, 12 stolen bases, and top 10 ranks in OBA, OPS, and SLG. Pittsburgh will host Milwaukee this weekend for a three-game series before the All-Star break.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Braves at Pirates
- Date: Thursday, July 9, 2026
- Time: 12:35 PM EST
- Site: PNC Park
- City: Pittsburgh, PA
- Network/Streaming: MLB TV
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Odds for the Braves at the Pirates
The latest odds as of Thursday:
- Moneyline: Atlanta Braves (-125), Pittsburgh Pirates (+104)
- Spread: Pirates +1.5 (-155), Braves -1.5 (+128)
- Total: 9.5
Probable starting pitchers for Braves at Pirates
- Thursday’s pitching matchup (July 9): Bryce Elder vs. Mitch Keller
- Braves: Bryce Elder
2026 stats: 98.2 IP, 5-6, 4.01 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 83 Ks, 30 BB
2026 Stats: 100.1 IP, 6-6, 5.02 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 74 K, 33 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not
- The Braves’ Michael Harris III is hitting .307 with 97 hits, 16 home runs and 53 RBI over 316 at-bats
- The Braves’ Austin Riley is hitting .210 with 69 hits and 107 strikeouts over 190 at-bats
- The Pirates’ Ryan O’Hearn is hitting .293 with 86 hits, 16 home runs, and 61 RBI over 294 at-bats
- The Pirates’ Marcell Ozuna is hitting .204 with 44 hits and 74 strikeouts over 216 at-bats
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Braves at Pirates
- The Pirates are 47-46 ATS
- The Braves are 49-42 ATS, ranking eighth-best
- The Pirates are 52-37-3 to the Over, ranking third-best
- The Braves are 43-42-6 to the Over
- The Pirates are 23-24 ATS at home
- The Braves are 26-20 ATS on the road, ranking fifth-best
Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Braves and the Pirates
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday’s game between the Braves and the Pirates:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Pirates on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Pirates at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Over on the Game Total of 9.5
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