Reds vs. Pirates Showdown: Can Underdogs Defy the Odds on August 7?

Alright, it’s Thursday, August 7, and the spotlight’s on Paul Skenes as he takes the hill for the Pirates, who’ve been battling through a rough stretch lately with a 49-66 record. They’re gearing up to host a Reds squad sitting a bit healthier at 60-55, led by the dynamic Elly De La Cruz, kicking off a four-game series deep in the heart of Steel City. Now, after a sizzling July where Pittsburgh went on a tear—winning eight out of nine games—the momentum has fizzled, with four losses in their first six August encounters. Just yesterday, they dropped a tight 4-2 decision to San Francisco, with the bullpen once again leaving something to be desired as the Giants clawed back late.

On the flip side, Cincinnati rolled out of Wrigley Field with a series win against the Cubs, only to stumble in the finale, getting handled 6-1, despite TJ Friedl’s two hits shining a bit in an otherwise punchless offensive outing that saw the Reds rack up 12 strikeouts in 32 at-bats. Sounds like a recipe for an intriguing showdown, huh? Let’s peel back the layers on this clash, dive into player stats, unravel the latest odds, and spin some predictions—because every pitch tonight at PNC Park promises sweat, grit, and maybe a surprise or two.

For all the nitty-gritty details and insights you’re craving to get ahead of the game, stay tuned here. You won’t miss a beat—from how to catch that first pitch live, to expert picks, and betting wisdom freshly brewed from our data-driven models and seasoned analysts.

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Its Thursday, August 7 and Paul Skenes is on the mound tonight as the Pirates (49-66) welcome Elly De La Cruz and the Reds (60-55) to the Steel City for the first of a four-game series.

After closing out July with wins in eight of their last nine games, the Bucs have cooled off in August losing for of their first six. Yesterday, they closed out their series with San Francisco with a 4-2 loss. Pittsburgh’s bullpen failed them once again as the Giants rallied for one in the eighth and two in the ninth.

The Reds come to town fresh off a series win at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. They did, however, lose the finale yesterday, 6-1. TJ Friedl collected two of the Reds’ four hits in the game. Cincinnati as a team struck out 12 times in 32 trips to the plate in the game.

Lets 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 the 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 Reds at Pirates

Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: PNC Park
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Network/Streaming: FDSNOH, SNP, MLBN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Reds at the Pirates

The latest odds as of Thursday:

Moneyline: Reds (+150), Pirates (-181)
Spread: Pirates -1.5
Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Reds at Pirates

Pitching matchup for August 7, 2025: Brady Singer vs. Paul Skenes
- Reds: Brady Singer (9-8, 4.36 ERA)
  Last outing: August 1 vs. Atlanta – 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 10 Strikeouts
- Pirates: Paul Skenes (6-8, 2.02 ERA)
  Last outing: August 2 at Colorado – 7.20 ERA, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 8 Strikeouts

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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Reds at Pirates

The Reds have won 28 of 54 games following a loss
The Under is 4-1 in the Reds’ last 5 games against NL Central teams
Paul Skenes has struck out 8 and 9 hitters in his last 2 starts covering 11 innings
Bryan Reynolds is 2-13 over his last 4 games

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Reds and the Pirates

Rotoworld 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 Reds and the Pirates:

Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cincinnati Reds at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

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