Nationals vs. Pirates Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers, Prop Bets for Wednesday, April 15

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in first place in the NL Central this season, and they’re looking to win a sixth game at home when they take on the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.

This is the third game of a four-game set, and these squads split the first two games of this series with the Nats picking up a 5-4 win on Tuesday. Washington has been much better on the road (7-4) than at home (1-5) this season, but it is still a sizable underdog on April 15.

Jake Irvin (7.07 ERA) is looking to turn his season around for Washington against Pirates opener Mason Montgomery (6.14 ERA). The Pirates are going to rely heavily on their bullpen on Wednesday, which has a 3.91 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP in 2026.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for this NL matchup on April 15.

Nationals vs. Pirates Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Run Line

Nationals +1.5 (-136)
Pirates -1.5 (+113)

Moneyline

Nationals: +149
Pirates: -181

Total

9.5 (Over +102/Under -122)

Nationals vs. Pirates Probable Pitchers

Washington: Jake Irvin (1-1, 7.07 ERA)
Pittsburgh: Mason Montgomery (1-0, 6.14 ERA)

Nationals vs. Pirates How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, April 15
Time: 6:40 p.m. EST
Venue: PNC Park
How to Watch (TV): MLB.TV
Nationals record: 8-9
Pirates record: 10-7

Nationals vs. Pirates Best MLB Prop Bet

Pirates Best MLB Prop Bet

Brandon Lowe to Hit a Home Run (+401)

Earlier today, I shared in SI Betting’s best home run props column – Daily Dinger – why Lowe is a great bet against righty Jake Irvin:

One of my favorite pitchers to fade when it comes to home run props is Washington Nationals righty Jake Irvin, who takes on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

Irvin allowed an MLB-high 38 home runs in 33 starts last season, and he’s off to a slow start in 2026, giving up three homers in three games while posting a 7.07 ERA.

The Nationals righty has allowed nearly one homer per game in his career, giving up 90 homers in 93 appearances. So, I’m targeting one of the Pirates’ best power hitters on Wednesday.

Brandon Lowe enters this game with seven homers in the 2026 season, and he’s 2-for-5 with a homer against Irvin in his career. Lowe crushes right-handed pitching, hitting six homers against righties this season while posting a .371 batting average and a 1.475 OPS.

To top it off, Washington’s bullpen has the worst ERA in MLB (6.39) and has given up 20 homers so far in the 2026 campaign.

Nationals vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

These teams have both hit the ball well this season, ranking in the top 10 in MLB in runs scored and OPS.

So, the OVER could be in play after these teams combined for 21 and nine runs in the first two games of this series.

However, I’m taking the Pirates to win this one outright, as their bullpen (3.91 ERA this season) should be able to hold things down once Montgomery exits. This is the ninth appearance of the season for Montgomery, and he’s pitched no more than 1.1 innings in each of those outings.

Meanwhile, Irvin has struggled early on this season for the Nats, giving up two six and three runs while pitching five or fewer innings in each start. With MLB’s worst bullpen (6.39 ERA) backing him up, I can’t trust Irvin to lead the Nationals to a win.

Pittsburgh is 5-3 straight up at home, and it already has a blowout win in this series. I think the Pirates gain a 2-1 advantage heading into the series finale on Thursday afternoon.

Pick: Pirates Moneyline (-181 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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