Detroit Tigers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Prediction for Tuesday August 18, 2026

The Detroit Tigers visit the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET on August 18, with MLB.TV providing coverage. Detroit enters at 60-64 overall and 28-33 on the road, while Pittsburgh is 61-65 overall and 32-31 at home. The Tigers have lost four of their last five games, including three straight, while the Pirates have won three of five. ESPN's matchup predictor gives Pittsburgh a 60.1% chance of winning compared with 39.9% for Detroit. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Check out our free MLB picks for more baseball predictions and betting analysis.

Starting Pitchers

Keider Montero gets the start for Detroit carrying a 9-7 record with a 3.22 ERA and excellent 0.99 WHIP through 128.2 innings. The right-hander has allowed 99 hits, 13 home runs, and 29 walks while recording 86 strikeouts. Pittsburgh counters with Braxton Ashcraft, who is 12-5 with a 3.88 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 141.1 innings. Ashcraft has surrendered 124 hits and 20 home runs while striking out 155 and walking 33. Montero owns the better ERA and WHIP, while Ashcraft provides a substantial advantage in strikeout production.

Detroit Needs Its Pitching to Set the Tone

Detroit enters Tuesday at 60-64 overall and 28-33 away from home. The Tigers have struggled recently, losing four of their last five games and each of their last three. They were swept in a three-game home series over the weekend, losing 9-5, 4-3, and 7-5 after splitting their previous two games.

The Tigers are batting .242 this season with 565 runs, 1,015 hits, and 150 home runs. They have a .319 on-base percentage and .408 slugging percentage. Detroit has been much stronger on the pitching side, posting a 3.55 team ERA and 1.21 WHIP while limiting opposing hitters to a .231 batting average.

Detroit's biggest advantage in this matchup is clearly run prevention. The Tigers have a considerably better team ERA and WHIP than Pittsburgh, and their scheduled starter also enters with stronger ERA and WHIP numbers. The concern is an offense that has produced 68 fewer runs than Pittsburgh this season. Detroit will likely need another strong pitching performance to overcome that difference.

Pittsburgh's Offense Provides an Advantage

Pittsburgh comes into the matchup at 61-65 overall with a 32-31 record at PNC Park. The Pirates have won three of their last five games, including an 8-3 home victory Sunday. They have scored eight or more runs in three of their last five contests, including a 13-1 road victory, giving the offense some momentum heading into this matchup.

The Pirates are hitting .257 as a team with 633 runs, 1,116 hits, and 151 home runs. Pittsburgh has also produced a .333 on-base percentage and .412 slugging percentage. The pitching staff hasn't been nearly as effective, carrying a 4.31 ERA and 1.32 WHIP while opponents are batting .240.

Pittsburgh owns a noticeable offensive advantage. The Pirates have the better batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage while holding a 68-run advantage over Detroit. Interestingly, the teams are separated by only one home run, showing that Pittsburgh's scoring advantage isn't simply dependent on power. The issue is whether its pitching can contain a Detroit lineup that has still scored at least three runs in four straight games.

Detroit Tigers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Prediction

Pick: Detroit Tigers Moneyline

Detroit is worth backing despite its recent losing streak. The Tigers have the stronger pitching profile with a 3.55 team ERA compared with Pittsburgh's 4.31 mark, and their 1.21 WHIP is also considerably better than the Pirates' 1.32. Detroit also has the advantage in the scheduled starting matchup based on ERA and WHIP. Pittsburgh's offense makes this a difficult matchup, but the pitching differential provides enough reason to take the Tigers if the moneyline price is favorable.

Pick: Under 8.5

Take the under if the total is set at 8.5. Pittsburgh has been scoring runs recently, but Detroit's pitching numbers are strong enough to make that offensive surge difficult to project forward against this matchup. Both scheduled starters carry WHIPs of 1.11 or lower, while Detroit's starter enters with a 3.22 ERA and Pittsburgh's with a 3.88 ERA. The Pirates' season-long offensive advantage is a concern, but the starting pitching matchup makes Under 8.5 the preferred play.

This Preview completed prior to game play on Monday.