Woodruff Looks to Lead Brewers to First Win
The Milwaukee Brewers were in the MLB news on Thursday as they were shut out by the Chicago Cubs 4-0. It was a disappointing defeat as they mustered just four hits in the game.
Brandon Woodruff will lead the team on Saturday but will the offense back him up against the Cubs? Let’s take a closer look at this showdown.
Woodruff Seeks Bounce-Back Season
Those who bet online know that Woodruff wasn’t bad last season – he had a 3.07 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP – but he did have a drop-off from 2021. He had a 5.6 WAR that year compared to 2.7 last season. Was it the start of a trend?
He did go 13-4 last year as the Brewers were often a good option on the MLB betting lines when he started. He had 190 strikeouts, which tied him for 18th-most strikeouts.
Woodruff appeared in four games and 15.2 innings throughout spring training but allowed 11 hits and eight runs. The number of runs is a bit disconcerting but let’s see what happens in the opener.
The Cubs bat just .172 against him lifetime, so that’s definitely a good sign if you’re considering the Brewers on the MLB odds.
Steele Starting for Cubs
Chicago is expected to go with Justin Steele as the starting pitcher on Saturday after a campaign that saw him post solid numbers. While he finished just 4-7 overall, he had a 3.18 ERA and 126 strikeouts.
He also pitched 31.0 innings against the Brewers last season, posting a 2.03 ERA and allowing only nine runs. With Woodruff’s success against the Cubs, maybe under is a good option in the sportsbook.
The Cubs should be happy with their Opening Day effort as Dansby Swanson went 3-for-4 with an RBI, leading the way. That’s one of the reasons the team got him and it was a really encouraging start.
Brewers vs Cubs Game Injuries
Brewers vs Cubs Head-to-Head
These two teams have played some really close contests in the last couple of seasons. The Cubs have a slight 11-9 edge in the last 20 meetings. However, they’re just 9-12 in their last 21 meetings at home.
Brewers vs Cubs Game Information
- Game: Brewers (0-1) Cubs (1-0)
- Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
- Day/Time: April 1, 2:20 p.m. ET
- Brewers vs Cubs Live Stream: MLB.tv
Brewers vs Cubs Betting Lines
Brewers vs Cubs Picks and Prediction
These two teams play tight contests, so keep that in mind for your MLB picks. With the Cubs picking up the win in the opener, the Brewers are likely to bounce back here.
The better play might be on the total, though. With two good pitchers on the mound that have exhibited success against the opponent, we should see another low-scoring affair.
Chicago is listed a +121 in our Vegas lines. So, if you wager $100 on the Cubs, there’s a chance to win $121. Milwaukee is -131 with a chance to win $76 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Brewers a 56.71% chance to win, with the Cubs at 45.25%.
Brewers vs Cubs Trends
Brewers vs Cubs Edge
Brewers vs Cubs Results
Brewers vs Cubs Game Summary
