Pirates, Brewers Prepare for Round Two
Monday afternoon, one swing of the bat made the difference in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now, as both National League Central rivals sit within a game of first place, each club will send their ace to the mound in what’s sure to be a popular game for Tuesday’s MLB betting slate.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds, for Pirates vs Brewers We’ve plenty of MLB predictions for you to consider.
Pirates Continue to Stay Afloat
Following a 101-loss campaign in 2021, few expected the Pittsburgh Pirates to return to glory in ‘22. While they’re just ten games into the new season, the Pirates have started the year with a 5-5 record, placing them a single game out of first place. For context, Pittsburgh dropped six of its first seven contests and seven of its first ten last season.
Despite their role as decisive underdogs in their series opener in Milwaukee, the Pirates managed to keep the game even at one for three-and-a-half innings. Once the Brewers tacked on five runs in the bottom of the fourth, Pittsburgh was unable to muster any offense in its failed comeback effort.
The Pirates will look to even the series with Opening Day starter JT Brubaker drawing the start. The 28-year-old carries an unsightly 9.82 ERA through two starts with as many walks (7) as strikeouts.
Former MVP Wakes the Brewers Up
Anyone who’s taken a crack at making MLB picks has likely found some luck betting the Milwaukee Brewers under. Although they’re a half-game out of first, the 6-5 Brewers were held to five runs or fewer in each of their first ten games. Even worse, four of those contests saw one run or less.
Monday’s home matchup against Pittsburgh had all the makings of another low-scoring effort from the reigning division champs. However, Milwaukee broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning after 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich blasted a grand slam, his first big fly of the year. From there, the Brew Crew’s stout bullpen preserved the five-run lead with ease.
Even if the home favorites aren’t able to make noise at the plate, few pitchers in baseball top Corbin Burnes. The reigning NL Cy Young winner is fresh off a seven-inning shutdown of the lowly Baltimore Orioles, giving him a 2.25 ERA with 12 punchouts in 12 innings.
Pirates vs Brewers Head-to-Head
Thanks to Yelich’s slam, the Milwaukee Brewers maintain the 1-0 edge in the season series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Milwaukee also owns the all-time series by a count of 222-174.
The Brewers, who have made the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, dominated the Pirates in 2021 with 14 victories in 19 contests.
Pirates vs Brewers Game Information
- Game: Pirates (5-5) vs Brewers (6-5)
- Location: American Family Field
- Day/Time: Tuesday, April 19th, 7:40 p.m. ET
- Pirates vs Brewers Live stream: MLB.tv
Pirates vs Brewers Betting Lines
Pirates vs Brewers Prediction
The latest MLB lines have the Milwaukee Brewers as decisive -260 favorites to win at home. Yet they’re just -130 to cover the 1 ½ -run spread, something they did in 13 of their 14 victories against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021.
Another reasonable bet to consider is the under 7 ½. With the dominant Burnes on the bump, it’s unlikely we’ll see Pittsburgh put up a big night at the plate. Also, considering Milwaukee’s offense features – no batter with more than one homer, going down to -120 on the under is reasonable. Currently, the odds are at -120, with the over 7 ½ sitting at (EVEN).
After assessing the latest scores and odds regarding this matchup, taking the Brewers to win by two or more is the prudent play. Make sure your online sports betting involves backing the Brew Crew to win this game by multiple runs.
