Brewers Looking To Beat Up on Buccos
MLB betting has started to heat up as we are nearing the 2022 All-Star Break. The Milwaukee Brewers play host to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night for a battle of NL Central teams.
Pittsburgh comes into this game 34-49, and the Pirates have been even worse on the road. The Pirates have a team full of young talent, but they just aren’t ready to compete at the MLB level.
Milwaukee leads the NL Central Division, but they haven’t been as dominant as in years past. The Brewers are 47-37 but just three games over .500 at home.
The MLB lines for this game have the Milwaukee Brewers as the Moneyline betting favorites at -200 over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Let’s check the latest MLB news, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds, for Pirates vs Brewers. We’ve plenty of MLB picks & predictions.
Pitching Letting Down the Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates enter play with a team ERA that sits at 4.77, and they haven’t gotten good enough starting pitching. Jordan Brubaker will make this start, and he has gone 2-7 with a 4.28 ERA.
Not only have the Pirates struggled to get enough starting pitching, but the offense has been inconsistent. Manager Derek Shelton summed up those struggles after the most recent loss saying, “The bottom line is we’ve got to score.”
Bryan Reynolds is having another big year for the Pirates, but he could end up getting traded away at the Trade Deadline. Reynolds leads the team with 15 home runs, but there isn’t a ton of power in this lineup.
Brewers Swinging the Bats
The Milwaukee Brewers have had to deal with a number of injuries to starting pitchers, but the offense has been able to step up. Milwaukee has a team batting average of .235, and it has belted 116 home runs.
Because of all of the injuries in the starting rotation this season, Aaron Ashby has had to fill in and make several starts. Ashby will be on the mound in this game, and he has gone just 1-6 with a 4.60 ERA this season.
Rowdy Tellez has come out of nowhere to lead the Brewers on offense as he has 17 home runs and 55 RBIs. Milwaukee isn’t a team that always puts up a ton of runs in every game, but they do some serious damage when they are swinging it well.
Pirates vs Brewers Head-to-Head
This will already be the 11th game between these Central Division rivals, and Milwaukee has won eight of the first ten games. The Brewers have dominated the season series over the past few seasons, and they have clearly been the better team.
Pirates vs Brewers Game Information
- Game: Pirates (34-49) vs Brewers (47-37)
- Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
- Day/Time: Friday, July 8, 8:10 p.m. ET
- Pirates vs Brewers Live stream: MLB.tv
Pirates vs Brewers Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Pittsburgh Pirates J. Brubaker -R |
+1½ -120 | +175 | 8-110o | 3½+105o / 3½-135u |
| Milwaukee Brewers A. Ashby -L |
-1½ Ev | -205 | 8-110u | 4½-120o / 4½-110u |
Pirates vs Brewers Prediction
Looking at the starting pitching matchup will usually help with making MLB picks, but you won’t get much help in this game. Both teams are sending struggling pitchers to the mound, but looking at the overall scores and odds for each team shows a big advantage for the home team.
Pittsburgh does have some terrific young talent in the everyday lineup, but they’re just simply isn’t enough of it to make a difference. Milwaukee is the best team in the Central Division, and that offense will have a big day in this one.
This has the potential to be a high-scoring affair, and it will be the Brewers that do the most damage. Head to BetUS Sportsbook and take the Milwaukee Brewers -1½ as they roll to another win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
