Brewers vs. Pirates (8/4): Will Milwaukee ride another strong Woodruff start to a win in Pittsburgh?

After throwing away a lead in back-to-back games, the Milwaukee Brewers are in must-win position as they wrap up their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon.

In Tuesday’s 5-3 loss, all of the runs were scored in the sixth inning as Milwaukee scored three in the top of the frame only to allow five in the bottom of it.

In yesterday’s game, the Brew Crew held a 4-0 lead through two innings then allowed seven unanswered runs. And after they managed to even the score at 7 with a three-run eighth, they went down to a walk-off blast by Bryan Reynolds to open the bottom of the ninth.

With the St. Louis Cardinals playing two games against the Chicago Cubs today, a loss by Milwaukee and two wins by St. Louis would tie things up atop the NL Central ahead of this weekend’s action, which sees the Brewers host the Reds and the Cardinals host the Yankees.

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Milwaukee Brewers (57-47, 31-27 away, 1st in the NL Central) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (42-62, 23-29 home, t-3rd in the NL Central)
• Venue & Location: PNC Park (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
• Date: Thursday, August 3, 2022
• Game Time: 12:35 p.m. Eastern Time
• Brewers vs. Pirates TV Info: MLB Network

Brewers vs. Pirates Pitching Matchup

• Milwaukee Brewers: Brandon Woodruff (2022: 15 starts, 9-3, 3.55 ERA)
• Pittsburgh Pirates: Zach Thompson (2022: 18 appearances – 17 starts, 3-8, 5.09 ERA)

Brewers vs. Pirates Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. This article may also include odds from other legal online sports betting sites that we have reviewed and recommend.

Moneyline

• Milwaukee Brewers -255
• Pittsburgh Pirates +210

Over/Under

• Over 8 (-110)
• Under 8 (-110)

Run Line

• Milwaukee Brewers -1.5 (-146)
• Pittsburgh Pirates +1.5 (+122)

Will Woodruff Continue His Success Against Pittsburgh?

Since returning to action after a month on the shelf from late May to late June, Woodruff has yet to lose. In six starts, he is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA, and in 35 innings, he has allowed 25 hits, eight runs, and 11 walks and struck out 48. As a result, his ERA has from 4.74 to 3.55.

This afternoon, he will be facing a very, very familiar opponent, as this will be his fifth start of the season against the Pirates.

In the previous four starts, he went 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA, allowing 18 hits, seven runs, and seven walks and striking out 32 in 22 innings.

The Brewers took the win in three of those four starts, including both in Pittsburgh. In his most recent trip to the Steel City on July 3, Woodruff pitched six shutout innings, allowed six hits (and no walks), and struck out eight in a 2-0 win.

If Milwaukee can manage to score as many runs today as they did in the first two innings yesterday, they should come away with the victory.

They have scored 4+ runs in 11 of Woodruff’s 15 starts, and they are 9-2 in those 11 starts. Woodruff’s last appearance in Pittsburgh is their lone win out of the four starts in which they failed to score at least four runs.

For the season, the Brewers are 47-16 when they score at least four runs.

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction and Picks

Brewers vs. Pirates Prediction: Brewers to win

Brewers vs. Pirates Picks: Brewers -1.5 (Best Value: -140 at BetMGM)

Milwaukee has a 10-5 record in Woodruff’s starts this season, and all ten wins have come by 2+ runs.

So, if you like the visitors here, there is value in the RL. You won’t find a number that you will be in love with this one, but it is a very high-percentage play.

Seven of those ten wins have come by 3+ runs, so if you want to go for value with a little less security, the -2.5, which is available at plus odds at all of our recommended sportsbooks, is an option worth considering as well.

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• Brewers vs. Pirates Odds, Stats & Trends (8/4)