Astros vs Brewers Predictions, Betting Odds, Picks

The Milwaukee Brewers will host the Houston Astros in the second game of an interleague series in Wisconsin on Tuesday night. Both teams enter this contest in second place in their respective divisions, though they trail the teams ahead of them by a combined one game in the standings. As a result, a win here would be huge for the side that can grab it, in a game where both offenses could have the upper hand.

Houston Astros Predictions

The Houston Astros put a hurting on the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night, chasing Corbin Burnes early in a 12-2 win. Yordan Alvarez hit two home runs in that game, including a grand slam, propelling the Astros to their eighth win in a row. A ninth win in a row could potentially move the Astros into a tie with the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West, depending on how the Rangers do against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.

While the Astros' offense was exceptional against the Brewers on Monday, their pitching was great as well. Cristian Javier threw six innings, giving up just one run along the way. It will be up to J.P. France to deliver a similar performance for the Astros on Tuesday night. France is 1-0 on the season so far, but has a 4.11 ERA, and will need to be sharp early to allow his offense a chance to shine.

Houston is on the road in this game, but that has not stopped them from playing well this season. The Astros have a better record on the road than they do at home, going 14-8 on the road compared to their 14-11 mark in Houston. Another strong showing on the road in this game, and the Astros could come out of Tuesday tied for the lead in the AL Central.

Milwaukee Brewers Predictions

For the Milwaukee Brewers, Monday night was a huge disappointment, as they were beaten by 10 runs at home with their ace on the mound. Corbin Burnes allowed five earned runs in five innings, and the bullpen fared no better. On Tuesday, the Brew Crew have a chance to get back on track, and they have a chance to grab sole possession of first place in the NL Central along the way.

Milwaukee enters Tuesday in a tie with the Pittsburgh Pirates at the top of the NL Central, though the Pirates are listed on top of the Brewers in the standings. With the Pirates taking on a division leader in the Rangers on Tuesday, a Milwaukee win and a Pittsburgh loss is certainly within the realm of possibility. Those two results would put Milwaukee back in first place in the Central entering Wednesday.

For that to happen, the Brewers will need a solid outing from starting pitcher Colin Rea. Rea has struggled mightily so far this season, going 0-3 with a 5.52 ERA over 31.0 innings of work. His biggest area of concern heading into this game is his vulnerability to the long ball. Rea has allowed six home runs in 31 innings, and the Astros are certainly capable of taking him deep as they did Burnes last night. Rea cannot afford to come out and get barreled early.