Reds vs. Brewers prediction, odds, pick, how to watch
The Cincinnati Reds take on the Milwaukee Brewers. Our MLB odds series has our Reds Brewers prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Reds Brewers.
The biggest series of the whole weekend in Major League Baseball is the showdown between the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays, the best teams in each of the two leagues. After that, this is the second-biggest series in the sport. Who could have possibly imagined this series would be this important and this much of a high-profile showdown?
The Cincinnati Reds were 29-35 through 64 games. They were headed to a 75- or 80-win season, another mediocre year for a franchise which has been consistently mediocre over the past several years. The Reds have not won more than 83 games in a season since 2013. They have won 80 or more games in just one of the last nine seasons. With over 60 games played, the Reds were six games under .500 with a young team. There was absolutely no reason to think they would be a serious World Series contender, even though the weakness of the National League Central Division kept them in the divisional race and therefore the postseason picture.
When the Reds were 29-35, a young pitcher won a ballgame against the St. Louis Cardinals. His name? Andrew Abbott. The young man was thrown into the fire, making his MLB debut for a team which seemingly was not going to play for high stakes in 2023. Instead, Abbott began a revolution in Cincinnati. The Reds, beginning with that Abbott win (which moved them to 30-35), are 20-4 in their last 24 games. They lost two of three to the Braves, the best team in the National League, but have won every other series they have played over the past month, and they have swept several series, including the four-game sweep they just completed against the Washington Nationals.
Abbott has a 1.21 ERA in six starts, giving up just five runs in 37 1/3 innings. With Elly De La Cruz having a spectacular star turn as an instant-impact rookie, the Reds have the two elite National League Rookie of the Year candidates. They might have a chance to win the award if Arizona Diamondback star Corbin Carroll's injury keeps him out of commission for a prolonged period of time.
The 49-39 Reds lead the National League Central and now enter Milwaukee to face the second-place Brewers. What a scene it will be in Miller Park.
Here are the Reds-Brewers MLB odds,
MLB Odds: Reds-Brewers Odds
Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-205)
Milwaukee Brewers: -1.5 (+168)
Over: 7.5 (-120)
Under: 7.5 (-102)
How To Watch Reds vs. Brewers
TV: Apple TV+
Stream: Apple TV
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET/5:10 p.m. PT
*Watch Reds-Brewers LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Reds Could Cover The Spread
The Andrew Abbott factor is hard to ignore. You saw Abbott's numbers mentioned above. The microscopic ERA is naturally impressive. What is also notable is that Abbott is eating up at least six innings per start (on average). If he was pitching five innings per start, it would be easier to think his good numbers were based on a small sample size. Not that they aren't, but the fact that he is going through six innings most of the times he takes the ball shows that he has some staying power. He doesn't get weaker the longer in a game he goes. He has been uncommonly good, and anyone who bets against him, thinking the magic will finally fade away, has not won in recent weeks. Abbott has earned respect from bettors.
Why The Brewers Could Cover The Spread
The Brewers have their ace, Corbin Burnes, in a big game. He is exactly whom Milwaukee wants on the mound for a game of this stature and importance. The Brewers have players who are used to being in a playoff push, unlike the youthful Cincinnati team, and that could really show up this weekend in Milwaukee, where the Brew Crew is going to be ready for this high-stakes showdown.
Final Reds-Brewers Prediction & Pick
The game is a big one, and many will want to get this one right on their bet slips, but the prudent play here is to stay away and consider a live betting play or simply wait to see how the Reds handle this situation.
Final Reds-Brewers Prediction & Pick: Reds +1.5
