Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers Predictions, Picks & Odds 7/29/20

Published by John Ford July 29, 2020 Categorie(s): Baseball, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, Pittsburgh Pirates, Sports Betting

So, the MLB season is finally really getting started as most teams enter their sixth game. Tonight, it’s the Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park. This will be the final game between these two teams in the three-game series.

The Pirates got the victory in the high-scoring last game, which ended 8-6. The team took the lead in the fourth inning but then the Brewers brought it back in the sixth and seventh. Eventually, they were able to take it back in the eighth. Overall, their offense has been playing well, but they are letting up too many runs on the defensive end.

The Brewers come into this one having been on the receiving end of that loss. Overall, the team was expected to perform much better than they seem to be this season – well, at least better than the Pirates. It is still early days, though. A quick glance suggests that the Brewers should take this one. Does a more in-depth look suggest the same?

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers Predictions

Pirates

The Pirates are expected to start Joe Musgrove on the mound today. Musgrove can’t really be said to be the team’s best pitcher. Last season, he had the worst left-on-base percentage (63.2%) in the league. His career ERA is 4.38, and his overall win-loss ratio is 28-34. This season so far, he is 0-1 with an ERA of 4.76. So, not entirely reliable.
The Pirates have been averaging four runs a game this season. Colin Moran leads the team with four RBIs. He is backed up by Josh Bell and Phillip Evans, who haven’t done as well but are still producing hits.
So far, the Pirates are 2-3 this season. They are 1-1 against the Brewers, with both games being pretty close. The team has already shown that they can score, but their defensive game has been absolutely terrible. (Just look at that 9-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals).

Brewers

Brandon Woodruff is expected to start at pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers today. Woodruff is also 0-1 this season, but his career averages are better than that of Musgrove. So far, he has gone 16-7 with an ERA of 3.86. Two of these victories came against the Pirates. Although his last game ended in a loss, he did post a 3.60 ERA.
Lorenzo Cain leads the way for the Brewers hitting staff this season with two RBIs and six hits. He is backed up by the likes of Christian Yelich, Orlando Arcia, and Keston Hiura. However, despite the big contract, Yelich doesn’t appear to be living up to previous form at the moment.
The Brewers are also 2-3 at the moment. The team picked up a big victory against the Chicago Cubs and narrowly beat the Pirates in the first game of this short series. The issue is that the team appears to be quite inconsistent defensively and offensively, making them either a great or terrible team to play at any moment.

Our Prediction

The Pirates really aren’t favored to do well this season because their line-up undoubtedly has some holes in it. That said, the Brewers, who made the playoffs last season, aren’t really looking like they are going do too much in 2020 either.

So, this is a hard one. What really edged our decision to take the Brewers moneyline is the Pirates decision to start Joe Musgrove. Musgrove doesn’t have a great record and has already recorded a loss this season. If the Pirates swop him out for somebody else, look at this decision again. We don’t think that the spread would be such a great idea on a potentially volatile game.