Brewers vs. Orioles Predictions
| Brewers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -130 | 8.5 -104o / -118u | +160 |
| Orioles Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +108 | 8.5 -104o / -118u | -190 |
The Brewers' offense continues to rampage through the first two weeks of the regular season and now has a chance to sweep the Orioles on Sunday afternoon. Their pitching has stunk throughout the week, but that has not made a difference in the win column.
Meanwhile, the Orioles will look to stop the bleeding and avoid the sweep as they send their ace Corbin Burnes to the bump to face his former team. Burnes has been effective thus far and is now tasked with slowing down the Brewers' offense.
Let's break down the matchup below and uncover the best bet for Brewers vs. Orioles.
Milwaukee Brewers
Colin Rea makes the start for the Brewers in the matchup, and he has escaped his first two starts of the season practically unscathed. Rea enters the contest with a 1.64 ERA, but a 4.59 xFIP and 6.53 xERA.
He has yet to show the potential of being a productive starting pitcher since entering the big leagues in 2015, and there is good reason to believe he is a regression candidate moving forward. It is worth mentioning that the current Orioles hitters on the roster are 3-for-18 against him a lifetime, so there is a possibility he can continue his early-season dominance.
I have difficulty envisioning Rea slowing down the Orioles, especially since they are desperate to salvage the series. He has allowed 18 hard-hit balls in 11 innings thus far, and that is a terrible recipe going against a good offensive team.
It is going to be strange seeing the Brew Crew offense go up against Burnes, and to no surprise, there are only two hitters on the roster with experience against him. Gary Sanchez and Rhys Hoskins are a combined 2-for-6 against Burnes with no extra-base hits.
The Brewers are currently second in the MLB in hits per game and first in home runs per game. To say the Brew Crew has been mashing is an understatement.
Christian Yelich and William Contreras are seeing beach balls at the plate right now, but Burnes is a tough matchup regardless of how much they know their former teammate. The issue is, I have no faith in Rea to slow down the Orioles, and the offense is bound to cool down sooner rather than later.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are getting just what the doctor ordered Sunday with their ace on the bump, and a very winnable matchup against Rea. It is a smash spot for them to rebound and salvage the series.
Burnes faces a red-hot Brewers lineup, but they are 10th in the MLB in strikeouts per game. He has tons of K-stuff in his arsenal, so I would not expect a typical Brewers offensive showcase.
They do have poor career numbers against Rea, but that does not include outfielder Colton Cowser. Cowser has been on an absolute tear this week and he is most likely done platooning with Austin Hays.
There are no breaks throughout the lineup, but their pitching has cost them ballgames over the weekend. However, Rea is not a good pitcher and I expect plenty of offensive fireworks from the Orioles on Sunday. Perhaps rookie sensation Jackson Holiday can get his first big-league hit in the process.
Brewers vs. Orioles
Betting Pick & Prediction
I am not a huge fan of run-line bets, but this is a great opportunity to take the Orioles in a rout. Between all the offensive talent, they should take care of business against Rea and win big Sunday.
Burnes might be nervous in the first inning against his former team, but the revenge factor is working in his favor. It is terrifying to fade a red-hot offense, but Rea is due for massive regression moving forward so it won't matter.
Expect the Orioles to win big Sunday and salvage their series against the Brewers.
Pick: Orioles -1.5 (+105)
