Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers Betting Preview – MLB, August 30, 2020

The Milwaukee Brewers thrashed off the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-1 in the opening contest of a four-game series at Miller Park in Milwaukee this past Friday. They put on a rare strong offensive performance even though Christian Yelich got a day off to rest and pick up the pieces.

Yelich has been struggling mightily since an Opening Day, so the Brewers were 14-17 and half a game behind the second spot in the NL Central after that 9-1 win over Pittsburgh.

The Pirates, on the other side, dropped to 9-20, but they still have playoff hopes, as four NL West teams are below .500. Hereof, Sunday’s clash at Miller Park is a very intriguing one, so I bring you the best Pirates vs. Brewers betting pick.

The Brewers will start Brandon Woodruff, and the 27-year-old righty is arguably their top ace. Therefore, the bookies consider the hosts as massive favorites, while the totals are set at 8.5 runs, according to Bovada sports.

The Pirates will send Steven Brault to the mound, and the 28-year-old lefty shouldn’t last for more than a few innings. Pittsburgh’s relievers have the ninth-worst ERA in baseball (5.18).

The Pirates are 29^th in the majors in runs scored per game (3.86), just behind the Brewers, who average 3.90 runs per contest. However, excluding Saturday night’s clash, the over is 12-3-1 in the previous 16 encounters between the Pirates and Brewers.

Steven Brault tossed a couple of innings in Pirates’ 6-5 loss to the Brewers in July, allowing a hit and a pair of walks while striking out one. He’s 0-1 on the season, tallying a 4.80 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP in 15 innings of work.

Brault is 1-3 with a 3.82 ERA in 11 starts and six relief appearances against the Brewers in his career, tallying a 54/29 K/BB ratio across 61.1 innings.

Brandon Woodruff is 2-2 with a 3.19 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in seven starts this term. The righty is 3-1 with a 4.11 ERA in seven starts against the Pirates, and his first win in 2020 came against Pittsburgh on the road back in July.

Woodruff tortured the Pirates’ bats for 6.1 innings, surrendering just one hit and a walk while striking out 10.

On paper, the Brewers are a much better team than the Pirates, and I expect them to prove it on the field. Excluding the second game of this series, Milwaukee is 12-6 in its last 18 matchups with Pittsburgh.

Brandon Woodruff will have to bring his best game, and I expect him to put on another dominant performance against the Pirates. The moneline odds on the hosts are not alluring, but I’m looking for the Brewers to win, not to cover.

Give me Milwaukee at -215 odds.