Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 6/18/2022

Time: 4:10 p.m. ET

Venue: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH

Where to watch: Bally Sports Wisconsin, Bally Sports Ohio

DraftKings: Even

BetMGM: Even

Caesars: Even

Brewers: 36-30

Reds: 23-41

If you would have told me in mid June that we would be sitting here discussing the possibility that the Cincinnati Reds would actually be better than the Milwaukee Brewers - and I'm not even talking about the record. That in and of itself is already grounds for dismissal if you think that the record should dictate whether the Brewers are better than the Reds - then I would probably yes that you had been checked in for psychiatric care and that your knowledge of the sport of baseball would be a skewed to the point where nothing would ever make sense and we would be here discussing run fications of why you are the way that you are. But even I have grown to admit over the last little bit that the Reds are actually I'm much better baseball team than I think any of us have given them credit for especially how they started losing 23 of their first 26 games. And I'm not trying to say that the Reds are going to eventually wake up, smell the coffee, and find their own ways to get into the playoffs. It would still take a herculean effort among massive proportions in order for the Reds to make the postseason. However, we do have to look at the possibility that the Reds will continue to climb the National League central standings and above all else play spoiler for teams like Milwaukee, who are struggling beyond all comprehension, and for even the St. Louis Cardinals, who now find themselves in first place in the National League central.

But it kind of is funny that we are here talking about Cincinnati, at 17 games below 500, in that they are actually very capable of catching the likes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs. Hell, if you look at it, 13 games back of first place isn't even all that bad. We've seen teams come back from 10 games down sometimes as high as 12 games down when it comes to division races. But this is a team that is still finding its way even after the fact that they traded everyone and completely tore down in a rebuild that I don't think was probably necessary from a Cincinnati POV but here we are. And I look at this three game series as a whole against the Milwaukee Brewers and I am more so inclined to believe that the way Milwaukee has played over the last three weeks that they would possibly just lie down and essentially not look very good.

But it is kind of funny that the Brewers have been as bad as they have been over the last few weeks and yet somehow only trail the Cardinals by a game and a half for first place in the division. Knowing how they are coming off a series loss to the New York Mets, which isn't something to slight them about and under any circumstance, I am more inclined to believe that the Brewers will find a way to eventually get it going. But it's going to come down to the bats and how they effectively change the game at the plate. Christian Yelich has to be better, and more so a lot of guys need to be better about putting the ball in play and driving in runs. Because the more they try to put the pressure on the pitching staff in Milwaukee, it's going to continue to be a bad situation all around for that group.

I think if anything the Reds are going to take at least two of three in this series and I think one of those games will be this Saturday game. Graham Ashcraft looked very good the last time he took the mound and I think Cincinnati could benefit from the rookie building off a good start last time out to having a better one against the confusing bats of Milwaukee. Reds win 7-2

Brewers are 6-13 this season when the total is between 8.5 and 10.

Brewers are 3-11 in June this month.

Brewers are 25-18 the past three seasons as a road dog between +100 and +150.

Brewers:
Christian Yelich (L) LF
Willy Adames (R) SS
Rowdy Tellez (L) 1B
Andrew McCutchen (R) DH
Hunter Renfroe (R) RF
Omar Narvaez (L) C
Tyrone Taylor (R) CF
Jace Peterson (L) 3B
Keston Hiura (R) 2B
SP - Jason Alexander

Reds:
Jonathan India (R) 2B
Brandon Drury (R) 3B
Tommy Pham (R) LF
Kyle Farmer (R) DH
Matt Reynolds (R) SS
Nick Senzel (R) CF
Mike Moustakas (L) 1B
Albert Almora Jr. (R) RF
Aramis Garcia (R) C
SP - Graham Ashcraft