The Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers finish their three-game series with a Wednesday afternoon matchup. The Pirates took the first game 8-6. The teams already played a four-game series in Pittsburgh at the end of April, with the Pirates winning the first two games but the Brewers bouncing back with two more to even the series. The Brewers hold a slim lead over the Cubs in the National League Central, while the Pirates sit 5.5 games back. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Pirates-Brewers prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The Pirates send Martin Perez to the mound in the series finale. It hasn't been a perfect season for Perez, as his last win came in his second start against the Nationals. He is 1-2 on the season with six straight starts ending in a loss or no-decision. The Pirates have only won one of those games, which came in extra innings. However, Perez's numbers aren't terrible, as he has a 3.60 ERA. The issue is that the Pirates haven't scored more than four runs in a Perez start since that win over the Nationals.

Robert Gasser made his MLB debut last Friday, going six innings with two hits and zero earned runs. Gasser's season in Nashville(AAA) didn't go as well as expected when looking at his debut, as he was 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA in three starts down there. This season didn't go well, but he was 11-4 with a 3.99 ERA over the last three seasons.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Pirates-Brewers Odds

Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-196)

Moneyline: +112

Milwaukee Brewers: -1.5 (+162)

Moneyline: -132

Over: 8 (-120)

Under: 8 (-102)

How to Watch Pirates vs. Brewers

Time: 1:10 PM ET/10:10 AM PT

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Bally Sports Network

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win

In a small sample size, the Pirates are mashing against left-handed pitching over their last five games. The Pirates have a .375 on-base percentage and 10.8 runs/nine. Robert Gasser looked good in his debut, but a start in the majors opens him up to better scouting and a more intensive game plan for the Pirates. If they saw enough in his first start to pick up on some tendencies, the Pirates could put a beating on Gasser.

Why The Brewers Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Milwaukee Brewers are dominating left-handed pitching over their last ten games. It hasn't led to many wins, as they are 4-6 over that span. The Brewers could change those fortunes against Martin Perez, who has allowed 14 earned runs over his last five starts. The Brewers are hitting .269 against lefties over their last ten games, averaging 6.9 runs/nine.

If the Brewers can get to Perez early, they will get to the Pirates' abysmal bullpen. Perez doesn't go far in games anyway, making it to six innings in just one of his last five. His pitch maximum is 91 over that span. The Pirates bullpen has a  4.66 ERA overall, but even worse over their last three games, with a 7.54.

Final Pirates-Brewers Prediction & Pick

The Brewers haven't played well over their last ten games, but they could own the pitching matchup in this outing. They've been hitting left-handed pitching well, and if they eliminate Martin Perez from the game early, they will have an even better matchup against the Pirates' abysmal bullpen. A game of scouting for Gasser could help some offenses, but there isn't much confidence in the Pirates coaching staff to have that ready. Take the Brewers to ride Gasser's wave and win the rubber match of this series.

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Final Pirates-Brewers Prediction & Pick: Brewers ML (-132)