MLB Odds: Giants-Brewers Game 1 prediction, odds and pick

The San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers will square off in an early afternoon matchup on Thursday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Giants-Brewers prediction and pick, laid out below.

San Francisco has gone 65-70 on the season, officially eliminated from the playoffs. This is a far cry from their 107 wins in 2021, and plenty of injuries and downturns are to blame. The team has begun to look forward to the 2023 season, which is a disappointment for a fan base that was expecting a deep playoff run.

Milwaukee, on the other hand, is in the thick of playoff contention, with a 71-65 record, nine games back in the NL Central, and just four and a half games behind the NL Wild Card. Milwaukee's starting pitching is to credit for their playoff aspirations, as the club boasts one of the stronger groups in the league.

Here are the Giants-Brewers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

MLB Odds: Giants-Brewers Odds

San Francisco Giants: +1.5 (-132)

Milwaukee Brewers: -1.5 (+110)

Over: 7.5 (-118)

Under: 7.5 (-102)

Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread

San Francisco will send Scott Alexander to the mound in this one, serving as an opener. Alexander has appeared in five games this season, registering a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 innings. Alexander is making his second career “open”, the first of which came for the Dodgers in 2018. Clearly, Alexander will not be long for this one. While a bulk innings pitcher has not yet been announced, Sean Hjelle is a likely candidate to fill some innings today. Hjelle has struggled in his brief time with the club, registering a 9.00 ERA in six innings, albeit with nine strikeouts. Hjelle was the team's second-round pick in the 2018 draft and has been solid in the minors. San Francisco's brutal bullpen has struggled all season. Closer Camilo Doval has been great with a 2.68 ERA and 20 saves in 57 innings.

Joc Pederson has bolstered this offense, leading the team with 21 home runs and 61 RBI. Pederson has provided the team with a consistent power presence, something the loss of Brandon Belt has accentuated. Wilmer Flores leads the team with 26 doubles, adding 17 home runs. Thairo Estrada has played consistently for the first time in his career, rewarding the club with 17 steals to lead the team, and 12 home runs. Evan Longoria and Mike Yastrzemski both have belted 12 home runs, while Yastrzemski has added 25 doubles. Joey Bart has seemed to come out of his extended slump, with 10 home runs in 75 games, including four in his last 30 games, hitting .277 across that stretch.

Why The Brewers Could Cover The Spread

Milwaukee will send Corbin Burnes to the mound, which is usually bad news for opponents. Burnes has dominated, with a 9-6 record and 3.02 ERA in 164 innings. Burnes has struck out an absurd 200 batters. Burnes has struck out 30.4% of the batters he has faced while walking just seven percent. Burnes' curveball deserves the majority of the credit, as batters have hit just .126 against that pitch. Airbending reliever Devin Williams has taken over the closer duties, with a 1.72 ERA and 10 saves in 52.1 innings, striking out 80 batters.

Milwaukee is third in the league with 190 home runs. Rowdy Tellez paces the team with 28, while Willy Adames has hit 26, and Hunter Renfroe has added 25 of his own. Adames leads the team with 79 RBI. Christian Yelich, bereft of his usual power, leads the team with 16 home runs, adding 20 doubles and 12 home runs. Kolten Wong, with 14 stolen bases, and Jace Peterson, with 10, are the other Brewers with double-digit stolen bases. Milwaukee has stolen 79 bases, 12th in the league.

Final Giants-Brewers Prediction & Pick

Burnes is simply too good to go against.

Final Giants-Brewers Prediction & Pick: Milwaukee -1.5 (+110), over 7.5 (-118)