Don't look now, but the Miami Marlins will host the Milwaukee Brewers for the second-straight night with major playoff implications on the line! Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Marlins-Brewers prediction and pick will be made.
Despite missing out on the postseason in back-to-back years and having been playing for confidence and pride heading into next season, the Marlins certainly looked the part on Thursday in a 4-2 decisive victory. Looking to play spoiler in the Brewers' chances of clinching a Wild Card playoff berth, Miami will send out their All-Star pitcher Sandy Alcantara for the second-to-last time this season with only six games remaining in the season. To this point, Alcantara has been electric with a 14-8 record to go along with a shiny 2.32 ERA.
With the home fans cheering rather loudly at American Family Field within the Diary State that is Wisconsin, the Brewers missed a golden opportunity to move into the final Wild Card spot as they squandered an early 2-0 lead and could not get anything going on offense after the 2nd inning. Regardless, Milwaukee only trails the Phillies by a half-game in the Wild Card race and will be given another shot to right their wrongs later tonight. Getting the start for the Brew Crew in this one will be tough-to-hit righty Corbin Burnes, who is 11-8 with a 3.11 ERA on the year.
Here are the Marlins-Brewers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Marlins-Brewers Odds
Miami Marlins: +1.5 (-154)
Milwaukee Brewers: -1.5 (+128)
Over: 6 (-105)
Under: 6 (-114)
Why The Marlins Could Cover The Spread
Despite falling behind quickly in yesterday's contest and laying down the rest of the way, the Marlins showed off their resiliency thanks to a mammoth moonshot of a grand slam by recently activated OF Avisail Garcia in the top of the eighth inning that put Miami up for good. Simply put, the Marlins proved that they don't mind putting on a show when the lights shine the brightest in the most critical parts of games. Even though Miami has undergone a poor season up to this point as they sit 26 games under .500, they definitely have what it takes to break Milwaukee's heart again and cover the spread in doing so.
To begin, Miami will need to limit the Brewers' production at the dish and they have the perfect man for the job. Fortunately, it will be one of the better pitchers in all of baseball's turn in the rotation as Sandy Alcantara is eager to put an exclamation point on an already impressive campaign. Not only does Alcantara have what it takes, but he is also been nearly un-hittable in his last two outings. In his last 17 innings pitched, the 27-year-old ace has given up only two runs. Not to mention, but he has also had Milwaukee's number throughout his career, as he has dialed them up with a perfect 2-0 record and a sparkling 2.63 ERA in five overall appearances.
Why The Brewers Could Cover The Spread
Unlike Miami, the Brewers are fighting for their playoff lives and last night's letdown of a game did not do this club any favors moving forward. With that being said, the playoffs have unofficially arrived in the “Cream City” and the Brewers cannot afford many more losses or else their offseason will begin rather abruptly.
Even though it was not how the Brewers wanted to spend their Thursday night, Milwaukee must be equipped with a short memory and do their best to take care of business at home. In fact, the Brewers' final six games of the season will all come at home where they have compiled a 43-32 record combined this season. Like they did yesterday, starting off hot and keeping their foot on the gas will be important to eliminate any hope that the Marlins may have late in the ballgame.
On paper, this is a Brewers squad that has two times the amount of talent that Miami does, so being silent with the bats and not taking advantage of opportunities will prove to doom them in the long run. Despite a lackluster .235 batting average as a whole, the Brewers statistically are within the top ten of major league baseball in runs scored and can reel off runs in a hurry when in a rhythm.
Yes, the bullpen may have been a disaster less than 24 hours ago, but the pitching arms on this roster are Milwaukee's golden ticket to covering the spread. If Burnes can tack on his fourth quality start in five outings, then the Brewers' chances of taking care of business will only be increased.
Final Marlins-Brewers Prediction & Pick
The time is now for the Brewers to make their case on why they should be a playoff-worthy team. After nearly six months of the regular season completed, this is a must-win for Milwaukee as they should come out with a greater sense of urgency in this one.
Final Marlins-Brewers Prediction & Pick: Brewers -1.5 (+128)
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