Cardinals vs. Brewers Prediction and Odds for Thursday, April 14 (Brandon Woodruff Is Big Liability for Milwaukee)
By Matt De Saro
![Pittsburgh Pirates v St. Louis Cardinals Pittsburgh Pirates v St. Louis Cardinals](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_282/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/426/01g0j77mf9s7ba4115fp.jpg)
National League Central rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals kick off a four-game tilt on Thursday at American Family Field. The Cardinals are set up well to start the year with a 3-1 record after a surprising 9-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals beat the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday and got back on the winning side with solid momentum heading into Thursday’s opening game. The Brewers are struggling a bit out of the gate with a 2-3 record and a team batting average of .213.
Milwaukee is praying that Brandon Woodruff can turn things around after one of the worst season debuts in recent memory. In contrast, the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright was amazing in his first game of the year.
Here are the odds for this game, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.
Cardinals vs. Brewers Odds, Run Line, and Total
Run Line
- Cardinals: +1.5
- Brewers: -1.5
Moneyline:
- Cardinals: +137
- Brewers: -147
Total:
- Total (Over -110/Under -110)
Cardinals vs. Brewers Prediction and Pick
This early in the year, I rely heavily on starting pitching to predict the outcome of games. Everything else is just hit or miss this early in the season. Based on that idea, this game will be a breeze to profit from.
Woodruff didn't just have a bad debut, it was a complete disaster. He gave up seven earned runs in just 3 ⅔ innings against the Chicago Cubs, It took him 59 pitches to amass a 17.18 ERA and get the hook. I fully expect him to do better against the Cardinals, but I’m still not expecting anything close to a quality start.
At the ripe age of 40, Wainwright came out and tossed a gem to open the 2022 season. He threw six innings of scoreless ball against the Pirates, striking out six and not walking a single batter. Sure, it was against the Pirates, but the Pirates are fifth in the MLB in batting average right now.
One other reason I am going against the Brewers is they are 0-5 on the run line to start the year. I think with Woodruff on the hill, the Brewers fail to cover this game as favorites.
Pick: Cardinals +1.5
Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE