Reds vs. Brewers prediction and odds for Saturday, July 8 (Cincinnati evens series in Milwaukee)

The Brewers got the better of the Reds in the opening game of a three game series to cap the unofficial first half of the season.

Cincinnati remains in first place in the NL Central but now only by a game heading into another game against second place. Luke Weaver is slated to start the second of three against Colin Rea, is there a betting angle to take?

Here are the odds:

Reds vs. Brewers odds, run line and total

Reds vs. Brewers prediction and pick

The Reds bolster the far superior offense in the short and long term. Over the last 15 days, Cincinnati is top five in OPS while Milwaukee is closer to league average at 14th. That's a small look into an even more pronounced gap this season, as the Reds are eighth in the big leagues in OPS against the Brewers, who are 26th.

So, can the Reds keep it rolling at the plate? The team faces back-end rotation arm Colin Rea. The right hander is off two straight quality starts that spanned over six innings each and allowed three earned runs. However, Rea does walk a high rate of batters, three per nine innings, which can lead to issues against an elite hitting group in Cincinnati.

Meanwhile, the Reds start Weaver off a fine start, five innings, two earned runs. Weaver's ERA looks brutal at 6.72, but his xERA is far lower at 5.36. Against a Brewers team that has struggled at the plate all season, I believe Weaver can continue his upward trajectory.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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