It’s a National League Central battle on Friday as the first-place St. Louis Cardinals host the second-place Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. The two clubs are locked in the closest divisional race in baseball as just a half-game separates the rivals.
The Cardinals have won eight of their last 10, while the Brewers have struggled a bit, losing six of their previous 10. Milwaukee is on a two-game winning streak, taking two from the Tampa Bay Rays. Can the Brewers keep the momentum going and take over first place, or will the Cardinals shut them down?
Find out with our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Brewers vs. Cardinals on Friday, August 12.
Brewers vs Cardinals odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Cardinals opened at -140 but have moved as high as -164. The total opened at 7.0 but jumped to 8.0, slightly juiced to the Under.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until first pitch and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Brewers vs Cardinals predictions
Picks made on 8/12/2022 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2022 MLB season, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users can get a no-sweat first bet (up to $1,000) at FanDuel! Sign Up Now
B) New users can get two risk-free bets up to $2,000 at PointsBet! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only
Brewers vs Cardinals game info
• Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
• Date: Friday, August 12, 2022
• First pitch: 8:15 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin, Bally Sports Midwest
Brewers vs Cardinals betting preview
Starting pitchers
Eric Lauer (8-3, 3.60 ERA): Though his ERA is a touch high, Lauer has been pretty dependable for the Brewers this season. He is just one win behind Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes, and nine of his 20 appearances have been quality starts. His last game against the Cincinnati Reds was solid, as the 27-year-old left-hander allowed just one run in six innings through seven innings. Lauer has faced the Cardinals twice, going 1-1.
Jordan Montgomery (4-3, 3.54 ERA): Montgomery came over in a trade two weeks ago from the New York Yankees and made his St. Louis debut against his former team. He ended up blanking the Yankees on two hits through five innings in a Cardinals win. The 29-year-old struggled beforehand as he had allowed 16 runs in six July appearances, which raised his ERA to 4.91 for the month.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Brewers are 5-1 in their last six games on the road against a left-handed starter. Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Cardinals
Brewers vs Cardinals picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The last time the Brewers lost at Busch Stadium was on July 14 to the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. Though the Brewers have lost six of their last 10, they do own a two-game winning streak, taking a pair at home from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Milwaukee will also send the pitcher with the better stats to the mound on Friday. Eric Lauer is coming off a one-run gem against the Cincinnati Reds, where he limited them to six hits through seven innings to pick up his eighth victory of the season. It was the fourth time in his last six starts that he has allowed just one run. The other two times, he gave up four to the Colorado Rockies and two to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Lauer has faced the Cardinals twice this season. In June, the lefty picked up his third loss of the season after allowing five runs (including two homers) on six hits in six innings. The result in May was much better, as he allowed just two runs on four hits through five innings and picked up the victory.
The Cardinals are still trying to figure out what they got in Jordan Montgomery. The lefty came over in a trade with the Yankees, and though he pitched well in his debut for St. Louis, he really struggled in July with the Yankees.
Montgomery gave up 30 hits in 29.1 innings during that span. Neither team holds a real pitching edge in this one tonight, which gives us a ton of value on the Brewers at this price.
Prediction: Brewers moneyline (+150 at WynnBet)
Over/Under analysis
While Lauer has been solid for the Brewers, he will face a potent St. Louis offense tonight. The Cardinals are sixth in batting average at .251. They are also seventh in runs, eighth in hits, and ninth in on-base percentage.
Though Lauer has pitched well in his last six starts, none of the teams he faced had a winning record. He should pitch well against the Cardinals, but St. Louis will score some runs. It will be up to his teammates to score some runs and keep the Brewers ahead of the Cardinals, and they are certainly capable of that.
Milwaukee is ninth in runs and fourth in home runs. St. Louis starter Jordan Montgomery will be facing the Brewers for the first time, and his recent history of giving up an average of a run every inning in July should benefit Milwaukee greatly.
For Milwaukee, the Over is 3-0-2 in their last five against a team with a winning record and 3-0-1 in their previous four road games when the total was set at 7.0-8.5. The Over is also 7-3-3 in the Brewers’ last 13 games with a total of 7.0-8.5.
The Cardinals have scored five or more runs in seven of their last 10 games, including an outing in which they put up 12 on the Yankees.
Prediction: Over 8 (-105 at Caesars)
Best bet
The Cardinals have proven in the games they have faced Lauer this season that they can touch him up for a few runs before the fifth inning. In the first game in May, they scored two runs by the fifth, while the Brewers scored all four of theirs by the end of the fourth.
Montgomery has proven he is more than capable of getting hit around as well. The only wrinkle could be that since the Brewers have never faced him, he might be able through the first time of the order unscathed. If he does that, it will be up to Milwaukee bats to play catch up the second time they face him.
I don’t think it will come to that, but even if it does, Milwaukee will do their part in helping this wager hit the Over.
Pick: First five innings Over 4 (+100 at DraftKings)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s MLB Brewers vs. Cardinals picks, you could win $87.62 on a $10 bet?
Use our MLB parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
