The Milwaukee Brewers start the 2011 baseball season as MLB Picks betting favorites to win the National League Central Division, but will be targets to the Cincinnati Reds, last years division champs. On Thursday (2:10 pm ET) the Brewers and Reds open the new season with a series in Cincinnati at Great American Ballpark. Oddsmakers have installed the Reds as -135 series favorites for this three-game set with the Brewers.
Reds manager Dusty Baker has selected the hard throwing right-hander Edinson Volquez to start the season from the mound. Volquez saw only limited action in 2010 finishing the season with a 4-3 record and 4.31 ERA over 62.2 innings. The Brewers will counter Volquez with Yovani Gallardo, a hard throwing right-hander of their own. Gallardo finished 2010 at 14-7 with a respectable 3.84 ERA.
For the series opener, MLB Lines oddsmakers list the Reds on as slight -120 moneyline favorites with a posted 8-run total. Brewers backers are getting EVEN (+100) ML odds. Run line prices show the Brewers giving -210 (+1 1/2) while the Reds are getting +175 (-1 1/2).
Looking back over a couple of seasons in head to head matchups between the clubs, the Reds enjoy a 15-of-18 games winning advantage when playing the Brewers and have won eight of their last nine games at home in Great American Ballpark. Fans who like to wager on game totals should take note, the total has gone UNDER in 8 of Cincinnati's last 11 games when playing at home against Milwaukee.
Looking for good 2011 World Series Predictions ? The Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers should both be good value World Series choices. The Reds are getting +2500 winning World Series odds while Brewers backers are lined at +1500.
