Cardinals vs Brewers Picks and Odds – July 31

• Brewers go into home opener having won three of last four games against Cardinals
• St. Louis sends ace Jack Flaherty to the mound looking for his second win of the season,
• Milwaukee’s Brett Anderson set to make his first start of 2020 as a small home underdog

A pair of playoff teams from 2019 collide in Milwaukee as the Brewers get set to host the St. Louis Cardinals for their home opener on July 31 (2:10 pm ET). Both teams are once again right in the thick of it in the early going in the NL Central, which was always expected to be tight. The 3-3 Brewers lead the 2-3 Cardinals by half a game, while both narrowly trail the 4-2 Chicago Cubs.

Cardinals vs Brewers Odds

Odds taken July 30.

The early Cardinals vs Brewers odds have the Cardinals favored to win, and the pitching matchup would seem to bear that out. Jack Flaherty has shown little signs of rust, while Brett Anderson has just come off the 10-day injured list, so how that carries over to his game remains to be seen.

Flaherty Showing Fine Form

Set to make his second start of the season for St. Louis, Flaherty needs little introduction, after posting an earned-run average of just 0.91 in the second half of last season, helping him finish fourth in the NL Cy Young voting.

The right-hander has picked up right where he left off in 2020. Flaherty got the nod for Opening Day, pitching seven innings and giving up just two runs on six hits, striking out six, as the Cardinals earned a 5-4 victory over Pittsburgh last Friday.

Jack Flaherty😍😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/7IrI9vReXc

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) July 25, 2020

But Flaherty has endured some tough times against the Brewers, with a 2-4 record with a 4.56 ERA in 10 career starts against the Brewers. The Cardinals ace has also never won in Milwaukee, with an 0-2 record and 4.68 ERA over five starts at Miller Park.

Brewers Career Stats vs Flaherty

The one silver lining for Flaherty going into the game in Milwaukee would be his record against Christian Yelich. The 2018 NL MVP is batting just .238 against Flaherty, has batted in just one run against him, and has never hit a home run off him. For a guy who is struggling this season, with an on-base percentage of just .071, that matchup looks tilted in Flaherty’s favor.

Anderson Coming Off the IL

The veteran left-hander will make his first start of 2020 after missing time up until now with a blister on his pitching hand. The 32-year-old is coming off a 13-9 season in Oakland in which he posted 3.89 ERA and tied a career high with 31 starts.

Highest Ground ball% in 2019
(Min. 100 innings)

60.1% Dallas Keuchel
56.9% Dakota Hudson
55.2% Luis Castillo
54.5% Brett Anderson

— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) July 25, 2020

Anderson has only made two career starts against St. Louis, but despite giving up just four earned runs in 13.2 innings, has an 0-2 record against the Cards.

Cardinals Career Stats vs Anderson

The Cardinals have struggled to generate runs so far this season. Only four teams had scored fewer than the Cards’ 18 runs before the start of Thursday’s games.

We told you:

You simply can't stop Brett Anderson at the plate #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/KCzg94OxiO

— Oakland A's (@Athletics) May 4, 2019

For a lineup that is unfamiliar with Anderson, who has spent most of his career in the American League, it could be tough to break through on Friday. Although first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, with his two home runs and .583 average, should be looking forward to the meeting.

Brewing Up Milwaukee’s Finest

With three wins in the last four meetings with St. Louis, the Brewers will be confident of extending that small run of dominance. But there is little to choose between the teams, as you might expect for a pair of squads that are routinely in the running for the division crown in recent years.

On this date: April 15, 2019.

Christian Yelich hit 3 home runs in one game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

For your viewing pleasure, here’s all 3!

🎥 via @Brewers #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/PMGO0Ko7s2

— Christian Yelich Hits Tracker (@YelichHits) April 15, 2020

Over the last 10 meetings, St. Louis holds a 6-4 edge, and extended out over the 19 games the teams played last season, the Cardinals had a 10-9 advantage.

Pick: Brewers (+123); U 8.5 (+100)