MLB picks: Brewers vs. Indians, Cardinals vs. Cubs

A classic MLB rivalry will be renewed on Friday night as the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. But first on deck is the series-opener between the Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians.

Milwaukee Brewers (17-19) at Cleveland Indians (23-14), 7:10 p.m. ET

The weekend series opener between the Brewers and Indians looks fairly straightforward – two solid starters plus two weak offenses should equal an easy win for Under bettors.

Corbin Burnes gets the call for Milwaukee, and he’s 1-0 with a 2.78 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 2020. Opponents are batting just .161 against him over 32 1/3 innings of work this season. Burnes has the advantage of having never faced Cleveland before, meaning that baseball’s 22nd-ranked lineup by runs per game (4.27) won’t be sure what the ball will look like coming out of his hand.

His opposite number will be Carlos Carrasco (2-3, 3.75 ERA), who delivered his fourth quality start of the season when he blanked the Cardinals through six innings last Saturday. He draws a plum matchup with the Brewers’ 27th-ranked scoring offense (4.00).

Both bullpens are stingy when it comes to opponent batting average – the Brewers are sixth in that department (.216) while the Indians are third (.199).

MLB pick: Under

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St. Louis Cardinals (14-14) at Chicago Cubs (22-15), 8:15 p.m. ET

Cubs starter Yu Darvish is in the NL Cy Young mix, but the Cardinals have played well against him in the past and appear to be worth a wager as underdogs as they send Jack Flaherty to the hill on Friday night.

Darvish (6-1, 1.47 ERA) held the Cardinals to one run over six innings on Aug. 18, but he had to deal with significant traffic on the bases as he surrendered eight hits and a walk. Darvish’s career splits against St. Louis aren’t exactly Cy Young-worthy – in 30 1/3 innings of work, he’s 1-2 with a 3.56 ERA.

The Redbirds’ offense heads into this series with momentum on their side, as they’ve plated 36 runs over their last four games. Look for first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, 8-for-22 (.364) all-time against Darvish and batting .350 over the last seven days, to deliver at the dish.

Flaherty (2-0, 1.93 ERA) has looked strong despite having to pitch himself into shape and the long delay suffered by this club due to COVID-19 precautions. Friday’s outing will mark the first time this year that Flaherty is not on a strict pitch count.

He’s allowed just one earned run over his last two starts (10 innings). In 36 1/3 innings of work against Chicago in 2019, Flaherty’s opponent batting average was a scant .151.

MLB pick: Cardinals moneyline