Pick on the Total for Brewers-Reds on July 16

The Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds wrap up a series that is crucial in the National Central with Sunday’s game deciding whether or not there will be a tie in the standings.

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds (-125, 11)

Entering the weekend, both teams were lacking in the power department with the Reds 21st in the league in home runs per game while the Brewers were 22nd, which should be of help to Reds starting pitcher Ben Lively.

Lively’s biggest issue this season has been his 1.7 home runs per nine innings allowed, overall posting a 3.83 ERA with 8.7 strikeouts to 2.6 walks per nine innings and is coming off allowing just one run in 5 2/3 innings in his last start before the All-Star Break against this same Brewers team.

The Brewers are last in the National League in batting average and was one of two National League teams that entered the weekend averaging fewer than four runs per game on the road this season.

Brewers starting pitcher Adrian Houser is tasked with keeping a Reds lineup that is third in the league in on-base percentage at bay as he enters having allowed five total runs, four of which earned, in his last four pitching appearances.

Houser has a 3.84 ERA overall this season with 0.9 home runs per nine innings allowed, but has actually pitched his best on the road with his ERA dropping to 3.41 when away from Milwaukee and has issued a career-best three walks per nine innings after allowing at least four walks per nine innings each of the past two seasons.

The Brewers bullpen behind Houser enters in its best form of the season, ranking seventh in bullpen ERA over the past 30 days prior to Saturday’s game while the Reds bullpen entered Saturday’s game 11th in ERA.

With the Reds runs per game and on-base percentage being worse at home this season than on the road, Sunday sets up to be a low-key pitcher’s duel in a very key game for both teams.

The Play: Brewers vs. Reds Under 11