MLB wagering interest swings to the Pittsburgh vs Milwaukee battle on Thursday at PNC Park as the Pirates try to defend home turf and reward moneyline bettors.

Pittsburgh hands the ball to starter Francisco Liriano in this one and he'll try to improve on his 1-0 mark on the year. Milwaukee counters with Hiram Burgos, who will try to quiet the fans and the Pirates bats at the same time.



View Milwaukee vs Pittsburgh Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
On the MLB moneyline for this matchup, Pittsburgh sat as -140 favorites earlier in the day at Sportsbook. The total was set at 8, according to Sportsbook.

Power Rankings:
The MLB Power Rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Pirates rated this week at No. 5 and the Brewers sitting at No. 10.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Pittsburgh's No. 9 ranked National League offense (4 runs per game) against a Brewers defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 14 in the National League at 4.9 runs allowed per game. The Pirates have been averaging 8 hits per game, less than the Brewers have managed so far this season (8.9 hits on average).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Pittsburgh has the National League's No. 4-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Brewers own the National League's No. 14 mark in runs allowed.

In their last action, Milwaukee was a 3-1 loser on the road against the Pirates. Bettors on Pittsburgh at -112 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (4) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. Milwaukee suffered a 3-1 loss against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, as Yovani Gallardo wasn't able to lead his team to victory at PNC Park.




Milwaukee Brewers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing St. Louis are 2-8
After playing Pittsburgh are 5-5
After a loss are 2-8

Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
Before playing Houston are 5-5
After playing Milwaukee are 4-6
After a win are 5-5

A few Brewers at Pirates trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 8 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games on the road
Milwaukee is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games


Next up:
Milwaukee at St. Louis, Friday, May 17
Pittsburgh home to Houston, Friday, May 17