Brewers vs Cardinals: Game 1 prediction, odds, injuries, and picks

All-Star brothers William and Willson Contreras take center stage as the Brewers host the Cardinals for a National League Central showdown on Friday. The teams are neck-and-neck in the division, with the Brew Crew being just half a game ahead of the Cards. Fans of both squads are expected to keep their eyes glued to the event, as it will determine who will take the sole runner-up spot in the division.

Milwaukee stalwart Freddy Peralta is set to take the mound opposite Erick Fedde of the Cardinals. Peralta has posted an impressive 2.69 ERA across 77 innings this campaign.

Brewers vs. Cardinals recent form and records

The Brew Crew currently holds a 37-33 record and is precariously holding on to the second spot in the NL Central, just behind the Chicago Cubs. They've also posted a superb 21-11 record at home this campaign.

On the other hand, the Cardinals are in third place with a 36-33 record. The squad is currently on a downward trajectory, having lost seven of its last 10 games, including five straight contests.

Brewers vs. Cardinals odds

Money Line: MIL (-145), STL (+134)

Run Spread: MIL -1.5 (+142), STL +1.5 (-172)

Total Runs: O 7.5 (-111), U 7.5 (-107)

Brewers vs. Cardinals injuries

MIL injury report

Brandon Woodruff (SP): 15-day IL (elbow)
Robert Gasser (SP): 60-day IL (elbow)
Connor Thomas (RP): 60-day IL (elbow)
Blake Perkins (CF): 60-day IL (shin)
Nestor Cortes Jr. (SP): 60-day IL (elbow)
Garrett Mitchell (CF): 10-day IL (oblique)

STL injury report

Jordan Walker (RF): 10-day IL (wrist)
Zack Thompson (RP): 60-day IL (lat)

Brewers vs. Cardinals projected lineup

MIL projected lineup

Sal Frelick (RF)
Jackson Churiou (CF)
William Contreras (C)
Christian Yelich (DH)
Rhys Hoskins (1B)
Isaac Collins (LF)
Brice Turang (2B)
Caleb Durbin (3B)
Joey Ortiz (SS)
Freddy Peralta (SP, 5-4 | 2.69 ERA | 78 K)

STL projected lineup

Lars Nootbaar (LF)
Masyn Wynn (SS)
Brandon Donovan (2B)
Willson Contreras (1B)
Ivan Herrera (DH)
Nolan Arenado (3B)
Ryan Vilade (RF)
Pedro Pages (C)
Victor Scott (CF)
Erick Fedde (SP, 3-5 | 3.54 ERA | 46 K)

Brewers vs. Cardinals picks and game prediction

All-Star Freddy Peralta will carry his 2.69 ERA against the Cardinals, who are the 11th-best team in terms of OPS. However, the latter's struggles as of late make it unreliable to back them in the opening game of the series.

Run Line: MIL -1.5 (+142)

Total Runs: O 7.5 (-123)

Prediction: MIL wins, 7-2

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Daniel Santiago

Brewers vs Cardinals: Game 1 prediction, odds, injuries, and picks - June 13, 2025