MLB matchup analysis

Brewers vs Reds Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Saturday, September 5, 2026 at Great American Ball Park · 6:40 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Brewers vs Reds

Lab Rating
4.7/10
Model lean
Brewers 60.1%
Market probability
59.0%
Model edge
+1.1%
Best moneyline
-150
Sportsbooks checked
6
LyDia model
60.1%
Market
59.0%

The case for Milwaukee Brewers

Bats are hot: +0.019 wOBA
Milwaukee Brewers is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days. Recent form is context, not a model input, but it points the same way here.

The case for Cincinnati Reds

Their bats are hot: +0.030 wOBA
Cincinnati Reds is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days.

Why it is not official

Below the 61.0% official gate
Win probability is 60.1%. LyDia does not make a game official below 61.0%, no matter how good the price is. This is a value spot, not a high-confidence winner.
Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 4.7/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Own bullpen carries risk: 7.7/10
The Milwaukee Brewers bullpen comes in tired. A lead after six innings is less safe than usual.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 2.55/10
LyDia leans toward Milwaukee Brewers, but not strongly enough to earn full conviction credit.
Pitching plan: 12/40
Dustin May rates 60 on LyDia's pitcher score, judged on its own merits (50-80 is the credited range). Average or below by that measure, so it earns little or none of the available credit here -- independent of who the opponent is throwing.
Offense: 32.31/50
Milwaukee Brewers's recent offensive form clearly outpaces Cincinnati Reds's over the tracked windows.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 64.1%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes Milwaukee Brewers 64.1% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 4 points
The pitcher-score gap favors Milwaukee Brewers by 4 points. This is the biggest single mover of the price -- a large gap moves it a lot, a small gap barely moves it.
Bullpen adjustment: -0.018
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward Cincinnati Reds. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 64.1% -> 60.1%
Team strength alone had Milwaukee Brewers at 64.1%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 60.1% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict LyDia passes. The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Read the full model output

The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.

Game information

MatchupMilwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds
DateSaturday, September 5, 2026
First pitch6:40 PM ET
VenueGreat American Ball Park
Starting pitchersDustin May vs Andrew Abbott
WeatherGame-time forecast: 84°F, 20% precipitation chance, 5 mph wind from E.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Dustin MayBrewers · RHP
vs
Andrew AbbottReds · LHP
MetricBrewersReds
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings55⅓
ThrowsRL
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)6056
ERA (lower is better)4.624.49
WHIP (lower is better)1.321.42
K/9 (higher is better)8.67.1
K-BB% (higher is better)14.6%7.5%
K% (higher is better)22.6%18.1%
BB% (lower is better)8.0%10.5%
BB/9 (lower is better)3.14.1
HR/9 (lower is better)0.71.3
Ground-ball rate47.0%43.1%
Fly-ball rate53.0%56.9%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Dustin May a 4-point edge over Andrew Abbott, driven mainly by K-BB% (14.6% vs 7.5%) and BB/9 (3.1 vs 4.1).

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Dustin May strikeouts
5.4 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · -0.1K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 5.5K · O +112 / U -125 · 5 books
Andrew Abbott strikeouts
4.6 LyDia projected Ks
Official pick: OVER 3.5K · +0.8K difference
Market 3.5K · O -132 / U +120 · 5 books

Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.

Brewers are 7-3 in their last 10 and averaging 5.2 runs per game over the last 15 days; Reds are 5-5 in their last 10 and averaging 5.0 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Brewers carry the better run differential per game (+1.23 against -0.79).

MetricBrewersReds
Last 107-35-5
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)7-3 on the road4-6 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7850.781
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3460.341
Runs per game, last 15 days5.25.0
K% last 15 days (lower is better)20.5%23.9%

Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.

30-day offense

Full offense tool →
Last 30 daysBrewersReds
OPS0.759 (+0.020 vs szn)0.696 (-0.009 vs szn)
Runs per game5.21 (+0.193 vs szn)4.10 (-0.044 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.335 (+0.008 vs szn)0.307
K% (lower is better)23.0% (+1.5% vs szn)25.7%

Over the last 30 days the Brewers have been the better offense, 0.335 wOBA to 0.307. Reds are striking out at 25.7% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricBrewersReds
Record88-5467-74
Run differential / game (team quality)+1.23-0.79
Runs scored / game (offense, season)5.044.17
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)3.814.96
Season OPS0.7390.704
K% season (lower is better)21.5%25.3%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7040.693

Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.

Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Brewers and Reds are highlighted.

Brewers
Combined risk
7.7 Tired
Fatigue
7.7 Tired
Efficiency
5.1 Average
Reds
Combined risk
7.1 Tired
Fatigue
6.4 Tired
Efficiency
3.6 Below average

Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.

MetricBrewersReds
Fatigue7.7/10, Tired6.4/10, Tired
Efficiency5.1/10, Average3.6/10, Below average
Combined risk7.7/10, Tired7.1/10, Tired
Relief innings, last 7 days28.724.7
Back-to-back arms65
7-day ERA4.086.20
7-day WHIP1.261.42

Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
LyDia projection
10.6
Market total
9.0
Projected away runs
6.1
Projected home runs
3.8
Over price
-102
Under price
-107
Milwaukee Brewers team total
6.1 projected
Line 4.5 · O -132 / U +114
Over research lean (+1.6)
Cincinnati Reds team total
3.8 projected
Line 3.5 · O -128 / U +105
No team-total lean

The model projects 1.6 runs above the market total. A research lean still requires a setup rating of at least 7.0/10. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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