Los Angeles Dodgers Vs. Milwaukee Brewers Betting Odds For April 18, 2012

There are only a few ways I’m going no-doubt, all-in against the Los Angeles Dodgers these days. One of those ways is when Zack Greinke is on the mound at home.

The All-Star righty is turns megatron at Miller Park. He was 4-0 at home in his last four starts with the Kansas City Royals. He’s 12-0 at home since joining the Milwaukee Brewers, a streak that not only ties the longest active streak in the majors, but is also the longest in franchise history.

He gets the ball Wednesday night looking to extend that mark against the Dodgers and Bovada is favoring the Brewers by 1 1/2 runs with a relatively large -170 moneyline.

I don’t care who leads the league right now, This is one of the few times I’m going to advise picking against Los Angeles at the start of the year. The Dodgers have torched their schedule so far, starting the year winning 9 of 10. But if Greinke is on the mound, I’m going beer.

The Dodgers had won six in a row leading up to Tuesday night, and looked like they were in line for a seventh after Andre Ethier’s two-run bomb of Francisco Rodriguez in the eighth. Javy Guerra, though, blew his first save of the year when pinch hitter George Kottaras ripped a two-run double.

“We are confident we can come back and win ballgames,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “That does mean a lot when you get late in the game and you’re facing a guy who’s coming out of that bullpen and really throwing well.

“You don’t feel real good about your chances when you get late in the games against great relievers. We all feel like we can come back and win.”

Odds are they won’t have to Wednesday night. Despite his frowny 6.75 ERA so far this year, his ERA at Miller Park is 2.91. Plus, he went seven strong innings in his only career start against the Dodgers last year, giving up just one run and striking out eight in a 3-1 win.

Greinke was roughed up in an 8-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs in his last start, but Bovada’s MLB Player Props page expects a better outing tonight.

Longtime Brewer Chris Capuano is tasked with handing him a second loss. He beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last start, striking out seven in just 5 1/3 innings.

“I’m really happy with my stuff,” he told the Associated Press. “I feel like I’ve got great movement on the ball and pretty good command of my pitches, for the most part. But in the last game and this one, my location really started to suffer in the fifth and sixth innings. So that’s something I’m going to have to look at so I can make quality pitches the whole game.”

Ethier’s homer Tuesday gave him four on the year and a major-leading leading 17 RBIs. It took the outfielder 30 games to reach that many last year.

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