Milwaukee rides a 12-game win streak into Cincinnati, sharpening the edge on the NL Central pursuit and targeting a 45-16 surge since June 1. The Brew Crew rely on a potent lineup led by Christian Yelich and William Contreras, while Nick Martinez is lined up for the Reds in a high-stakes showdown that also features wild-card implications. Milwaukee’s odds-driven consistency and late-inning scoring have them as the clear favorite, with the first pitch set at Great American Ball Park on Apple TV+. This isn’t just about a single matchup; it’s a snapshot of Milwaukee’s dominant run and Cincinnati’s bid to stall the surge while clinging to playoff dreams.

On the Reds’ side, Nick Martinez anchors the expectations as Cincinnati tries to cool Milwaukee’s alert offense. Martinez brings a veteran presence, entering with a 10-9 record and a 4.49 ERA, with a recent 1.29 ERA outing against Pittsburgh suggesting he’s rounding into form. For Milwaukee, Yelich has heated up again, going 7-12 (.583) against Pittsburgh earlier in the week, and Contreras has strung together five straight games with a hit (10-18) to fuel the offense. The betting board shows Brewers as solid chalk (-145 moneyline, -1.5 spread), with the total at 9 as focus turns to the bullpen and late-inning bullpen utilization.