2026 World Series Game 1: Brewers vs. Rays Preview and Predictions
The 2026 World Series commences on Friday with Game 1 featuring the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays, both teams aiming for their first championship title. The matchup takes place at American Family Field in Milwaukee, starting at 8 p.m. ET.
The Brewers, who finished the season with a 98-64 record, advanced to the World Series by defeating the Padres in the NLDS and sweeping the Dodgers in the NLCS. The Rays also had a strong postseason, sweeping the Yankees in the ALDS and overcoming the Guardians in six games during the ALCS. Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski, with a 16-5 record and a 1.80 ERA, will pitch against Tampa's Nick Martinez, who has a 15-6 record and a 3.10 ERA.
In their regular season encounters, the Brewers won two out of three games against the Rays. Currently, Milwaukee is favored at -179 on the money line, while Tampa Bay is at +162. The over/under for the game is set at 6.5 runs. Expert Eric Cohen has been successful with his MLB predictions, recently going 58-28 on money-line picks, and he anticipates that the total runs will exceed 6.5 in this game.
