The Milwaukee Brewers have high hopes for the 2008 season after last year's surprise challenge for the National League Central crown, but they have been inconsistent so far. On Tuesday at 8:05 PM ET, the Brewers will kick off a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers at Miller Park in Major League Baseball action. The MLB betting odds for the Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers is -104 at BetOnline.com.

29-year-old Brad Penny (5-3, 4.79) will be attempting to bounce back from his worst outing of the season, as he was shelled for ten runs on ten hits in just 4 2/3 innings of a 12-1 loss at home to the New York Mets. That loss snapped a streak of four consecutive wins for the ninth-year righthander, who has failed to strike out more than four batters in all eight starts this year. Brad Penny shut out the Brewers in his only appearance against Milwaukee last season, tossing a six-hitter over seven innings of a 5-1 win at home.

The Brewers will give the ball to 24-year-old Carlos Villanueva (1-4. 6.46), and 2008 has been a struggle for the third-year righthander. Villanueva gave up seven runs on ten hits over five innings of a 7-2 loss at Florida in his last start, and he has now allowed 13 runs in his last two performances. Villanueva is now winless in six straight starts, with his only victory coming in his season debut against San Francisco. Villanueva made two relief appearances against the Dodgers last season, putting up a brutal ERA of 13.50 in only two innings of work.

These two clubs split six meetings in 2007, with the home team taking two of three games in each series. Both are also hovering around the .500 mark, and they need something to spark their season. The experienced Penny should be able to recover from a terrible showing in his last game, while the young Villanueva will struggle to get out of his funk. Take the Dodgers to take the opener of this series on Tuesday.

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