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The Giants and the Reds kick off the MLB season in Cincinnati! These two teams are looking to claw back towards the postseason this season. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Giants-Reds prediction and pick.
The Giants were up and down toward an 80-82 record last season. The Giants struggled both behind the plate and on the mound last season. Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos, Michael Conforto, Willy Adames, Jung Hoo Lee, and Mike Yastrzemski are standouts in the batting lineup. Logan Webb and Jordan Hicks lead their pitching, but they also got better from the offseason after adding Justin Verlander as well. The Giants should be better and can test it early in Cincinnati this year.
The Reds struggled to find consistency all last year and finished with a 77-85 record. Cincinnati has struggled to get going behind the plate, ranking near the bottom of the MLB at 26th. Their pitching has been better, but still not great at 18th. Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz, Jeimer Candelario, and Jake Fraley have been standouts in a struggling offense this season. Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene, and Nick Lodolo have all been at varying levels of good for Cincinnati on the mound. The Reds struggled but can open the year with a fresh start and win.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Giants-Reds Odds
San Francisco Giants: -1.5 (+138)
Moneyline: -112
Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-166)
Moneyline: -104
Over: 7.5 (-120)
Under: 7.5 (-104)
How to Watch Giants vs. Reds
Time: 4:10 pm ET/1:10 pm PT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio/NBC Sports Bay Area
Article Continues Below
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Why The Giants Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Giants are starting Logan Webb on the mound. Last season, he had a 13-10 record, a 3.47 ERA, and a 1.23 WHIP. He had a K/BB ratio of 3.4 and 172 total strikeouts this season. Webb has been the best pitcher for the Giants since emerging last season. He gets a good matchup against a Reds offense that struggled last season, and it's one they can take advantage of.
The Giants' offense struggled last season. They were 20th in team batting average at .239. Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman lead the offense in almost every critical batting category. Chapman leads in home runs with 27, RBI with 78, OBP with .328, and total hits with 142. Then, Ramos leads in batting average with .269. The Giants and their offense should be much better after being mediocre most of the season. This is an excellent matchup against a subpar Reds pitching staff, and Greene was solid last season but not elite.
Why The Reds Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Reds are starting Hunter Greene on the mound. He had a 9-5 record, a 2.75 ERA, and a 1.02 WHIP last season. Through 451 innings, he allowed 47 runs on 96 hits and had a K/BB ratio of 3.0. Greene emerged as the best pitcher on the Cincinnati roster last season, and he will be a tough matchup for the Giants in this game. San Francisco has more weapons now on offense, so this is not an easy matchup, but Greene does have an advantage on this side of the diamond, especially at home in Cincinnati.
The Reds struggled behind the plate last season. They finished ranked 26th in batting average at .231. Elly De La Cruz, Jonathan India, and Spencer Steer led the way in most batting categories last season. De La Cruz led the way in batting average at .259, in home runs at 25, and in total hits at 160. Steer was the leader in RBI, and India is the leader in OBP at .357. The Reds should have a better offense this season, but the matchup against Webb will be a massive challenge.
Final Giants-Reds Prediction & Pick
The Giants, on paper, are the better team, but the Reds can keep this close. Greene and Webb are great pitchers and should shut down each offense. In a pitching match like this, expect the Reds to cover at home, but the Giants sneak out a win against to start the year off at 1-0.
Final Giants-Reds Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati Reds +1.5 (-166)
