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The Giants and the Reds continue their opening series in Cincinnati! These two teams are looking to claw back towards the postseason this season. The Giants won the first game in this series, and the Reds need a win to start the season. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Giants-Reds prediction and pick.
Giants-Reds Projected Starters
Justin Verlander vs. Nick Lodolo
Justin Verlander (5-6) with a 5.48 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP
Last Start:
Away Splits: 5-3 (4.28 ERA)
Nick Lodolo (9-6) with a 4.76 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP
Last Start:
Home Splits: 4-4 (6.09 ERA)
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Giants-Reds Odds
San Francisco Giants: -1.5 (+168)
Moneyline: +106
Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-205)
Moneyline: -124
Over: 8.5 (-115)
Under: 8.5 (-105)
How to Watch Giants vs. Reds
Time: 4:10 pm ET/1:10 pm PT
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area/ FanDuel Sports Ohio
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Giants Will Cover The Spread/Win
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 Giants are starting new free-agent signing Justin Verlander on the mound. Last season, he had a 5-6 record, a 5.48 ERA, and a 1.38 WHIP. He also allowed 56 runs on 98 hits with 27 walks and 74 strikeouts through 90.1 innings. He also had a K/BB ratio of 2.7. Verlander is one of the best pitchers in the MLB, but he's aging and not where he once was. He still might have some success against the Reds in this matchup because Cincinnati's offense does not overwhelm you.
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. They scored six runs in the first matchup between the two in this series, but this will be a challenging game against Lodolo.
Why The Reds Will Cover The Spread/Win
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.
The Reds are starting Nick Lodolo on the mound. Last season, he had a 9-6 record, a 4.76 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP. Through 115.1 innings, he allowed 62 runs on 101 hits with 37 walks and 122 strikeouts. He also had a K/BB ratio of 3.3. Lodolo had a solid year last season and is primed for another solid run this season.
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, and they get a decent matchup against an older Verlander, where you never know what he will do.
Final Giants-Reds Prediction & Pick
The Giants and Reds have very similar teams this season. Lodolo and Verlander will get in a pitching duel between these two teams, but I still trust the Giants to get the win. However, this game will be close, and the Reds will cover the spread at home.
Final Giants-Reds Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati Reds +1.5 (-205)
