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The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants will meet in the second of a three-game series between long-time NL West rivals at Oracle Park. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Dodgers-Giants prediction and pick.
The Giants defeated the Dodgers 7-2 on Friday night. Darin Ruf approached the plate with the Giants up 2-1 and smashed a solo home run to left field. It was his fourth this year and put the Giants up 3-1. Later, Gavin Lux countered with a solo shot to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Giants put some distance between themselves and the Dodgers in the fifth when Joc Pederson slugged a two-run double that put San Francisco up 5-2. Ruf contributed again with an RBI single to make it 6-2. The Giants never looked back.
It was a short outing for Walker Buehler as he lasted four innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts. His ERA rose to 4.02 as his struggles continue in 2022. Jakob Junis tossed five innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits. The bullpen finished the job by tossing four scoreless innings, allowing one hit.
The Dodgers are 37-21 and first in the NL West. Meanwhile, the Giants are 31-26 and third in the NL West.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Dodgers-Giants odds:
MLB odds: Dodgers-Giants Odds
Dodgers: -1.5 (-102)
Giants: -3.5 (-115)
Over: 8.5 (-104)
Under: 8.5 (-118)
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Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
The Dodgers will go with Clayton Kershaw on the mound. He is returning from a pelvic joint inflammation injury that sidelined him for a month. Kershaw is 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA. Moreover, he is 24-14 with a 1.88 ERA in his career against the Giants. Kershaw looks to continue his long-time dominance against the Giants. Additionally, he hopes to get some assistance from the offense.
The Dodgers left six runners on base and could not produce any results against San Francisco pitching. Mookie Betts and Max Muncy both went hitless, and Cody Bellinger also could not get on base. Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner managed a hit but could not score or drive in anyone. The Dodgers expect more from a lineup that remains solid.
The Dodgers are ninth in batting average, second in on-base percentage, first in runs, and fourth in slugging percentage. They have not blasted as many home runs, as only Betts currently has more than 10 with 16. Los Angeles will have a prime opportunity to change that as the Giants throw out a bullpen game today.
The Dodgers will cover the spread if they get a good outing from Kershaw in his return. He was on fire before his injury and hopes to pick up where he left off. Likewise, the Dodgers hope the offense can return to the furious bunch that scored 11 runs on Wednesday. This offense has the tools to pound the baseball to all sides of the field. Now, the Dodgers must key in on their chances to take down their rivals.
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
The Giants will go with Sam Long on the hill. Long is 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA. He last appeared in relief on June 7 and tossed three scoreless innings. Long will start this game as the Giants will go with a bullpen approach for this showdown. He hopes to perform better this time around than the last time when he faced Los Angeles. Long allowed three earned runs on three hits in his lone appearance against the Dodgers on May 4 while recording just one out. He must pitch significantly better and get some help from an inconsistent offense.
The Giants are sixth in on-base percentage, third in runs scored, and ninth in slugging percentage. However, they do not do so well with hitting the baseball in a general sense. The Giants rank 14th in batting average and 12th in home runs. Pederson has clubbed 13 home runs and 32 RBIs. Likewise, Wilmer Flores has seven home runs and 33 RBIs.
The Giants have been all over the map this week. They managed seven runs last night but mustered only seven combined in the previous three games. They rarely put consistent results on a day-to-day basis and have to change that strategy to win this game. The Giants will cover the spread if they can get to Kershaw early and throw him off his game. Their pitching has to deliver, and the offense must follow.
Final Dodgers-Giants Prediction & Pick
It is the second-best rivalry in baseball, behind the Yankees-Red Sox. Additionally, there is always extra anticipation when these teams play one another. The Dodgers have their long-time ace back, and he will have the motivation to win this one. Expect the Dodgers to win and cover.
Final Dodgers-Giants Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5 (-102)
