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The Reds visit the Giants in San Francisco! These two teams are playing very differently, with the Reds struggling, while the Giants have started red-hot. This is a big game for both teams in San Francisco. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Reds-Giants prediction and pick.
Reds-Giants Projected Starters
Nick Martinez vs. Justin Verlander
Nick Martinez (0-2) with a 5.91 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts through 4.2 innings.
Away Splits: (0-1) 5.79 ERA
Justin Verlander (0-0) with a 6.14 ERA and a 1.91 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts through 2.1 innings.
Home Splits: (0-0) 11.57 ERA
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Reds-Giants Odds
Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-170)
Moneyline: +122
San Francisco Giants: -1.5 (+140)
Moneyline: -144
Over: 7.5 (-122)
Under: 7.5 (+100)
How to Watch Reds vs. Giants
Time: 3:45 pm ET/12:45 pm PT
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area/FanDuel Sports Network Ohio
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Reds Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Reds struggled to find consistency all last year and finished with a 77-85 record. This season, they are 4-7 through their first 11 games. 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. They have not been much better on offense this season, but the pitching has been great. Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz, Jeimer Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, TJ Friedl, Matt McLain, Gavin Lux, and Jake Fraley have been standouts in a struggling offense this season. Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene, and Brady Singer 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 Martinez on the mound. He has a 0-2 record, a 5.91 ERA, and a 1.13 WHIP. Through 10.2 innings, he allowed seven runs on nine hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in two starts. He also has a K/BB ratio of 2.3. The Reds have struggled with Martinez on the mound. This is an intriguing matchup because the Giants have not been all that impressive behind the plate.
The Reds struggled behind the plate last season and have not been much better, if at all, this season. They finished ranked 26th in batting average at .231 and are 20th in batting average this season at .228. De La Cruz, Friedl, and McLain lead this season's batting categories. Friedl leads in batting average at .275, in OBP at .326, and in total hits with 11. McLain leads in home runs with three, then De La Cruz in RBI with 10. The Reds have struggled on offense, but after the way Verlander has started the year, they might be able to take advantage.
Why The Giants Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Giants were up and down toward an 80-82 record last season. However, this season, they have started red-hot with an 8-2 record, but they lost their most recent game against the Reds. The Giants struggled both behind the plate and on the mound last season. The offense has not been much better this year, but the pitching has been dominant in comparison. Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos, Michael Conforto, Willy Adames, Jung Hoo Lee, Wilmer Flores, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Mike Yastrzemski are standouts in the batting lineup. Logan Webb, Jordan Hicks, and Robbie Ray lead their pitching as a great trio. The Giants look much better, and this will be a big test against the Reds.
The Giants are starting new free-agent signing Justin Verlander on the mound. He has a 0-0 record, a 6.14 ERA, and a 1.91 WHIP. He has allowed five runs on 11 hits with three walks and seven strikeouts through 7.1 innings in his two starts. He also had a K/BB ratio of 2.3. The Giants also went 1-1 in his two starts. 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 and has not improved much this year. They were 20th in team batting average at .239 and only have a .228. Ramos, Flores, and Yastrzemski lead the offense in almost every critical batting category. Yastrzemski leads in batting average at .333 and OBP at .471. Flores leads in home runs with four and in RBI with 12. Finally, Ramos is the leader with 12 hits. This offense has started slow, but they don't have a challenging matchup against Martinez, and they might have the advantage on this side because of that.
Final Reds-Giants Prediction & Pick
I think this game is going to be extremely close. Neither team has a significant pitching advantage because neither is starting a pitcher who has impressed so far. The offenses are also struggling. The Reds should keep this close, even if the home crowd pushes the Giants to the win.
Final Reds-Giants Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati Reds +1.5 (-170)
