The San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks are set to begin a three-game series Thursday night. San Francisco has a lot to play for, as they currently are in sole possession of the NL West. The Diamondbacks are in the cellar of the same division, but they would love to play spoiler to the rival Giants. Divisional matchups are always fun to watch, so don't expect this one to be any different. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Giants – Diamondbacks prediction and pick.
Before we get into the pick, let's see how the bookmakers have set the lines for tonight's game.
MLB Odds: Giants-Diamondbacks Odds
San Francisco Giants ML (-141)
Arizona Diamondbacks ML (+130)
Over 9 runs (-103)
Under 9 runs (-117)
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
Despite a recent losing skid, the Giants remain one of the best (and most surprising) teams in MLB. Their lineup is one of the toughest in the league to get through, and opposing starter Merrill Kelly has found that out the hard way. Kelly has faced the Giants twice already this season, with neither outing ending well for him. Over a combined nine innings, Kelly gave up six runs and was saddled with a loss and a no decision.
San Francisco has also hit right-handed pitching better than left-handed this year, sporting a higher team batting average and OPS.The Arizona righty has struggled for much of the year, posting a 4.73 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP on the season. There is good reason to believe that the Giants will hit him well again.
The Giants will entrust Johnny Cueto with the start tonight, something that usually works out well. Cueto has been surprisingly solid this season, earning himself an ERA of 3.63 and a WHIP of 1.27 on the season. It looks like Cueto has a chance to improve those statistics against a Diamondbacks offense that is one of the worst in the league. Arizona ranks in the bottom ten in the league in batting average, OBP and OPS. They are even worse against right-handed pitching, posting worse statistics across the board against righties.
Why The Diamondbacks Could Cover The Spread
The Diamondbacks haven't been winning all that much lately, but there's a couple encouraging factors going their way in this game.
Arizona has faced Cueto once before this season, and the results were pretty solid for the Diamondbacks. Cueto went five innings and gave up four earned runs, which was nearly enough for the Diamondbacks to win. Another reason for optimism is how well the Arizona batters hit Cueto. Of the eight projected starters tonight, six hold a batting average of .400 or above against the Giants righty.
The Diamondbacks are also significantly better offensively when playing at home. This isn't a surprise, as they only recently snapped a 24-game road losing streak. Arizona hitters have a higher combined batting average, OBP, and OPS when playing at home compared to on the road, meaning that Cueto's outing may not go so smoothly.
Final Giants – Diamondbacks Prediction & Pick
I do expect this game to be close, but I think the Diamondbacks will pull out a win. They're playing at home against a pitcher who they've hit well. Arizona also has a capable starter on the mound. It's definitely not the safest pick, but I think the odds are right to try and call an upset.
FINAL PICK: Arizona Diamondbacks ML (+130)
Follow Us
Subscribe