The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers will renew their rivalry on Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Giants-Dodgers prediction and pick, laid out below.
San Francisco has come down to Earth following their 107-win season in 2021, with a 65-69 record finding the team on the brink of elimination. A combination of injuries and inconsistent performances have been the downfall for this team, and 2022 can only be counted as a disappointment.
Los Angeles may have wrapped up the division before the All-Star break unofficially. Officially, with a staggering 93-42 record, Los Angeles is up by 19 games over the second-place San Diego Padres in the NL West. It is nothing but a formality for Los Angeles to officially clinch their playoff spot.
Here are the Giants-Dodgers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Giants-Dodgers Odds
San Francisco Giants: +1.5 (+102)
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-122)
Over: 8 (-115)
Under: 8 (-105)
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
San Francisco has found some great starting pitching in Carlos Rodon, Logan Webb, and Alex Cobb. The final part of that trio, Cobb, will take the ball this afternoon. Cobb has turned a corner the last two seasons and is pitching to a 3.58 ERA in 22 starts, striking out 122 batters in 118 innings. The right-hander has been even better of late, with a 2.61 ERA in his last 15 starts. Cobb is throwing harder than he has in his career, with his sinker averaging 94.8 mph. Based on batted ball data, Cobb's expected ERA is actually better than his ERA, with a 3.06 expected mark. At 34 years old, Cobb is enjoying one of the better seasons of his career, and certainly his best stretch since 2013 and 2014.
San Francisco's bullpen has been one of the worst groups in the league, ranking 23rd in the league in ERA. John Brebbia has pitched to a 2.98 ERA in 64 appearances, four of which have come as an opener. Brebbia has only walked 6.3% of the batters he has faced. Closer Camilo Doval has taken the closer job by storm, both his cutter and fastball sit in the upper 90s, devastating opponents. But it is Doval's slider that has been the best in his arsenal, batters have hit just .160 against it, and the pitch has accounted for 51 of his 68 strikeouts.
San Francisco's offense has been mired by inconsistency, and last year's veteran resurgence has not lived up to expectations in 2022. Joc Pederson leads the team with 21 home runs, hitting .268 with 17 doubles. Wilmer Flores leads the team with 63 RBI and 26 doubles, adding 17 home runs and a triple. Thairo Estrada has seen the most significant playing time in his career, and leads the team with 17 stolen bases, adding 12 home runs and 19 doubles. Evan Longoria has hit 12 home runs with a 10% walk rate. Mike Yastrzemski has belted 12 home runs and 25 doubles. Joey Bart, the heir apparent to Buster Posey's catching duties, has struggled in his first full season as a starter, hitting .228 with 10 home runs. Bart has been better of late, hitting .277 with four home runs in his last 30 games. The majority of Bart's damage has been done on fastballs, with a .295 batting average and seven home runs coming off the pitch.
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
Los Angeles has tasked Clayton Kershaw with facing San Francisco today. Kershaw has long been one of the best lefties in the league for almost two decades, and has pitched to a 2.59 ERA in his 16 starts this season. The southpaw has only walked 5.1% of the batters he has faced, holding batters to a .210 batting average against him. Kershaw's slider is otherworldly, holding batters to a .199 batting average, with 57 of his 94 strikeouts coming on the pitch.
Los Angeles' bullpen is third in the league with a 3.06 ERA, striking out 503 batters in 473.1 innings. Alex Vesia has pitched to a 2.42 ERA in his 53 innings, striking out 33.2% of the batters he faced. Evan Phillips, armed with a reworked slider, has pitched to a brilliant 1.38 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 52 innings. Phillips' fastball has held batters to a .157 batting average against. Closer Craig Kimbrel has not allowed a run in his last seven appearances, lowering his season ERA to 3.88, with 62 strikeouts in 48.2 innings.
Los Angeles is fourth in the league with 181 home runs. Mookie Betts leads the team with 33 home runs, hitting 32 doubles and stealing 12 bases. Seven Dodgers have hit double-digit home runs. Catcher Will Smith has been unbelievable, hitting 21 home runs and 80 RBI. Trea Turner has 19 home runs, leading the team with 90 RBI and 23 stolen bases. Free agent signing Freddie Freeman leads the team with a .323 batting average and 44 doubles, adding 17 home runs, 84 RBI, and 11 stolen bases.
Final Giants-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
Kershaw and Cobb is a sneaky good pitching matchup.
Final Giants-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles -1.5 (-122), under 8 (-105)
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