Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants Betting Preview
Two of the best teams in the National League West will square off Friday as the Los Angeles Dodgers (26-18) take on the San Francisco Giants (28-16). The Giants will host this one from Oracle Park, with first pitch scheduled for 9:45 pm ET.
The Dodgers come into this one on the heels of a four-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks this week. On Thursday, they beat Arizona 3-2 as seven pitchers combined to give up two runs on seven hits. Albert Pujols and Will Smith homered in the win.
San Francisco also comes in hot, having won five in a row, including a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds to start the week. On Thursday, they pounded Cincinnati 19-4. The Giants had 16 hits and hit four home runs in the win.
The Dodgers are the favorite despite playing on the road. They are -156 to win while the Giants’ moneyline sits at +132. The runline features San Francisco +1.5, and the over/under for total runs is seven.
Pitching Matchup
The Dodgers will send righty Trevor Bauer (4-2, 2.20 ERA) to the mound on Friday. In his last outing, a 7-0 win over the Marlins, Bauer went seven innings allowing just two hits and striking out ten.
The Giants will send former Dodger Alex Wood (5-0, 1.75 ERA) to the mound to counter Bauer. Wood has been phenomenal to start the season. His last outing was a 4-1 win over the Pirates, where he went six innings, allowing one run and struck out six.
By The Numbers
Offensively, the Dodgers have been one of the best teams in baseball. They currently rank third in runs per game at 5.14. The Giants rank 15th averaging 4.35 runs per game.
Defensively, the Giants hold the slight edge. They rank second overall, allowing opponents just 3.37 runs per game. The Dodgers rank fourth, allowing 3.72 runs per game to opponents.
Dodgers Look To Cut Gap In N.L. West
It is amazing that at 26-18, the Dodgers have just the third-best record in the National League. Even more amazing is that the two teams that have better records are also in their division. On Friday, they will look to cut into the two-game lead that the Giants currently hold over them.
Leading the way offensively for Los Angeles has been Max Muncy. He is currently hitting .277/.450/.504 with a team-leading eight home runs and is tied for the team lead in runs batted in with 23.
One player to keep an eye on in this one is Albert Pujols. Not only did he homer on Thursday, but he also has homered off of Alex Wood in his career.
Giants Out To Show They Are For Real
Amazingly, despite having the best record in the N.L. West, the Giants still just have the third-best odds of winning the division at +1500. While many are assuming that they will eventually fade away, the Giants are out to prove they are for real.
Leading the way on offense for the Giants is shortstop Brandon Crawford. He is currently hitting .261/.336/.563 with a team-leading 11 home runs and 29 runs batted in. He also leads the team in runs scored with 25.
In the last week, outfielder Darin Ruf has also been hot. In that span, he is hitting .320/.433/.680 with a couple of home runs and three runs batted in.
Taking Giants On The Runline
This one is a bit of a tough call. On paper, every aspect of the Dodgers, including starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, looks better than the Giants. Despite that, the Giants keep winning.
Until they fall flat on their face, it is hard to ignore the success they have had thus far. With a good pitching matchup and a low score expected, take the Giants to cover on the +1.5 runline.
