The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading east to AT&T Park to take on their division rival San Francisco Giants. NBC Sports – Bay Area will televise the matchup and the game is scheduled to get going at 3:05 p.m. ET.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants Odds
The Giants are 3-3 SU and 3-3 ATS. The team has gained 1.8 units for moneyline bettors and 0.3 units against the spread (ATS). The Dodgers have gone 2-5 SU this year and are 2-5 ATS. Overall, the teams lost 6.5 units for moneyline gamblers this year and 3.4 units ATS.
Giants games have an over/under record of 3-3 so far in 2018. The Dodgers have an over/under record of 2-5.
The Dodgers have lost 3.3 units and are 1-2 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has hit in zero of those games, as opposed to three that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Giants have netted 1.8 units and are 2-2 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The overs cashed in two of those games, compared to two that went under the total.
Rich Hill (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the nod for the visiting Dodgers. The southpaw Hill struck out 166 hitters over 135 innings last year with only 49 walks and finished the season 12-8 overall with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He made three starts against the Giants in 2017 and put together a 2-0 record against them with a 1.62 ERA and 18 strikeouts.
The Giants are going with righty Chris Stratton (0-1, 5.06 ERA) as their starter. Stratton started 10 games last year and finished the season 4-4 overall with a 3.68 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. He recorded two starts against the Dodgers a year ago and put up a 0-1 record with a 6.23 ERA and three strikeouts.
As a unit, San Francisco’s pitching staff has yielded 3.5 runs per game overall in 2018. Its starters have a 3.58 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 5.0 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 2.79 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 11.2 K/9. In four games against NL West opponents, Giants starters have an ERA of 2.42 and the bullpens ERA is 4.63.
The San Francisco offense is putting up 2.7 runs per outing so far this season and the team has hit .233/.290/.387 to begin the year.
Second baseman Joe Panik and first baseman Brandon Belt have led the Giants offense so far. Panik is slashing .381/.458/.810 with eight hits, three RBIs and four runs scored, and Belt’s line is .353/.450/.588 with six hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Panik did not do as well hitting against left-handed pitching at home in 2017, slashing .172/.217/.203 in 69 such plate appearances (his total season line was .288/.349/.421).
In the other dugout, Los Angeles pitching staff allowed 2.7 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 1.99 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 8.85 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.51, along with a K/9 of 7.01.
The Dodgers offense has slashed .202/.266/.286 on its way to 3.1 runs scored per game in 2018, including over the teams last five outings (2-3 SU).
Los Angeles hitters have been led by Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes. Grandal is hitting .350/.435/.550 with seven hits, three RBIs and four runs scored, while Barnes is slashing .429/.556/.571 with three hits, one RBI and two runs scored.
Compared to his total season slash line of .289/.408/.486, Barnes appeared to have some trouble hitting righty pitching on the road last season, maintaining a slash line of just .266/.382/.406 across 76 such plate appearances.
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Giants, ATS Winner – Dodgers, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- The Giants went 8-11 SU against the Dodgers last season.
- The Dodgers bullpen managed an ERA of 3.34 against the Giants last year.
