California Rivalry: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants Series Preview and Odds
Giants Riding High, Looking for More
The latest edition of the storied rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants gets underway on Monday as the first-place Dodgers visit the fourth-place Giants this week in a three-game set.
Los Angeles dropped a weekend series with the San Diego Padres while San Francisco took two of three from the slumping Reds, capped by a Casey Schmitt walk-off double on Sunday afternoon.
For Monday’s opener, the Dodgers vs Giants odds have the Dodgers at -186 moneyline favorites and are -115 to win by two or more runs on the runline. The total is 7.5 runs.That’s why this will be one of the more interesting MLB games today.
After going on a season-high seven-game winning streak, the Dodgers cooled down a bit over the weekend as they scored just six runs across their three games with the Padres.
Los Angeles’ incredible offense was shut out on Sunday against former Dodger Yu Darvish while Shohei Ohtani (who left Saturday’s game early) was on the bench dealing with back tightness. It doesn’t seem like it’s serious but the mega-star, one of the MLB home run leaders, may not be in the lineup on Monday.
The start of the season has been rough for the Giants. But in taking the last two games of their series against the skidding Cincinnati Reds, Bob Melvin’s squad is back to within four games of .500.
Neither scoring nor run prevention has been particularly good for San Francisco this year. But over the weekend, the bullpen came through and the offense contributed with some big hits. Los Angeles will be a tougher opponent but the Giants hope the good vibes can continue.
Dodgers vs Giants
Date & Time: Monday, May 13th, 9:45 p.m. ET
Records: Dodgers 27-15/Giants 19-23
Location: Oracle Park; San Francisco, California
Streaming: TNT
Dodgers Have Edge In Elite Pitching Matchups
Even though the Dodgers have the edge on the Dodgers vs Giants MLB odds, the scheduled pitching combinations should be pretty evenly matched.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (who has been as good as advertised so far in MLB) will face off with Jordan Hicks. On Monday night a battle of free agent pickups who have helped anchor their respective teams’ rotations.
Yamamoto has bounced back really well from his ugly debut in South Korea against the Padres. While Hicks’ transition from the bullpen to the rotation has been seamless. They both have sub-2.80 ERAs.
The rotation aces for both teams will duke it on Wednesday as Los Angeles’ Tyler Glasnow, he of the 2.53 ERA and ridiculous 11.5 K/9, will match up with Logan Webb.
Webb is usually as steady as they come but he has been hit hard in his last three starts. Which allowed him 24 hits in his last 14 2/3 innings.
He’s always going to give up hits as a sinker-baller who doesn’t strike out a ton of batters. However, giving up that many baserunners to the Dodgers is a recipe for disaster because they have the best offense in baseball and are a relatively selective team even if their all-world DH on the Shohei Ohtani contract is out.
Tuesday’s matchup is between the rookies Gavin Stone and Keaton Winn. While neither of those guys are household names, the Dodgers have the marked advantage. Stone has allowed just three runs over 20 innings in his three most-recent starts, all Los Angeles wins. The key for him? Throwing strikes as he has issued just four walks in that span. Recently, opponents have shelled Winn, scoring 12 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. The Dodgers could have a field day with him.
San Francisco Is Banged-Up
Granted, the Dodgers not having Ohtani would be great for the Giants on the Dodgers vs Giants odds but it’s not like San Francisco is a picture of perfect health either.
The Giants are already without power bat Jorge Soler and shortstop Nick Ahmed. But South Korean rookie outfielder Jung Ho Lee dislocated his shoulder on Sunday and could be out awhile. That’s another starter down for a San Francisco team that struggles to score runs as it is.
Michael Conforto, Patrick Bailey and LaMonte Wade Jr. have been the offensive bright spots for San Francisco, which is still waiting for Matt Chapman and Mike Yastrzemski to perk up and provide the lineup with a little more balance. On paper, the Giants should have a more prolific offense but they are just so-so at pretty much everything. That’s why they’re looking up toward the Dodgers standings at the top of the NL West.
If you’re trying to predict MLB scores, consider going with the Dodgers -1.5 runs on the runline at -115 for Game 1.
Hicks has been good but Yamamoto has been very hard to hit after his first start and the Dodgers. Following a disappointing series with the bat, likely will recover for what’s always a hard-fought series.
The under 7.5 runs is also a smart play. These are two pitchers who can look unhittable at any given time, so while may score runs, they might be at a premium.
Dodgers vs Giants Odds
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