Cardinals vs Giants Series Odds: San Francisco Skidding

Questions Surround Pitching Matchups

When the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants continue a four-game series, there’s some drama surrounding the probable starting pitchers. That issue is sure to mess with the Cardinals vs Giants series odds. For San Francisco, Logan Webb had his scheduled start pushed back to Saturday and the Giants haven’t announced Sunday’s starting pitcher yet. For St. Louis, Steven Matz is listed as Saturday’s starter but he is still on the bereavement list.

Don’t be surprised to see some small ball in the series. St. Louis leads Major League Baseball with 24 stolen bases while the Giants have swiped 15 bases.

The Giants’ odds to win the World Series have fallen to +1800 while the St. Louis Cardinals’ World Series bet is currently at +3300.

Game Information

• Team records: St. Louis Cardinals 15-10 (second in the NL Central); San Francisco Giants 14-11 (fourth in the NL West)
• Date: Friday, 10:15 p.m. ET (teams also play on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. and Sunday at 4:05 p.m.)
• Location: Oracle Park, San Francisco
• Television: Saturday’s game is on FS1

Cardinals vs Giants Probable Starting Pitchers

• Friday: Jordan Hicks (Cardinals) vs Alex Cobb (Giants)
• Saturday: Steven Matz (Cardinals) vs Logan Webb (Giants)
• Sunday: Drew Hudson (Cardinals) vs TBA

Cardinals’ Molina Still has Magic in his Bat

It is not unusual to see players who serve as designated hitters or first basemen to play as they approach their 40th birthday. However, to see a catcher do that is a different story.

The 39-year-old Yadier Molina caught his first game for the Cardinals in 2004. He is still going strong, hitting his first home of the season as the Cardinals opened the four-game series against the Giants with a 7-1 victory.

Molina has hits in his last seven games as he bumped his average up from .138 to .228. Molina has recorded multiple hits in two of his last five contests.

Molina’s big game only increased the MLB series betting odds more in favor of the visiting Cardinals.

Giants Must Get Offense Rolling

It’s been a pretty tough stretch for the San Francisco Giants, who led all of Major League Baseball with 107 wins a season ago.

The Giants suffered their fourth loss in a row in Thursday’s 7-1 setback. San Francisco has been held to one run in each of the last three games. The Giants are hitting .229 as a team over those three games and are just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position.

With the Giants seventh in the National League with a 3.53 earned run average from its starting rotation, that lack of offense has been too much to overcome. That will be taken into consideration in the Cardinals vs Giants series odds.

Friday’s starting pitcher, Alex Cobb, didn’t get out of the first inning in his last outing. He has allowed 10 hits and 10 runs in five innings of work in his last two appearances.

Who’s Hot

• Nolan Arenado, Cardinals 3B: Four of Arenado’s last five hits have gone for extra bases as he has two doubles, two homers and six RBIs in his last six games.
• Camilo Doval, Giants P: Doval hasn’t allowed a run in his last nine appearances. He has struck out 14 batters in 8.1 innings during that stretch.
• Ryan Helsley, Cardinals P: Helsley hasn’t allowed a hit or a run in his last three appearances. He has struck out eight of the 13 batters he faced during that stretch.
• Jason Vosler, Giants IF: Vosler is 5-for-14 with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBIs over his last five games.

Who’s Not

• Paul DeJong, Cardinals IF: DeJong has one hit in his last 19 at-bats. The good news is that he has only struck out twice during that stretch.
• Mauricio Dubon, Giants IF: Dubon has just one hit in his last 15 at-bats.
• Yunior Marte, Giants P: Marte has allowed four hits and five runs in 1.2 innings over his last two outings.
• Jake Woodford, Cardinals P: Woodford allowed four hits and two runs in 1.2 innings in his last outing.

Injury Update

St. Louis starting pitcher Steven Matz is on the bereavement list and it is uncertain when he will return to the mound, although there is a chance he makes his scheduled start on Saturday. Fellow pitchers Jack Flaherty (shoulder), Alex Reyes (shoulder) and Drew VerHagen (hip) are currently sidelined for the Cardinals. Infielder Edmundo Sosa is on the COVID-19 list.

For San Francisco, outfielders Steven Duggar (oblique strain) as well as infielders Tommy La Stella (Achilles) and Evan Longoria (finger) are on the injured list. Outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. is probable to return to action. Pitchers Matthew Boyd (elbow) are Anthony DeSclafani (ankle) are out. Pitcher Dominic Leone is on the COVID-19 list. All these injuries aren’t helping in the Cardinals vs Giants series odds.

Cardinals vs Giants Betting Tips

The total has gone over in four of the Cardinals’ last five games as well as in five of the last six contests for the Giants. Friday’s game has a total of seven and that number likely has much to do with the fact that the Cardinals have the fourth-best team ERA in the majors while the Giants are in an offensive rut.

Four of the last seven meetings between the teams in the regular season were decided by two runs or less.

Keep an eye on St. Louis first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who hit .391 with two home runs and six RBIs in 23 at-bats against the Giants last season. For the Giants, two of Darin Ruf’s three hits against the Cardinals in 2021 were home runs.