Giants Looking for Jolt Against Fading Pirates
Pirates vs Giants Preview: San Francisco -145 Series Favorite
The San Francisco Giants have gotten off to a slow start, but it will have an opportunity to improve its record this weekend against the perennially struggling Pittsburgh Pirates. The teams open a three-game set on Friday in San Francisco. We break down the odds with our Pirates vs Giants preview.
San Francisco is a -1.5 (+145) favorite on the run line and -148 on the moneyline, with Pittsburgh +1.5 (-175) on the spread and +126 to win outright. Meanwhile, the projected total is 8, with a slight lean to the over at -115. The Giants are also -145 favorites to win the series, compared to +115 for the Pirates.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both teams and assess the odds in our Pirates vs Giants preview.
Pirates vs Giants 
Records: Pittsburgh Pirates (13-13), San Francisco Giants (12-14)
Day/Time:
Location: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
Streaming: NBCS-BA, Box Score, Fox Sports
Pirates vs Giants Betting Trends
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 15-11 against the run line (ATS), covering in 57.7% of their games. That’s tied for the fourth highest rate in MLB. As for the over/under, the Pirates are 13-13. Conversely, the San Francisco Giants are 12-14 ATS, including 5-3 over their last eight games. A majority of San Francisco’s games are trending toward the over, as the Giants are 14-11-1 against the over/under.
That’s important to remember when assessing the odds in our Pirates vs Giants preview.
One Step Forward, One Back for Pirates
Pittsburgh has begun to fade after a promising start, dropping eight of its last 10 games to fall to 13-13. The Pirates closed their seven-game homestand by splitting a four-game series against Milwaukee.
Expectations were low for the Pirates (projected for 75 wins), and they will likely remain such as the youth movement continues. Waiting in the wings at Triple-A Indianapolis is MLB’s top prospect, right-hander Paul Skenes.
The Pirates remain the National League Central’s biggest longshot at +1300. They are also just +370 to make the postseason.
Pittsburgh has been merely middle-of-the-pack offensively, ranking 19th in team average (.237) and 24th in home runs (21). They are averaging only 4.1 runs per game, per MLB records.
While there have been some bright spots, the priority for Pittsburgh is the future. Thus, bettors may continue to experience growing pains if they trust in the Pirates. Perhaps the tide will finally turn once Skenes is called up to the majors.
Contrary to that sentiment, Pittsburgh has performed well against the spread. Only the Guardians and Cubs have won more games ATS. Be sure to keep that in mind when analyzing the odds in our Pirates vs Giants preview.
Slow Goings for San Fran
The Giants have been a bit underwhelming out of the gate. They are 12-14 after taking two of three games from the Mets at home.
San Francisco spent big in the offseason, bringing aboard designated hitter Jorge Soler, third baseman Matt Chapman, outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, and reigning National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell on multi-year contracts. As such, they were projected for 82.5 wins.
But the Giants’ bats have been slow to get going, and Snell is on the injured list (left adductor strain) after going 0-3 with an 11.57 ERA in his first three starts.
Will things improve? Recent history for their MLB players says yes, but the Giants can’t afford to dig too big a hole. The NL West doesn’t offer much room for error, with the Dodgers, Padres, and Diamondbacks all shaping up to be contenders.
The Giants enter the weekend at +1300 to win the division and +220 to make the playoffs.
Bettors will notice that San Francisco has been a strong over/under pick, having gone over the total in 14 of their 26 games at a rate of 56%.
Series Probables
Game 1
Friday, 10:15 p.m. ET
Quinn Priester vs Kyle Harrison
Priester was hit hard in his season debut last Friday, allowing four runs (three homers) over 4.1 innings in an 8-1 loss to Boston. The 23-year-old right-hander was supposed to start Wednesday against the Brewers, but Pittsburgh instead opted to open with Josh Fleming in a bullpen game.
The Giants will counter with Harrison, who is 2-1 with a 5.00 ERA in his first five starts. The 22-year-old southpaw has been prone to home runs, allowing five in 27 innings. But he has also flashed impressive swing-and-miss stuff (24 strikeouts).
Game 2
Saturday, 9:05 p.m. ET
Martin Perez vs Jordan Hicks
Perez owns a 3.45 ERA this season. The veteran left-hander lasted just four innings in his most recent appearance, a 6-1 loss to Boston last Sunday.
He will face the flamethrowing Hicks. A converted reliever, Hicks is 2-0 with a 1.61 ERA in his first year as a Giant. He ranks among the MLB leaders in average four-seamer velocity (96.9 mph).
Game 3
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Jared Jones vs Keaton Winn
Jones has gotten off to a terrific start for Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old rookie is 2-2 with a 2.79 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. More impressively, he has 39 strikeouts compared to only four walks in 29 innings.
Winn, meanwhile, is 2-3 with a 3.54 ERA. He has won his last two starts, holding the Marlins and Mets to just two runs over 12 combined innings.
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