Giants vs Cardinals Betting Odds: SF Favored in Series Opener
San Francisco Gets Nod Over Slumping St. Louis
The San Francisco Giants visit the St. Louis Cardinals to open a three-game series on Monday. The Giants vs. Cardinals betting odds have Logan Webb -125 over St. Louis’ Matthew Liberatore. The total on the game is 8.5 under (-120). On the run line, the MLB odds today have the Giants at +130, laying the 1.5 runs
The Giants enter the contest one game over .500 and are alive in the NL wildcard chase. San Francisco is just .5 games out of a spot. One reason is the Giants have been playing .500 baseball on the road. San Francisco can’t complain about its road play but does need to play better at home.
The Giants will send Logan Webb to the mound. He’s thrown well, but the Giants are just 5-8 when he starts. He’s tied for 15th in strikeouts among the MLB leaders, and his ERA of 3.09 is also in the top 20.
San Francisco is No. 11 in team batting, so the Giants are getting the job done offensively. They’re in the top 10 in home runs and can score.
The Giants are No. 10 in team ERA, so it’s a bit of a surprise they don’t have a better record. The defense leaves a bit to be desired, as the Giants have allowed 34 unearned runs on the season.
The Cardinals are average offensively, ranking No. 14 in team batting average. St. Louis is No. 19 in team ERA. So the pitching has to take a step forward. But that’s easier said than done, especially if Liberatore doesn’t start to pitch better. He’s 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in four appearances this year. This will be his fourth start.
San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Day/Time:
Location: Busch Stadium
Tuesday’s Game
The early scheduled starters for Tuesday’s game are Alex Cobb for the Giants. The Cardinals are expected to counter with Jack Flaherty. The Giants are 9-4 when Cobb takes the mound, and St. Louis is 8-5 with Flaherty.
There are conflicting trends regarding totals. The Cardinals have been an over team with Flaherty on the hill, going 8-5. The Giants are 3-10 in totals with Cobb on the mound.
Cobb’s ERA is more than a run better and the Giants have the better record. Therefore, you have to believe the Giants vs Cardinals betting odds will have San Francisco as a slight road favorite.
Wednesday’s Game
The starters for Wednesday’s game are expected to be Anthony DeSclafani for the Giants and Jordan Montgomery. Both have thrown better than their records indicate. But the bottom line is baseball is wins and losses.
San Francisco has gone 6-7 with DeSclafani pitching. The Cardinals are a dismal 3-10 with Montgomery on the mound despite his 3.88 ERA. The Cardinals lost 10 straight games he pitched after winning the first two. St. Louis did win his last start.
This Giants vs Cardinals betting odds should be pretty close to even for this one. The two pitchers have similar numbers, with DeSclafani pitching to a 3.89 ERA.
Betting the Games
In Monday’s game, the Giants get a definite edge in pitching. But the Giants also had to travel from San Francisco Sunday night. The Giants are hitting the ball better against left-handed starting pitchers this year. San Francisco scores 4.69 runs against Southpaws and 4.46 runs against right-handed starters. The Giants are 10-6 when facing a left-handed starter, so the Giants are probably the right side in this one as a slight favorite.
San Francisco also has a pitching edge Tuesday, although the Cardinals do win with Flaherty on the mound. If the Giants win Monday, the Cardinals are worth a look in this one as slight underdogs.
Wednesday’s game is a bit challenging. On the one hand, the Cardinals must start winning some of Montgomery’s starts. He’s pitched reasonably well this season. But on the other hand, it’s tough to back a pitcher when his team is 3-10 in his starts. The Giants don’t tear it up with DeSclafani on the mound. So the bet in this may be to take the under and look for at least one team to struggle offensively.
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