San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Preview
An NL West Division lead and the league’s best record will be up for grabs when the Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants for a four-game series.
HISTORY
Los Angeles leads the season series 6-3. LAD swept the first season series behind standout pitching on the road before San Francisco would win three of four at Dodger Stadium just a week later.
Giants Strive With Gausman on the Hill
The San Francisco Giants (58-34) look as if they’re headed back to the postseason for the first time since 2016. They’re in the midst of a heated division race with both the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, and they’ve arguably been the most consistent team in the league. San Fran has six win streaks of four games or more, but they enter this series on a two-game skid. After defeating Adam Wainwright in the first game, the Giants struggled over the next two, only producing two runs total. San Francisco has only lost three games in a row twice, both of which to the Dodgers.
San Fran’s has a very good chance to get back in the win column with Kevin Gausman on the mound. The ace of the staff is having the best season of his nine-year career, posting a 9-3 record with 133 strikeouts and a 1.73 ERA, which ranks second in the league. Gausman lost in his last start against the Dodgers, but he earned a win in May after throwing seven K’s over six scoreless innings.
The Giants rank near the top of nearly every offensive category this season. They’re first in homers (135) and 5th in slugging percentage (.434). San Fran is somehow managing to do it, even with injuries to veterans Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt. Longoria was riding an eleven-game hit streak and batting .280, which was his highest since the 2012 season. Belt hit 11 homers and was on pace to set a career-high in home runs.
With those experienced bats on the shelf, the Giants still have the luxury of future hall of fame catcher Buster Posey. His return to the lineup is timely after missing a couple of weeks of action, and like Longoria, he’s batting his highest average since 2012 with a .328. Brandon Crawford, Dee Solano, and Wilmer Flores all help make up one of the stronger hitting infields in the league. Crawford is having the best season of his eleven-year career, and he leads the Giants in homers (18) and RBIs (58).
Kevin Gausman is having the best season of his nine-year career, posting a 9-3 record with 133 strikeouts and a 1.73 ERA, which ranks second in the league.Betts Continuing to Play Big
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ (58-36) quest to repeat as the World Series champions will likely run through their division this season. After uncharacteristically dropping three of four games to the Miami Marlins, the Dodgers have responded by winning four of their last five contests. The 22-1 dismantling of the Arizona Diamondbacks was intimidating, and they carry momentum going into this vital division series.
Tony Gonsolin will get the start this Monday, and he’s carrying a 2.13 ERA through seven starts. The absence of Trevor Bauer has led to the third-year pitcher having a bigger role within the rotation, and he tossed six K’s in his last outing.
Like their counterpart, the Dodgers rank among the league leaders in offense. They rank fourth in homers (128), second in total runs (500), and third in on-base percentage (.339). They’ve been hit with the injury bug, but they’re deep, and the bats keep swinging. Outfielder Mookie Betts has been on a tear over the past four games, recording twelve hits and seven RBIs over that stretch. The infield duo of Justin Turner and Chris Taylor remains consistent, while the former has recorded a hit in eleven of his last twelve games. Max Muncy has stepped up in Corey Seager’s absence, and he leads the Dodgers in home runs (21). Will Smith has been consistently behind the plate, while AJ Pollack has recorded multiple hits in five of his last seven games.
Giants vs. Dodgers Prediction
This should be a great game between two of the league’s best. Both teams have handled injuries and adversity well, and both have the look of World Series contenders. Kevin Gausman being on the mound really gives the Giants a lot of upsides, but the Los Angeles lineup has been hitting everything lately. The Cy Young candidate could slow this Dodgers attack down, but that’s a big if on the road. San Francisco has upset appeal here, but take the Dodgers (-126) to take the first game on Monday.
