The San Francisco Giants continue their East Coast stay, taking on the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of their four-game series Tuesday.
Atlanta drew first blood with a 2-1 victory Monday, needing ninth-inning heroics for that slim edge. That improved the team to 21-14 inside Truist Park – a record it looks to improve on with rookie starter Spencer Strider taking the mound vs. Giants veteran righty, Anthony DeSclafani.
Check out our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Giants vs. Braves on June 21.
Giants vs Braves odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
Atlanta opened as low as -163 and climbed to -165 favorites before spiking to -185, as of Tuesday morning. San Francisco is sitting as a +145 underdog. The total hit the board at 9.5 (Over -112) and early play on the Under has swung the vig to 9.5 (Under -120).
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until first pitch and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Giants vs Braves predictions
- Prediction: Braves ML (-175)
- Prediction: Under 9.5 (-118)
- Best bet: Giants Under 8.5 team hits (-115)
Picks made on 6/21/2022 at 10:18 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Giants vs Braves game info
• Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
• Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2022
• First pitch: 7:20 p.m. ET
• TV: TBS
Giants vs Braves betting preview
Starting pitchers
Anthony DeSclafani (0-1, 6.08 ERA): DeSclafani is making his first appearance coming off the 60-day disable list, due to right ankle inflammation. The right-hander hasn’t pitched a major league game since April 21 and his final rehab start in Triple-A Sacramento lasted less than three innings. In limited work in 2022, DeSclafani is 0-1 over three starts with an ERA north of 6.00 but has a sturdy WHIP of 1.80 with 13 strikeouts to just two walks over 13 1-3 innings of work. He was a solid 13-7 in 2021 with a 3.17 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 31 starts for the Giants. DeSclafani could, however, be given a pitch count in his first game back from the DL.
Spencer Stride (3-2, 2.46 ERA): The rookie starter has looked great in June, with 2-0 record over three starts along with a slim 1.76 ERA through 15 1-3 innings this month. The right-hander is coming off his best start as a pro, fanning 11 batters and allowing two earned runs on one hit through 5 2-3 innings vs. Washington last Wednesday. Strider had his scorching fastball working in that game, with 24 of his 106 total pitches going for strikes and the radar gun showing triple figures on 31 of those tosses. He complimented that heat with some great breaking balls that kept batters guessing. He enters Tuesday with 31 Ks in his four starts this season.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Giants: Steven Duggar CF (Out), LaMonte Wade Jr. LF (Out).
Braves: Ozzie Albies 2B (Out), Tyler Matzek RP (Out), Eddie Rosario LF (Out), Manny Pina C (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 10-2-2 in the Giants’ last 14 games overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Braves
Giants vs Braves picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The Giants get a nice boost with DeSclafani back in the rotation. He’s been a steady presence for them the past two seasons, but baseball bettors just aren’t sure how far San Francisco will let him go in this first game back from the 60-day DL.
Behind DeSclafani is an up-and-down bullpen that owns a collective ERA of 4.06 and is facing one of the most dangerous lineups in the majors, with the Braves able to explode for big innings at any point. Atlanta is especially strong at home, where it plates 4.83 runs per game, and 1.49 of those come in the final three innings.
On the other side, Strider has looked great since making the move to the rotation in late May and has been notably sharper in his last two outings, giving up two earned runs on just five hits over 10 1-3 innings while fanning 19 and walking just three batters. His remarkable fastball isn’t just having an impact on opposing hitters, either.
Following Wednesday’s game, manager Brian Snitker told the media that he gets excited whenever Strider toes the rubber and that energy trickles down to the team, which is 3-1 in his four starts — not bad for the fifth guy in the rotation.
Prediction: Braves moneyline (-175 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
Strider’s 100+ mph fastball is nightmare material for any hitter, but the rookie has started to find the command on his slider as well, which is something that could plague the Giants’ bats tonight.
San Francisco has done well to catch up with the common fastball this season (ranked 11th in weighed runs per 100 pitches) but boasts an advanced metric of -0.61 weighted runs/100 vs. sliders (10th lowest), according to FanGraphs.
As for DeSclafani, if he can find his form after a lengthy hiatus, he could keep things competitive before getting the hook. He’s not a lights-out pitcher, but doesn’t walk many batters and doesn’t allow many home runs either. He’s good for about 4-to-5 strikeouts per game and faces a big-swinging Braves lineup that ranks fourth in Ks with 277 on the year.
DeSclafani’s 2022 stats are a bit puffed up due to a bad start against the Mets back in late April, allowing five runs (two home runs) on nine hits through just five innings, but did so through ankle pain that shelved him for the next 50+ games.
Prediction: Under 9.5 (-118 at 888sport)
Best bet
Atlanta let the young Strider work just under six full innings in his last two appearances and following his win over Washington, Strider said that he felt he had the capacity to go deep into that start — possibly setting the table for an extended effort tonight.
He’s given up a grand total of just 11 hits through his 19 2-3 innings as a starter and takes on a Giants lineup hitting only .209 in June — with 6.7 hits per outing — plating an average of just over four runs in those 18 games.
When batters do catch up to Strider’s stuff, it’s been tough to get a solid hold of it. He’s given up only two home runs and five doubles for just seven extra-base hits through 44 innings split between relief outings and those four starts.
When asked what it was like playing defense behind the fireballer, Braves second baseman Orlando Arcia told the media it was a little boring and that when batters do make contact with his fastball, “They don’t really hit him hard,”.
Behind Strider is a sound Atlanta defense that owns a fielding percentage of .987 (eighth best) and one of the best bullpens in the bigs, with Atlanta’s relievers boasting a collective 2.89 ERA.
Pick: Giants Under 8.5 team hits (-115 at bet365)
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