The San Francisco Giants struck first in this battle between the top two teams in the National League West (and arguably baseball), taking down the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 in Monday's series opener.
After last night’s loss, the Dodgers now trail the Giants by two games for the division lead, but they’ll be MLB betting favorites in Game 2 despite some questions about who will pitch this contest. Do the Giants have value as underdogs once again?
Find out with our free MLB picks and predictions for Giants vs. Dodgers on Tuesday, July 20.
Giants vs Dodgers game info
• Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
• Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2021
• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• TV: SportsNet LA, NBCS-BA
Giants vs Dodgers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare MLB odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
MLB sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonLos Angeles opened as a -145 favorite at TwinSpires Sportsbook and is up negligibly to -148 as of 6:30 p.m. ET. Moneyline tickets and dollars are both running in the 2/1 range on the Dodgers. The total is steady at 8.5, with 57 percent of tickets/66 percent of money on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameGiants vs Dodgers betting preview
Starting pitchers
Alex Wood (8-3, 3.67 ERA): Wood is having his best season since he was a Dodger, pitching to a 3.67 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP. The lefty pitched very well heading into the All-star break, owning a 2.08 ERA over his last three starts while holding opponents to a .175 batting average.
Josiah Gray (0-0, 0.00 ERA): Gray is expected to make his MLB debut in this game after an opener and pitch multiple innings. The right-hander is the Dodgers' top pitching prospect and uses a fastball that touched 97 miles per hour that appears to explode when it gets to the plate. He also has a solid slider and curveball.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Giants: Brandon Crawford SS (Out), Evan Longoria 3B (Out), Tommy La Stella 2B (Out), Brandon Belt (Out), Reyes Moronta RP (Out).
Dodgers: Mookie Betts RF (Questionable), Kimmy Nelson RP (Questionable), Edwin Uceta RP (Questionable), Corey Seager SS (Out), Corey Knebel RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 9-3-2 in the Dodgers' last 14 games at home and 12-5 in the Giants' last 17 games on the road. Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Dodgers.
Moneyline pick
The Giants have been one of the biggest surprises this season and have risen to the top of the NL West standings thanks to great pitching and defense, along with timely hitting. But San Francisco has still had its issues with the Dodgers this season, going 3-6 against them before last night’s 7-2 win.
The first-place Giants will look to make it two in a row Tuesday when they hand the ball to Wood. The former Dodger has been solid this season but just OK against the Dodgers, allowing six runs on 14 hits over 12 innings in two starts against L.A. back at the end of May. Wood also has the luxury of handing the ball off to a Giants bullpen that ranks third in ERA and first in WHIP this season.
The Dodgers obviously have a potent lineup, but the Giants are more than equipped to keep them down and have limited them to 3.87 runs per game over their last seven meetings this season.
Los Angeles counters Wood with a bullpen day which is expected to include the rookie Gray. The Dodgers bullpen was pitching well heading into the break but had to use five relievers in last night’s loss which isn’t optimal when you are throwing a bullpen day in the following game.
The Giants have the edge in starters and the stronger bullpen, and there’s no way they should be underdogs this big.
PREDICTION: Giants (+125)
Over/Under pick
When it comes to the total, despite this being a matchup of two of MLB’s Top-10 lineups, the number appears a little high. For starters, while the Over is 6-4 in these rivals' 10 meetings this season, the Under is 2-0 in games Wood has started against the Dodgers. This game also matches the highest total this matchup has seen in 10 meetings this season.
On top of that, the Dodgers hit a little worse against lefties, ranking 23rd in batting average and 16th in OPS when it comes to facing southpaws.
At the same time, the Giants’ bats aren’t as potent on the road as the team ranks 16th in batting average in away games and faces a Dodgers bullpen that is third in ERA and fifth in WHIP. This game should be feature some high intensity and slip below the number.
PREDICTION: Under 8.5 (-110)
Giants vs Dodgers betting card
- Giants (+125)
- Under 8.5 (-110)
Picks made on 7/20/2021 at 1:25 p.m. ET
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