The Los Angeles Dodgers earned a huge series split by taking Game 2 of their National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants in a convincing 9-2 win behind Julio Urias.
Now the Dodgers hand the ball to Max Scherzer at home as big betting favorites for the first game in Los Angeles. But the Giants haven’t been intimidated by Dodger Stadium this year, so there could be value with them as such massive underdogs for Game 3 of the NLDS.
Check out our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Giants vs. Dodgers on Monday, October 11.
Giants vs Dodgers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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Giants vs Dodgers picks
Picks made on 10/11/2021 at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Giants vs Dodgers game info
• Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
• Date: Monday, October 11, 2021
• Time: 9:37 p.m. ET
• TV: TBS
Giants vs Dodgers betting preview
Starting pitchers
Alex Wood (10-4, 3.83 ERA): The former Dodger has been another reclamation project for this Giants' rotation and will look to take down his old team with the series knotted up. Wood battled COVID in early September but has been strong since his return, allowing just two runs on nine hits while striking out 17 in 13 innings of work.
Max Scherzer (8-4, 2.76 ERA): Scherzer's tenure in Dodger Blue got off to a great start, but the right-hander has hit a bit of a rough stretch, allowing 10 runs over his last two regular-season starts, and he lasted just 4 1-3 innings in the National League wild-card game.
Giants vs Dodgers series odds
Giants: +160
Dodgers: -190
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Giants: Brandon Belt 1B (Out), Tony Watson RP (Questionable), Scott Kazmir P (Questionable).
Dodgers: No key injuries to report.
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 6-3-1 in the last 10 meetings between the Giants and Dodgers. Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Dodgers.
Giants vs Dodgers predictions
Giants (+180)
In Game 2, the Dodgers were able to break through against Kevin Gausman in the sixth inning and actually tacked on some runs against the somewhat impenetrable Giants bullpen. But it won’t get any easier for the Dodgers in Game 3, even though they are at home.
Wood has been outstanding down the stretch for the Giants despite his bout with COVID. The lefty has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 11 of his last 14 starts, pitching to a 3.59 ERA and a more impressive 2.83 FIP over that span.
And while the Dodgers have one of the deepest and most talented lineups in the majors, they have been a little less potent against southpaws. L.A. ranks a shocking 20th in batting average when it comes to facing left-handed pitching this season.
Though Wood has been hurt by the long ball versus the Dodgers — giving up five home runs in three starts against them this season — the Giants will have a chance, even against Scherzer, if the lefty can keep the Dodgers in the ballpark.
Scherzer has cooled off after his red-hot start in Dodger Blue. The future Hall of Famer surrendered 10 runs on 17 hits in 10 1-3 innings over his last two starts in the regular season. Then he was yanked in the fifth inning of the wild-card game against St. Louis after allowing three walks.
Now he deals with a somewhat still overlooked Giants offense that ranked fifth in batting average and seventh in OPS when facing right-handers.
Scherzer is great, and so are the Dodgers, but we can’t say no to this type of value with a Giants team that is arguably just as good.
Under 7.5 (-110)
Getting a total of 7.5 is not surprising for a Scherzer start but it still may be a touch too high. While Scherzer may be in a bit of a slump, he is still the “Mad Max” we know and love.
The right-hander looked nearly unhittable in his first nine starts with the Dodgers, pitching to an 0.78 ERA and limiting opponents to a .150 batting average while striking out as many batters as ever. Scherzer also steps up his game when it matters most, pitching to a 1.90 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP when facing teams with winning records this season (17 starts).
We’ve also discussed the Dodgers’ struggles with southpaws and Wood’s path to success, but if either pitcher does get in trouble there's no doubt that either manager will quickly turn to their respective bullpens. And why not? They are two of the best in baseball.
The Giants ranked first in bullpen ERA and WHIP, while the Dodgers were second and third in those categories. We are betting pitching is the story in Game 3.
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