A rivalry is renewed as the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers begin a four-game series on Monday night at Chavez Ravine.
Blake Snell gets the nod for the Giants, who’ve struggled offensively out of the All-Star break, while rookie River Ryan makes his debut for the home team.
Giants vs Dodgers prediction
My best bet
Under 8.5 (-105 at BetMGM)
My analysis
It’s taken quite a while, but it appears the San Francisco Giants’ offseason acquisition of ace Blake Snell is finally bearing fruit. The southpaw has been unhittable since returning to the Big Leagues on July 9, recording wins over the Blue Jays and Twins while allowing just two hits in 12 innings pitched while striking out 11.
If you include his last rehab start at Triple-A, Snell has allowed just two hits in his last 17 innings. Not bad for a fella with a 6.31 ERA, a number that's highly misleading considering his 3.58 xERA, 3.77 FIP, and 3.98 xFIP are all closer to expectations.
The 31-year-old is still making batters miss (91st percentile whiff rate) and is suppressing hard contact (79th percentile hard-hit percentage), so there are plenty of reasons to be bullish going forward. While the Los Angeles Dodgers have a fearsome lineup and hit lefties well, they’re coming off a Sunday Night Baseball appearance and I never like to play teams making that turnaround.
Dave Roberts will trot out rookie hurler River Ryan to make his MLB debut. The 25-year-old out of UNC Pembroke is the organization’s No. 4 prospect according to MLB.com and has put forth a stellar 2.76 ERA at Triple-A this season, albeit in just 16 1/3 innings pitched.
There are worse spots to make your debut considering he’s throwing at home against a Giants lineup that had been below average against RHP in July (97 wRC+, .301 wOBA, 24.3% K rate). San Francisco limped out of the gates returning from the All-Star break, scoring a total of eight runs across three games at Coors Field while dropping two of those three games.
There has been hitter-friendly weather at Dodgers Stadium lately, but tonight is supposed to be approximately 10 degrees cooler with winds four mph softer than Sunday. Sign me up for the Under.
Giants vs Dodgers same-game parlay (SGP)
Under 8.5
Blake Snell Over 6.5 strikeouts
Teoscar Hernandez Under 0.5 hits
Snell has recorded seven or more punchouts in three of his last four starts. He’s a well-known strikeout virtuoso, posting a K-rate above 31% every year since 2018. The Dodgers are difficult to strike out, but effective lefties like Tarik Skubal and Max Fried have found a way to clear 6.5 punchouts against them.
One L.A. hitter who's struggled in the past against Snell is Home Run Derby champ Teoscar Hernandez. The slugger is just 1-for-11 with seven strikeouts against the lefty in his career, good for a measly .377 OPS.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Giants vs Dodgers odds
Giants vs Dodgers live odds
Giants vs Dodgers opening odds
- Run line: San Francisco +1.5 (-170) | Los Angeles -1.5 (+145)
- Moneyline: San Francisco +120 | Los Angeles -140
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Giants vs Dodgers spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Giants have struggled away from home (20-30) while the Dodgers have been a tough out at home (31-19).
- The Dodgers have underperformed offensively at home, cashing their team total Under in 26 of their last 41 efforts. The Giants, meanwhile, have cashed their team total Under in 25 of their last 41 away games.
- The Giants are on a run to the Under, going 0-5 O/U in their last five games.
Giants vs Dodgers trend
The Giants are 1-5-1 O/U in their last seven road games against a right-handed starting pitcher. Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Dodgers.
Giants vs Dodgers game info
| Location: | Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date: | Monday, 7-22-2024 |
| First pitch: | 10:10 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBCS-Bay Area, SportsNet LA |
| Giants starting pitcher: | Blake Snell (0-3, 6.31 ERA) |
| Dodgers starting pitcher: | TBD |
Giants vs Dodgers latest injuries
Giants vs Dodgers weather
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