The San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates, both well within striking distance of first place in their respective divisions, begin the first of a three-game series that will further one team’s push to the top spot.
Both ball clubs’ marquee stars, the Pirates’ reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen and the Giants’ 2012 MVP Buster Posey, have been struggling in past games. Their bats will need to wake up tonight or their teams may just fall further behind in their respective pennant races.
Read on for the analysis and trends you need to bet on Pirates-Giants and check out our MLB Free Picks for today to get all the way into the MLB betting action.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Pittsburgh Pirates vs. San Francisco Giants Betting Preview
Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
When: Monday, July 28, 10:15 PM ET
Line: Pittsburgh Pirates (+150) at San Francisco Giants (-170); total: 6.5 – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Pittsburgh Pirates
After going 5-1 in their first two series of the second half at home, the Pittsburgh Pirates promptly resumed their struggles on the road by dropping two out of three in Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies.
[sc:MLB240banner ]The Pirates, who are just 21-28 on the road this season, are now 3-7 in their last 10 road games. They’ve also lost their last three road series openers.
The Buccos start off their series against the San Francisco Giants in the Bay Area with Vance Worley (3-1, 3.04 ERA) on the mound. After recording a solid 1.74 ERA in his first three starts of the season last June, Worley’s ERA over four starts in July has ballooned to 4.50, and in just as many innings.
Despite giving up four runs (but just one earned) in six innings during his last start against the Dodgers on July 22, Worley emerged victorious thanks to a season-high eight runs of support.
Worley would love to have that same support against the Giants, but it’ll be tough with Andrew McCutchen in the middle of a bad slump. The reigning NL MVP went just 1-for-12 in the hitters’ haven up in Colorado, and has gone just 2-for-19 in the last five games.
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Betting on the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants began their weekend series with the Los Angeles Dodgers sitting 1.5 games atop the NL West. But a demoralizing three-game sweep – and fourth-straight loss overall – has left them 1.5 games back of the Dodgers for the division lead.
The Giants’ normally-solid starting pitching was roughed up by the Dodger lineup to the tune of 14 runs (11 earned). Madison Bumgarner (12-7, 3.19 ERA) will look to right the ship for his rotation against the Pirates.
Bumgarner is coming off arguably his best start of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 23. He went eight innings with no earned runs and no walks to win his third consecutive decision in as many starts.
In order for Bumgarner to claim a fourth straight win, however, the Giants’ struggling offense, which has scored just five runs in its last four games, will need to improve drastically. Hunter Pence and Buster Posey went a combined 2-for-21 in the Dodger series, while the newly-signed Dan Uggla continued where he left off in Atlanta by going 0-for-8 himself.
The Giants will also need to do something about their appalling home record. They’re now just 5-15 in their last 20 games at AT&T Park.
Writer’s Prediction
Both MVPs recover from their slumps, but the Giants bats come back to life with greater effect against Worley. Take the total to go over 6.5 runs.
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