Since the break, the Pirates have been one of the best teams in the bigs. They’ve gone 7-3 straight up in contests after the Midsummer Classic and are facing another favorable matchup with a three-game set against the 38-62 Giants next on the Bucs’ docket. Gerrit Cole (7-7, 4.18 ERA) will take the hill in the series opener to go head-to-head with Matt Cain (3-8, 5.49 ERA).
What version of Gerrit Cole will we see today? The one who strikes out 10 batters or the one who allows seven earned runs? There’s been basically no middle ground for the fifth-year fireballer and the last time he faced this lineup, it was the latter version of Cole who showed up and he was shelled by an anemic Giants offense.
Still, the Pirates are the road faves tonight on the moneyline and they’ll probably receive the majority of the public money.
Given the trends, that makes a lot of sense – but consider this. Matt Cain has been a significantly better pitcher in the Bay Area and his ERA is five full runs lower at home than it is on the road. The Giants are an interesting play at their price.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Baseball betting oddsmakers, including Sportsbook, opened the San Francisco Giants as 131 moneyline underdogs in this matchup. OVER/UNDER total bettors saw the number open at 8 at shops such as Sportsbook.
OddsShark computer prediction handicapping models run on this game pick a 5.7-4.8 victory for the Pirates. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming MLB matchups here.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs San Francisco Giants Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
San Francisco (38-62) will face the 49-50 Pirates in this tilt. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and San Francisco vs Pittsburgh injuries news.
The San Francisco Giants vs Pittsburgh Pirates odds would favor the Pirates if the betting lines were set according to our power ranks. San Francisco is rated No. 24 in the current OddsShark poll, while Pittsburgh is at No. 12.
Statistical Matchup
On offense, it's a battle between the San Francisco Giants and its No. 29-rated batting order, averaging 3.91 runs per nine innings, against the No. 25 lineup of the Pittsburgh Pirates at 4.25 runs per outing.
Comparing defensive stats, Pittsburgh owns the No. 12-rated road mark, allowing 4.43 runs per game on the highway. San Francisco, on the other hand, rates No. 30 in scoring at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Pittsburgh was scored on plenty on Sunday, falling behind early and watching runners cross the plate all game in a 13-3 loss to Colorado.
San Francisco suffered a 5-2 loss against San Diego on Sunday, as Ty Blach wasn't able to lead his team to victory at AT&T Park.
Next Betting Matchups
Pittsburgh at San Francisco, Tuesday, July 25