Free MLB Pick: Giants vs. Pirates Odds
Looking for San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Free MLB predictions? MLB betting sees the Giants taking on the Pirates on Saturday, June 18th, 2022 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all MLB baseball matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily MLB predictions like this Giants-Pirates free pick.
2022 MLB Handicapping
(36-27) San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (25-38)
Date: Saturday, June 18th, 2022
Time: 4:05 PM ET
Venue: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Projected Pitchers: Alex Wood (SF) vs. Jose Quintana (PIT)
MLB Moneyline Odds: Giants -185 / Pirates +155
MLB run line Betting Odds: Giants -1.5 (-120) / Pirates +1.5 (+100)
MLB Baseball Gambling Total: O/U: 8.5
The Giants and Pirates will be playing in the 2nd game of their series on Saturday afternoon.
Right now, San Francisco is a heavy favorite with the total sitting at 8.5.
Alex Wood and Jose Quintana are the probable starters in this one.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants are a team that I am quite high on and I do feel they are trending in the right direction at this time.
No, they are not going to win the number of games they did a season ago, but that does not mean they cannot turn out another successful season in 2022.
The consistency has not been totally where they want it to be this season, but they still manage to be five games over.500 and they trail the Padres by just 3.5 games.
It will definitely be a tall task to overtake either San Diego or Los Angeles in the West, but it can be done. This is a team that is more than capable of doing so and they have what it takes to win the division.
Something that does stand out for me with them on a negative side is their defense, which simply has not been good and has cost them some games.
It seems weird to say with a team like this because they are so well-rounded, but that area of their game has to be better. With their pitchers not getting the strikeout numbers they have gotten in the past and more balls being put in play, the need for a solid defense is even more so.
At the deadline, I do feel it will be important for the Giants to acquire some player that can give them an upgrade on the defensive side of the field. If not, I expect it to eventually catch up with them.
One guy who did have effective strikeout numbers was Carlos Rodon, who went 8 innings and punched out 8 batters in the win on Friday. Alex Wood will be getting the ball on Saturday and I would like to see him get going a little more. He is 4-5 with an ERA of 4.11 at the moment.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates have not been some great team, but there is no question they are at least a little better than they were a year ago.
It seems that they are at least more competitive than they were last season and that is clearly what you want to see from a team who is looking to get back to being in the mix.
Coming into this game, the Buckos have a record of 25-38 and they trail the Cardinals by 10.5 games. It is going to be a tough one for them to overtake either one of those top teams, but the deficit is not quite as big as some people thought.
Despite that, this is a team that still needs to really improve themselves in a lot of areas or they will keep seeing more of the same.
One area in which they must improve in is pitching. Right now, the rotation and bullpen are not good enough to compete at a consistently high level. It is not to say there are not some solid arms on their staff, but they need more of them to be a more complete team.
As far as the offense goes, I feel it will be critical they acquire some more pop to go in that lineup. I am not suggesting that they spend a crazy amount of money to bring guys in, but they have to get some better hitters or you will keep seeing an average to below-average offense.
Pittsburgh knew this series with the Giants was going to be a big test and the game on Friday did not go how they wanted. I understand that they faced off with a very good pitcher, but it was still unacceptable that they got shut out.
Jose Quintana will be getting the ball on Saturday and will look to get some run support that Zach Thompson did not get on Friday. The veteran lefty holds a respectable ERA but has a record of just 1-4.
MLB Baseball Betting Trends:
- The Giants are 5-0 in their last 5 during game 5 of a series.
- The Giants are 41-12 in their last 53 games as a road favorite.
- The Pirates are 19-39 in their last 58 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- The Pirates are 3-8 in their last 11 games after allowing 2 runs or less in the previous game.
San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates MLB Prediction:
The Giants got great pitching and just enough offense in game 1 and that proved to be effective.
It would be nice to see the lineup be more effective in this one and I do feel it is possible. As the game goes on, it will be challenging for Quintana and that bullpen to keep them in check.
Although he has not been great this season, I do like Alex Wood in this spot. This is a good opportunity for him to be sharp and I feel can do so.
It might not be a total blowout, but I still like San Francisco laying the runs here.
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