MLB Betting – Diamondbacks vs Giants Preview & Pick
The D-Backs can see the light! Six games up on the Giants and set to play them three straight times, they have a chance to essentially lock up the National League West with a good series this weekend.
THE BEST SPORTSBOOK FOR AMERICA’S PASTTIME! – CLICK HERE NOW + BET ON MLB TODAY!
MLB Betting – Diamondbacks vs Giants Preview & Pick
Date: Friday, September 2, 2011
Venue: AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA
Broadcast: FSAZ, CSBA
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants Betting Lines from Bodog.com
Money Line: Giants -164
Over/Under: 6.5
CLICK here for INDEPTH MLB ATS Stats for this matchup —>
Bet now at BETONLINE —>
Talk smack about MLB Baseball Today In Our Forums –>
Arizona Diamondbacks (78-59)
Joe Saunders (9-11, 3.82)
There isn’t a hotter team in baseball; Arizona has won nine straight games, holding opponents to two runs or fewer in eight of those victories.
Joe Saunders contributed to the streak with seven innings of one-run ball (zero earned) against the Padres on August 27, bouncing back from a stretch of ugly starts. He hasn’t fared well against the Giants in two career outings, losing both and posting a 5.27 ERA with 20 hits allowed in 1.2 innings. But Saunders has been impressive on the road overall this year, posting a 3.28 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.
San Francisco Giants (72-65)
Matt Cain (10-9, 2.87)
This is the critical season juncture at which the Giants must show why they’re the defending World Series champs. Losing three of four this week to the lowly Astros and Cubs isn’t exactly the mark of a champion, is it?
Not surprisingly, San Francisco’s hitting continues to be its problem. The Giants have the second-best ERA, WHIP, and strikeout total in baseball and are first in quality starts but they’re last in runs scored per game and second-last in batting average and OPS. Last season, their plucky bats got hot down the stretch; it hasn’t happened so far in 2011. Carlos Beltran is batting just .260 with one homer in 20 games since arriving from the Mets in a trade. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Matt Cain’s stats are vintage Cain; fantastic 2.87 ERA but he’s just a game over .500 because of poor run support. He’s 9-5 against the D-Backs with a 3.52 ERA over 21 career starts.
MLB Trends
ARI are 9-0 in their last 9 overall.
ARI are 9-0 in their last 9 games on grass.
Under is 15-5-1 in ARI last 21 overall.
Over is 6-2 in SF last 8 games following an off day.
SF are 9-20 in their last 29 games on grass.
Under is 39-19-1 in SF last 59 home games.
Under is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings.
ARI are 18-37 in the last 55 meetings.
MLB Free pick:
The pick:
Poor Cain has to be perfect to beat the streaking D-Backs, it seems. His last time out, they tagged him for five runs in 5.2 innings at home.
The signs point to an Arizona win. But I’m going to do something I don’t often do with baseball picks: rely on intangibles.
For all intents and purposes, Friday night is a playoff game. The Giants must win. And Cain proved last season that he is totally clutch, not allowing a single run over three playoff starts. He’ll bring his best stuff to the hill on Friday.
Factoring in that most of Arizona’s hot streak took place at home and that Saunders is a beatable pitcher, I like San Fran.
Diamondbacks vs Giants prediction: Giants 3, Diamondbacks 1
