Dodgers vs. Giants Odds, Picks & Prediction — Friday, September 3
Dodgers vs. Giants Odds
| Dodgers Odds | -115 |
| Giants Odds | +105 |
| Over/Under | 8.5 |
| Date | Friday, Sept. 3 |
| Time | 9:45 pm ET |
| TV | SNLA |
| Odds accurate as of Friday at Caesars | |
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On Friday evening, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants will begin a crucial three-game set at Oracle Park. Heading into the weekend, these two clubs are tied for the best record in Major League Baseball, but the fact that they play in the same division means that they are also tied for first place in the National League West. Entering play, Los Angeles has won 20 of their last 24 games. San Francisco is 16-8 in their last 24 games, but they have experienced their first real slump of the campaign with losses in four of their last five contests. In the series opener, the Dodgers will send David Price to the hill. He will be opposed by Anthony DeSclafani. Oddsmakers are expecting Los Angeles to reclaim first place in their division tonight, pricing the Dodgers as -115 favorites on the money line.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.
Los Angeles Dodgers
David Price is no longer one of baseball’s premier talents on the mound, but he is still an extremely reliable option for a contending team, such as Los Angeles. Across 67.1 innings in 2021, he has a 3.88 ERA, 3.86 xERA, and a 3.95 FIP. Since being transitioned into the starting rotation at the beginning of July, Price is only striking-out 16.6 percent of opposing batters, but he has managed to post a strong 1.08 WHIP thanks, in part, due to a 5.7 percent barrel-rate and a phenomenal 69.9 first-strike percentage. It is much easier to be aggressive with pitch sequencing, and thus easier to induce weak-contact when a pitcher gets ahead in the count. Bettors should not expect a dominant performance from Price in this one, but he has not allowed more than three earned runs in any appearance in 2021. When he exits the game, the Dodgers should be in good shape to contend for a victory.
The Dodgers are the hottest team in baseball, but they have been winning games without much help from their offense. Over the last week, they rank only 16th in OPS and 9th in ISO. They have been even worse over the last 14 days—ranking 27th in OPS and 13th in ISO. However, they should have some better results tonight against DeSclafani, who has surrendered 22 earned runs in 21.0 innings of work against Los Angeles this season.
Over the last 30 days, the Dodgers’ relief corps ranks fifth in bullpen FIP. They have been nearly unhittable as a unit with a .164 batting average against them during this stretch. If there is any concern, it lies in the fact that this bullpen has posted a 10.5 percent walk-rate in that span. Still, the off-day yesterday means that Los Angeles should have everyone rested and available for this weekend’s action. Expect Manager Dave Roberts to be aggressive with his relievers in this contest as he looks to move into first place in the division.
San Francisco Giants
Through 25 turns in the rotation, DeSclafani owns solid season-long numbers with a 3.38 ERA, 3.83 xERA, and a 3.85 FIP. However, he has struggled mightily in his last seven trips to the mound—posting a 6.04 ERA and a 5.24 FIP. He has been partly victimized by poor fortune on balls in play, evident by a .341 BABIP against him. Yet, he is also allowing a significant amount of hard-contact, including a 9.8 percent barrel-rate since July 17, so the high average on balls in play is not entirely due to bad luck. DeSclafani’s struggles against Los Angeles this year have been well-documented. He is an untrustworthy option for bettors this evening.
As much as the Dodgers’ lineup has struggled recently, the Giants’ offense has been just as lost at the plate. San Francisco ranks 23rd in OPS over the last two weeks. Over the last 14 days, they rank a respectable 11th in ISO, but it is going to be difficult to hit the ball out of Oracle Park this evening with temperatures forecasted to be below 60 degrees.
San Francisco has the best bullpen in the league over the last 30 days with an outstanding 3.01 FIP. However, they enter this weekend straight off of a highly-competitive series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Tyler Rogers is likely unavailable for tonight after appearing each of the last two days. Nearly all of the Giants’ best relievers have thrown at least twice in the last four days. Fatigue could be a concern for this group, unless DeSclafani surprisingly gets deep into this ballgame.
Pick
The market has been slow to adjust to the fall weather arriving in the Bay Area. Each of the last six games played in San Francisco have totaled eight runs or less, with four of those six games totaling six runs or less, not counting extra innings. Neither team is sending their ace to the mound, but colder temperatures, struggling offenses, and two talented bullpens figure to keep this game low-scoring.
PICK: Under 8.5 (-110)
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