Dodgers vs. Giants Odds
| *Dodgers Odds* | *-185* |
| *Giants Odds* | *+150* |
| *Over/Under* | *7.5 (-105 / -115)* |
| *Time* | *7:08 p.m. ET* |
| *TV* | *ESPN* |
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ historically strong season continued Saturday night with a game that saw them reach 100 wins with 18 games remaining and Julio Urias earn his 17th win in 2022 thanks to six strong innings.
Andrew Heaney will take the mound for the Dodgers on Sunday, as they look to avoid a letdown on Sunday Night Baseball against Alex Cobb and the rival San Francisco Giants.
Cobb has had some bad luck this season — he is likely better than his 3.48 ERA suggests — but has been consistently dominated by the Dodgers. Will he have better luck on Sunday night? Let’s take a look at how to bet on tonight’s baseball nightcap.
Will the Los Angeles Dodgers begin to slow down?
There is arguably no one in baseball who understands how difficult it is to face this Dodgers lineup more than Alex Cobb — a notably strong starter who has seen his numbers slashed time and again by L.A.
Cobb has a 5.75 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers this season, with a WHIP of 1.72, which is significantly higher than his season-long average of 1.27. The Dodgers have been in fantastic form of late, with a wRC+ of 130 and a wOBA of.352 over the last 14 days.
Given their position heading into the postseason, it’s likely that a key Dodgers starter or two will sit out this Sunday matchup; lineup confirmation will be critical for this contest from a handicapping/fantasy standpoint.
Starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Andrew Heaney, has had a strong season. While I don’t think anyone will argue Heaney is as dominant as his 2.84 ERA suggests, his elite K/BB ratio suggests he could fare better than we’ve seen recently. Heaney has a fantastic K/9 rate of 13.26 on the season, which he has maintained recently.
It’s unusual to see a starter with a solid walk rate and such an elite strikeout rate allow as many runs as Heaney has recently, and a matchup against the Giants could be a buy-low opportunity.
The Giants are looking for answers on offense
The Giants hit far better against left-handed pitching in each of the previous two seasons, including a massive performance against Heaney on September 5.
The Giants need that trend to continue on Sunday, as their offense has struggled significantly down the stretch this season, with a paltry wRC+ of just 71 in the last 14 days.
The Giants’ aging core appeared to turn back the clock last year, putting together an elite season that few predicted, with seemingly everything going right.
In 2022, it’s been the exact opposite storyline, with a number of key pieces regressing and notable pieces consistently sidelined due to injury. At this point in the season, it appears that Gabe Kapler’s team is simply counting down the days until the misery ends.
Cobb has been one of the Giants’ bright spots, pitching to an ERA of 3.48, albeit one that has been markedly unlucky when compared to his xFIP of 2.84 and xERA of 3.09.
Cobb has been subjected to a slew of poor fielding all season, and after being embarrassed on each of the last three nights, one would think the Giants would love to show some pride and put together a surprisingly sharp contest for their veteran starter on Sunday.
Dodgers-Giants Pick
Fading L.A. against their division rival Giants has been a terrible strategy this season, as I have witnessed firsthand on several occasions. The Dodgers have dominated the Giants this season, going 14-4 with a +46 run differential.
While I understand that record and differential aren’t always indicators of future outcomes, it appears that the incredibly dominant Dodgers have taken personal pride in beating their rivals all season.
The Dodgers have covered the run line in 14 of 18 games against the Giants this season, and I believe we will see the same outcome again assuming a reasonable Dodgers lineup.
Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-110)
