The San Francisco Giants (23-14) meet the Pittsburgh Pirates (15-22) Friday for the second game of a four-game set at PNC Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the Giants vs. Pirates with MLB picks and predictions.
Season series: Giants lead 1-0 after Thursday’s 3-1 victory.
RHP Kevin Gausman gets the nod for the Giants. Gausman is 3-0 with a 1.97 ERA (45 2/3 IP, 10 ER), 0.88 WHIP, 2.4 BB/9 and 9.3 K/9 over 7 starts.
- Last outing: Win, 7-1, in 6 IP with 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB and 7 K vs. the San Diego Padres Saturday.
- Career vs. Pirates: 1-2 with a 5.97 ERA (34 2/3 IP, 23 ER), 1.47 WHIP and 7.3 K/9 over 6 starts and 2 relief appearances (last start was in 2019).
- vs. Pirates on the current roster: 71 at-bats with a .254/.289/.408 slash line, 17/4 K/BB, 2 HR and 6 RBIs.
RHP Miguel Yajure is the projected starter for the Pirates. He dropped his first MLB start, while allowing 4 earned runs (2 home runs) on 4 hits and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts in Pittsburgh’s 5-2 loss at the Detroit Tigers April 21.
MLB betting offers/promotions
BetMGM Sportsbook offers available in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA and WV. New customer offers, terms and conditions apply.
- Bet just $1 on either team’s money line, WIN $100 (in free bets) if either team hits a home run during the game. Bet now!
- RISK-FREE FIRST BET. Place your first bet, if it loses you’ll get up to $600 in free bets. Bet now!
Giants at Pirates odds, lines, picks and prediction
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 1:30 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Giants -200 (bet $200 to win $100) | Pirates +165 (bet $100 to win $165)
- Against the spread/ATS: Giants -1.5 (-115) | Pirates +1.5 (-105)
- Over/Under: 7.5 (O: -105 | U: -120)
Prediction
Pirates 5, Giants 4
Money line (ML)
PASS with a “lean” because Gausman hasn’t pitched well in PNC Park throughout his career, making Giants (-200) a no-go, but good teams beat up on the lowly Pirates (+165) and San Francisco is a good team.
For instance, Gausman is 1-2 with a 7.32 ERA (19 2/3 IP, 16 ER), 1.58 WHIP and 6.9 K/9 over 3 starts and 2 bullpen outings at PNC Park.
Also, since the beginning of last season, the Giants are 38-21 vs. teams with a losing record while the Pirates are 19-39 against teams with a winning record.
FANTASY BASEBALL: Serious about winning your league? Sign up for BaseballHQ.com to dominate the competition. Subscribe now!
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
“LEAN” to the PIRATES +1.5 (-105) for a half unit because Gausman hasn’t been sharp at PNC Park and the Giants -1.5 (-115) bullpen has been subpar this year.
San Francisco’s bullpen is 24th in xFIP, 20th in K-BB%, 26th in home runs per nine and second-to-last in WAR, so the backdoor is going to be open in the late innings.
Over/Under (O/U)
“LEAN” to the OVER 7.5 (-105) for a half unit because the Giants have a 4-2 O/U record in Gausman starts, partially due to San Francisco’s weak bullpen.
But, the Giants have several key bats that could be out of the lineup tonight such as 2B Donovan Solano, 1B Brandon Belt, and SS Brandon Crawford.
Also, Pittsburgh’s lineup is at the bottom of the league in several advanced hitting categories such as 26th in wRC+, wOBA and OPS and dead-last in hard-hit rate.
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Bet on this game now at BetMGM Sportsbook. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Geoff Clark on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]