The San Francisco Giants had won a World Series in every even-numbered year this decade. However, that good fortune came to an end in 2016 as the Giants did make the playoffs again in an even-numbered year but were ousted by the eventual champion Cubs in the NLDS. San Francisco is projected to be the second-best team in the NL West again this year behind the Dodgers and contend for another wild-card spot. Here’s a look at the MLB betting prediction for the Giants.
2017 San Francisco Giants Season Betting Prediction
Key Losses: IF Ehire Adrianza, OF Gregor Blanco, RHP Santiago Casilla, RHP Chris Heston, LHP Javier Lopez, LF Angel Pagan, RHP Jake Peavy, RHP Sergio Romo Key Additions: 3B Jae-gyun Hwang, C Nick Hundley, RHP Mark Melancon 2017 Win Total: 87.5 Odds To Win NL West: +180 Statistical analytics projected the 2016 Giants to be a wild-card team and it played out that way. San Francisco entered the All-Star Break with a 57-33 record, the best in baseball, and a 6.5-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. However, Bruce Bochy’s club was 30-42 in the second half to finish four games behind the Dodgers in the division. The saving grace came on the last day of the regular season as the Giants beat said the 7-1 to clinch a spot in the wild-card game against the Mets. San Francisco won that behind ace Madison Bumgarner before losing to the Cubs in four games in the NLDS, with the bullpen blowing a big home lead in the top of the ninth in Game 4. Win that, and the series goes back to Chicago with all the pressure on the Cubs and the Giants starting co-ace Johnny Cueto. There’s no question that San Francisco has the starting pitching to win another World Series. Bumgarner started a career-high 34 games in 2016, finishing 15-9 with a career-low 2.74 ERA. He struck out a career-high 251. He’s the definition of an ace and is unbeatable in the playoffs. Cueto finished his first season as a Giant 18-5 with a 2.79 ERA. He also led baseball with five complete games. The bullpen was the issue last year and that appears to have been solved with the addition of closer Mark Melancon. While losing faith in Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo, San Francisco blew 30 saves in 2016, the most in franchise history since saves became an official statistic in 1969. That included nine defeats in games when the Giants led entering the ninth inning, another franchise mark. Five of those losses occurred in September. Melancon has converted 98 of 104 save opportunities in the past two seasons and is coming off a 2016 season in which he recorded a 1.64 ERA and 47 saves in 51 chances over 75 games with Pittsburgh and Washington. The Giants also signed catcher Nick Hundley to a one-year, $2 million deal to add power, depth and experience to back up star Buster Posey. Otherwise this team is largely the same. The nucleus of the lineup remains Posey, first baseman Brandon Belt, second baseman Joe Panik, shortstop Brandon Crawford, third baseman Conor Gillaspie, center fielder Denard Span and right fielder Hunter Pence. The Giants will have a full season of starting pitcher Matt Moore, acquired last summer from Tampa Bay. Finally fully healed from Tommy John surgery, Moore set career bests with 33 starts and 198 1/3 innings pitched last season, answering the significant question about his durability. He was 13-12 overall with a 4.08 ERA but dominated the Cubs in his one playoff start..@BarryBonds is back with the #SFGiants as a special advisor!
MOOD: pic.twitter.com/ngkjTN75sZ — San Francisco Giants (@SFGiantsFans) March 21, 2017
