When interleague play was first introduced into the MLB, it was viewed by many as a bit of a novelty. It was almost as though the games against teams that rarely of ever came to town didn’t have the same importance as those against teams from the same division or league. Rather than being a bit of a welcome reprieve from the daily grind, interleague games are now viewed as an important part of the schedule, especially when we get to this late stage of the season.
It certainly is fun when you get a pair of teams in the playoff race in their respective divisions going head to head, which is what we are getting this week, with the Oakland A’s hitting the road for a series against the San Francisco Giants. For both of these teams, it is the Wild Card that is the only real way into the postseason, and with Oakland and San Francisco both sitting off the pace, this is an extremely crucial series for both. The Giants are favored by 1 ½ at home, with the run total set at 8.
Athletics vs Giants MLB Odds & Pick for Tuesday Night
- When: Tuesday, August 13 at 9:45 PM EST
- Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco
- Starting Pitchers: Anderson vs. Bumgarner
- TV: MLB Extra Inning
- Radio: KNBR
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Odds: Oakland Athletics -115 (Total 8)
Updated 2019 World Series Odds – August 13th
Weather Forecast
- Sunny: 22°C/72°F
- Humidity: 57%
- Precipitation: 2%
- Cloud Cover: 2%
- Wind: 15 mph WSW
- Stadium Type: Open
Why bet on the Oakland Athletics?
The Wild Card race in the American League looks as though it is basically going to be 3 teams fighting it out for the two available spots. As it stands at the moment, it is the Oakland A’s who would be the odd man out, as they are sitting a couple of games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for that final spot.
If there is a positive to be taken from their current standing, it’s that they basically control their own destiny, as they are 6 ½ games up on the chasing pack, which means the A’s are unlikely to be run down by one of those teams. It does look as though they are hitting a decent run of form, coming off a series win against the White Sox and going 6-4 in their last 10 games. As a road dog, the A’s are 22-12 ATS. They will have Brett Anderson (10-7, 3.99 ERA) on the mound for this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.06
- Hits: 8.38
- Walks: 3.46
- Strike Outs: 7.93
- Runs: 4.32
- Hits: 8.35
- Walks: 3.09
- Strike Outs: 7.74
Why bet on the San Francisco Giants?
For a while there, it looked as though the Giants were going to make a run that carried them all the way to the Wild Card. They were winning games and putting up a ton of runs in the process, but they have since cooled off, dropping to 3rd in the NL West and 3 ½ games out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. That is not a huge deficit to make up, but the issue for the Giants is that there are a handful of teams ahead of them.
The margin of error for San Francisco is slim to none at this point in the season. They are just 4-6 in their last 10 games, but they do open the new week on a modest 2-game win streak. At just 28-32 SU at home, though, they are not an automatic pick. Madison Bumgarner (7-7, 3.74 ERA) gets the ball for this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.25
- Hits: 8.14
- Walks: 3.01
- Strike Outs: 8.66
- Runs: 4.76
- Hits: 8.69
- Walks: 3.10
- Strike Outs: 8.53
Diamondbacks vs Rockies MLB Lines & Game Preview
Athletics vs Giants MLB Betting Trends
- Athletics are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland’s last 7 games played on a Tuesday
- Giants are 5-10 SU in their last 15 games against an opponent in the American League West division
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Francisco’s last 8 games at home
- Giants are 38-34 against the money line in night games this season
- Athletics are 67-50 against the money line in all games this season
- Anderson is 2-4 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 4.78 and a WHIP of 1.388
- Bumgarner is 4-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.81 and a WHIP of 1.442
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
The A’s have gone 10-6 in interleague play this season, while the Giants are a game below .500. That said, I have a hunch that the Giants are going to pull out the win with Bumgarner on the mound.
Score: Oakland A’s 4 – San Francisco Giants 5
