When figuring out your MLB Wagers for any given day, it is natural to focus on the games that have meaning in terms of the divisional and Wild Card races. After all, these are the games that we are the most likely to pay attention to, but focusing on those games alone means potentially missing out on wagers that offer more value or a better chance of winning. We are going to shift focus a little here and take a look at a Friday night game featuring a pair of teams with nothing really to play for.
Sure, the Giants are still mathematically in the Wild Card race in the National League, but there are a number of teams ahead of them who are playing much better ball at this stage of the season. The Giants will be on the road this weekend to face a Cincinnati Reds team that is among the worst in the MLB this season. Is this an easy one for the Giants, or can the Reds get a win at home?
The fact that they are down in the middle of the pack in runs scored tells you that they have had some issues driving guys in when the opportunity arose. One of the brighter aspects of their season has been the play of Anthony DeSclafani (6-3, 4.46 ERA), and he will start in this one.
Giants at Reds Game Preview & MLB Spread – August 17th
Just another day at the office for @BusterPosey #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/xGfkpLyuIO
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) 16 de agosto de 2018
- When: Friday, August 17 at 7:10 PM EST
- Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
- Starting Pitchers: Casey Kelly vs Anthony DeSclafani
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Spread: Cincinnati Reds -1.5 (Total 9.5)
Astros vs Athletics Game Preview, MLB Lines & Prediction
Why bet on the San Francisco Giants?
The cutthroat nature of the NL West is such that the Giants have been able to sort of hang around while the top 3 take turns at the top. As it stands right now, San Francisco is 6 games out of the lead, but they are simply not doing enough to make things interesting. They are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and are losing ground with each passing week. The math suggests that this team is still in the hunt, but the reality is that they may as well be 60 games back at this point. Things get a little problematic for the Giants as they continue their current road trip. Away from home, San Francisco is just 27-35, although they are coming off a series where they took 2 of 3 from the Dodgers. They took 2 of 3 from the Reds in their earlier meeting, although that came at home. Casey Kelly (0-1, 1.42 ERA) will be on the mound for this one.Why bet on the Cincinnati Reds?
There really isn’t a lot to like about this Reds team in 2018, as they are among the worst in the league with just 52 wins on the season. They come into this game on a 4-game losing streak and are just 3-7 in their last 10 games. Even with the home field advantage, this team has struggled, going 8 games under the .500 mark in their own building. The Reds are not awful offensively, sporting the 6th best team batting average in the MLB, while also sitting 3rd in on-base percentage.
The fact that they are down in the middle of the pack in runs scored tells you that they have had some issues driving guys in when the opportunity arose. One of the brighter aspects of their season has been the play of Anthony DeSclafani (6-3, 4.46 ERA), and he will start in this one.
Blue Jays at Yankees MLB Odds & Pick – August 17th
Latest MLB Betting Trends
- San Francisco is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
- San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco’s last 5 games
- Cincinnati is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games at home
- Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati’s last 5 games
