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The NL West-leading San Francisco Giants are in a bit of a funk right now, but facing the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks, who look like the worst team in the majors, could be just the tonic. The team open a series Friday in the desert with the Giants favored on the MLB odds.

How to Bet Giants at Diamondbacks MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Thursday, 9:40 PM ET
Where: Chase Field
Probable pitchers (away/home): Johnny Cueto/Merrill Kelly
TV: ESPN

Why Bet on San Francisco?

The Giants were off Wednesday and it came at a good time as they have lost three in a row and scored just five runs in those. The Giants went 0-for-19 with runners in scoring position in a two-game series vs. the Dodgers to open this week, failing repeatedly in big spots, including three times in the ninth inning Tuesday with the tying run on first base against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen.

The mini-sweep gave the Giants their second three-game losing streak of the season, and both have revolved around the Dodgers, who swept the Giants in a three-game series May 21-23.

The team is without injured first baseman Brandon Belt and third baseman Evan Longoria, both on the injured list. Now outfielders Mike Yastrzemski and Mike Tauchman are both hurt, too.

Yastrzemski exited Monday’s game against the Dodgers after fouling a ball off his right shin and didn’t play Tuesday. He’s day-to-day and could play Thursday. Tauchman was to have an MRI on Wednesday. He injured his knee when he made a twisting catch on the warning track Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. Tauchman was starting in right field to replace Yastrzemski. Tauchman is having a rough season at the plate but has been one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. He is second among MLB outfielders with six Defensive Runs Saved in left field, which is where he usually plays.

It’s Johnny Cueto (6-3) on the mound here. Cueto struck out six batters with five hits and one walk allowed over seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over the A’s last Friday. After retiring the first eight batters of the game, Sean Manaea doubled off Cueto with two outs in the third inning. He then hit Tony Kemp and allowed a single to Matt Chapman to load the bases before Matt Olson flied out to end the threat. Cueto worked out of trouble again in the fifth, striking out Chapman and Olson with two runners on.

Cueto has yet to strike out more than seven batters in an outing but has managed a respectable 3.63 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 67 innings.

On May 26 at Arizona, Cueto allowed four runs on eight hits and no walks with five strikeouts over five innings in a no-decision. Cueto got into trouble right away with a leadoff double by Josh Rojas. Ketel Marte would bring him in to score on a base hit to put the Diamondbacks on the board. Four base hits in the second inning would score three more to give Arizona a four-run lead. The 35-year-old right-hander tossed three more scoreless innings and his team rallied to take him off the hook.

Why Bet on Arizona?

The Diamondbacks are going to be selling off pieces very soon – there’s already talk that a trade of infielder Eduardo Escobar to the White Sox is nearly done. The Snakes’ best player, Ketel Marte landed on the injured list this week with a left hamstring strain. Marte originally injured his hamstring nearly a week ago and then aggravated it. He already missed about six weeks of action earlier this season with a strained right hamstring and now is going to miss multiple more weeks.

Marte has been a hugely productive hitter when he has been in the lineup. In 37 games, he is hitting .370/.419/.556 with 13 doubles and four homers. His performance and the D-Backs place in the standings has led to some speculation he’d be a potential trade candidate.

It’s Merrill Kelly (4-7, 4.73 ERA) on the mound here. Kelly tossed six scoreless innings while allowing five hits in last Saturday’s upset win over the Padres to end Arizona’s MLB-record 24-game losing streak. Kelly kept the powerful San Diego lineup at bay all game, only allowing one runner past third.

“You’re always looking for that stopper, that guy that’s in the rotation that’s going to go out and execute the plan, and it’s landed on Merrill a couple of times,” Manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re not surprised.

Kelly now has consecutive wins of at least six innings pitched with one or zero runs allowed and is showing signs of his dominant 2020 form. He has faced the Giants twice this season and 6 times in his career. He is 2-2 with a 3.48 ERA (12 ER in 31.0 IP), .260 opponent average, 9 walks and 30 strikeouts.