NL Betting Preview: Milwaukee Brewers at San Francisco Giants
Two struggling National League teams face off on Thursday as the San Francisco Giants host the Milwaukee Brewers at AT&T Park. The Giants are defending World Series champions but have been horrible this year and have slipped all the way to last place in the NL West. They’ve lost 9 of their last 13 games and have dropped two of the first three games of this series. The Milwaukee Brewers have actually won 6 of their last 10 games and have a chance to get out of last place in the NL Central-they’re 1.5 games back of the 4th place Chicago Cubs.
The Brewers will start righthander Donovan Hand-he’s pitched reasonably well but has received no help from his teammates. Overall he’s got a 3.69 ERA as a starter and a 1.231 WHIP but the Brewers have lost 5 of his 6 games. On the road he’s got a 4.50 ERA and the Brewers have lost all three of his away assignments. He’s put up similar numbers in his last three starts with a 4.24 ERA and three Milwaukee losses in those three games. He could catch a break against a San Francisco team that has been awful against righthanded pitching this season. The Giants are 35-42 -15.8 units against right handed pitching.
San Francisco will counter will righthander Tim Lincecum. The former two time Cy Young winner has been well short of that lofty performance in recent years and his numbers clearly reflect that. He’s got a 4.43 ERA this season with a 1.328 WHIP and the Giants have lost 14 of his 22 starts. At home he’s got a 4.78 ERA and San Francisco has lost 7 of his 11 assignments at AT&T Park. He’s been even worse in his last three starts with a 5.60 ERA with a 1.302 WHIP and three Giants’ losses.
For whatever reason, the Brewers have owned the Giants this season going 6-1 +6.5 units including a 3-1 +3.5 units record at San Francisco. Tim Lincecum is a definite ‘go against’ at this point in his career and especially as a fairly sizable favorite. We’ll take the road team who has played relatively well of late at a good sized underdog price. The Brewers may have some interest in getting out of the NL Central cellar while the Giants are dead in the water.
BET MILWAUKEE BREWERS (HAND) +155 OVER SAN FRANCISCO (LINCECUM)