Giants host Rockies in huge NL series
Giants host Rockies in huge NL series
The weekend is stuffed full of big matchups on the MLB front from the White Sox paying a visit to the Yankees and the Rays, Tigers series in Mo Town. But no contests are as crucial as the three games in San Francisco between the Giants and Colorado Rockies. San Fran sends their big arms to the AT&T mound with Tim Lincecum followed by Barry Zito and Matt Cain as the G-Men look to make up ground on the Rocks.
I’m the first one to remind bettors it doesn’t matter what you’re wagering as long as you’re making money. It doesn’t make a difference to me if there are 863 people in the stands and SportsCenter couldn’t care less, because it’s all about handicapping betting odds and then cashing paydays.
That being the case, there’s nothing better than laying down money on games that count. Bettors get the opportunity this weekend, when the San Francisco Giants look to make up ground in the National League Wild Card race in their three-game series with the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park.
Colorado Rockies (+130) at San Francisco Giants (-150)
Betting this series is quite the challenge, regardless of the angle at which you attack it. The Giants (69-59, +9.46 units) are lights out at home this season, having gone 41-21 (+15.41 units) at their spacious waterfront ballpark. Because of that, San Francisco is the natural choice for all three games.
The Giants are sending Tim Lincecum, the resurgent Barry Zito, and Matt Cain to the hill beginning on Friday night. Probably not the best time to trust your bankroll to the Rockies (72-56, +14.56 units), until you consider the lineup San Fran might be forced to go with because of injuries.
It’s common knowledge the Giants’ offense is garbage at the best of times, but that’s not the scenario they’re faced with this weekend. San Francisco ranks 27th in runs per game (4.05), 29th in team OPS (.700), and 29th in homers (91), and that’s with Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina in the middle of the order. Sandoval (calf) is questionable to see action in the series, while Molina (quadriceps) is day-to-day for the Giants. San Francisco is also without Freddy Sanchez (shoulder) until at least next Wednesday.
With San Fran’s offense on crutches, and Colorado sending out Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Marquis, and Jason Hammel for the set, the under might be the sharp wager. There’s at least a little fodder for that thinking: The Rockies are 2-7-1 O/U over their last 10 games, while both starters for Friday night’s opener (10:15 PM ET) have been kind to under bettors this season.
Sportsbooks, of course, are all over this line of thinking, and opened the total for Game 1 at 6.5 runs. Oddsmakers have Lincecum (12-4, 2.43 ERA) and the Giants as -140 chalk for Friday night’s affair, with Jimenez (12-9, 3.36 ERA) and the Rockies as +120 underdogs.
The Lincecum-Jimenez showdown is a rematch of last Sunday’s battle between the young righthanders, when Colorado (-118) clipped San Francisco 4-2. Jimenez allowed two runs over eight innings to earn the win, while Lincecum took the loss despite taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Lincecum gave up three runs over seven innings, and surrendered a pinch-hit, two-run shot to Seth Smith in the seventh that gave the Rockies the lead for good.
Colorado’s win on Sunday was a microcosm for the entire four-game series at Coors Field last weekend. The Rockies took three of four, but the Giants led in all three of those games. After the Giants cashed the opener, San Francisco’s bullpen squandered leads of 6-1 (Rockies won 14-11), 2-0 (Rockies won 4-2), and 4-1 (Rockies won 6-4 in 14 innings).
Overall, Colorado leads the season series 7-5, although San Fran grabbed two of three when the teams met at AT&T Park in May. The Giants were able to do so despite scoring only five runs over the three games (0-3 O/U).
The Rockies have moneyline paydays in eight of their last 11 games, and now trail the Dodgers by four games in the NL West. Currently up three games on San Francisco in the Wild Card chase, Colorado comes into the series after dropping two of three to Los Angeles at home.
The Giants send Zito (8-11, 4.09 ERA) to the hill for Saturday’s Game 2 (9:05 PM ET) to face the Rockies’ Marquis (14-8, 3.47 ERA). Zito and Marquis last went head-to-head in Monday’s series finale, when Colorado won as -162 faves on Ryan Spilborgh’s walk-off grand slam in the 14th inning.
Cain (12-4, 2.39 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season against the Rockies in Sunday’s getaway game (4:05 PM ET), while Colorado sends Hammel (8-8, 4.50 ERA) to the mound. San Francisco is 18-8 in Cain’s 26 starts this season, including an 11-2 mark when he toes the rubber at home.
The weekend is stuffed full of big matchups on the MLB front from the White Sox paying a visit to the Yankees and the Rays, Tigers series in Mo Town. But no contests are as crucial as the three games in San Francisco between the Giants and Colorado Rockies. San Fran sends their big arms to the AT&T mound with Tim Lincecum followed by Barry Zito and Matt Cain as the G-Men look to make up ground on the Rocks.
I’m the first one to remind bettors it doesn’t matter what you’re wagering as long as you’re making money. It doesn’t make a difference to me if there are 863 people in the stands and SportsCenter couldn’t care less, because it’s all about handicapping betting odds and then cashing paydays.
That being the case, there’s nothing better than laying down money on games that count. Bettors get the opportunity this weekend, when the San Francisco Giants look to make up ground in the National League Wild Card race in their three-game series with the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park.
Colorado Rockies (+130) at San Francisco Giants (-150)
Betting this series is quite the challenge, regardless of the angle at which you attack it. The Giants (69-59, +9.46 units) are lights out at home this season, having gone 41-21 (+15.41 units) at their spacious waterfront ballpark. Because of that, San Francisco is the natural choice for all three games.
The Giants are sending Tim Lincecum, the resurgent Barry Zito, and Matt Cain to the hill beginning on Friday night. Probably not the best time to trust your bankroll to the Rockies (72-56, +14.56 units), until you consider the lineup San Fran might be forced to go with because of injuries.
It’s common knowledge the Giants’ offense is garbage at the best of times, but that’s not the scenario they’re faced with this weekend. San Francisco ranks 27th in runs per game (4.05), 29th in team OPS (.700), and 29th in homers (91), and that’s with Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina in the middle of the order. Sandoval (calf) is questionable to see action in the series, while Molina (quadriceps) is day-to-day for the Giants. San Francisco is also without Freddy Sanchez (shoulder) until at least next Wednesday.
With San Fran’s offense on crutches, and Colorado sending out Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Marquis, and Jason Hammel for the set, the under might be the sharp wager. There’s at least a little fodder for that thinking: The Rockies are 2-7-1 O/U over their last 10 games, while both starters for Friday night’s opener (10:15 PM ET) have been kind to under bettors this season.
Sportsbooks, of course, are all over this line of thinking, and opened the total for Game 1 at 6.5 runs. Oddsmakers have Lincecum (12-4, 2.43 ERA) and the Giants as -140 chalk for Friday night’s affair, with Jimenez (12-9, 3.36 ERA) and the Rockies as +120 underdogs.
The Lincecum-Jimenez showdown is a rematch of last Sunday’s battle between the young righthanders, when Colorado (-118) clipped San Francisco 4-2. Jimenez allowed two runs over eight innings to earn the win, while Lincecum took the loss despite taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Lincecum gave up three runs over seven innings, and surrendered a pinch-hit, two-run shot to Seth Smith in the seventh that gave the Rockies the lead for good.
Colorado’s win on Sunday was a microcosm for the entire four-game series at Coors Field last weekend. The Rockies took three of four, but the Giants led in all three of those games. After the Giants cashed the opener, San Francisco’s bullpen squandered leads of 6-1 (Rockies won 14-11), 2-0 (Rockies won 4-2), and 4-1 (Rockies won 6-4 in 14 innings).
Overall, Colorado leads the season series 7-5, although San Fran grabbed two of three when the teams met at AT&T Park in May. The Giants were able to do so despite scoring only five runs over the three games (0-3 O/U).
The Rockies have moneyline paydays in eight of their last 11 games, and now trail the Dodgers by four games in the NL West. Currently up three games on San Francisco in the Wild Card chase, Colorado comes into the series after dropping two of three to Los Angeles at home.
The Giants send Zito (8-11, 4.09 ERA) to the hill for Saturday’s Game 2 (9:05 PM ET) to face the Rockies’ Marquis (14-8, 3.47 ERA). Zito and Marquis last went head-to-head in Monday’s series finale, when Colorado won as -162 faves on Ryan Spilborgh’s walk-off grand slam in the 14th inning.
Cain (12-4, 2.39 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season against the Rockies in Sunday’s getaway game (4:05 PM ET), while Colorado sends Hammel (8-8, 4.50 ERA) to the mound. San Francisco is 18-8 in Cain’s 26 starts this season, including an 11-2 mark when he toes the rubber at home.