San Francisco Giants
Oakland Athletics
(-110/-110)+135
As the Oakland Athletics prepare to face the San Francisco Giants on August 18, 2024, both teams are looking to build on their recent performances. The Athletics pulled off a noteworthy shutout against the Giants just yesterday, winning 2-0, while the Giants continue to search for answers after that disappointing loss.
Currently, the Athletics sit at 53-70, struggling through a challenging season. However, their offense ranks 4th in MLB for home runs, boasting 132 long balls this year, which could play a crucial role against Giants’ starting pitcher Blake Snell. The Giants, at 62-63, have been average overall, but their recent performances show a need for improvement as they strive for consistency.
JP Sears, projected to start for the Athletics, has had an up-and-down season. With a 10-8 record and a 4.32 ERA, he’s positioned as the 168th best starting pitcher in MLB, indicating struggles against tougher offenses. However, Sears does have solid control, ranking 6th in fewest walks, which might mitigate some risk against a patient Giants lineup that has drawn the 6th most walks in MLB.
On the other side, Blake Snell has been impressive, with a 3.91 ERA and an elite ranking of 15th best in MLB among starting pitchers. His recent outing was exceptional, as he pitched 6 innings with no earned runs and tallied 11 strikeouts. Despite the Giants’ average offensive performance this season, Snell’s high strikeout rate (32.7 K%) could exploit the A’s tendency to strike out, as they rank 2nd in MLB for most strikeouts.
Betting markets currently favor the Giants with a moneyline of -165, but projections suggest Oakland may have more value as an underdog, with estimates indicating a stronger chance of success than the odds imply.
San Francisco Giants Insights
- San Francisco Giants – Moneyline (-155)Out of all the teams today, the strongest infield defense belongs to the San Francisco Giants.Explain: Defense is an integral part of preventing hits and runs.
- Matt Chapman – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+100/-130)Matt Chapman has been hot lately, raising his seasonal exit velocity of 93-mph to 97.1-mph over the last 7 days.Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
- Matt Chapman – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+100/-130)Matt Chapman hits a lot of his flyballs to center field (39.6% — 97th percentile) and will have a big advantage facing MLB’s 11th-shallowest CF fences in today’s game.Explain: This player’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.
Oakland Athletics Insights
- JJ Bleday – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-135/+105)J.J. Bleday is an extreme flyball hitter and faces the strong outfield defense of San Francisco (#1-best on the slate today).Explain: This player’s skill set matches up poorly with the opposing team’s defensive strength, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.
- The Oakland Athletics have 3 batters in their projected offense today with a high (i.e. over 27%) underlying K% (per the leading projection system, THE BAT X) (Shea Langeliers, Zack Gelof, Brent Rooker).Explain: Teams that have multiple high-strikeout hitters will make it much easier for the opposing pitcher to record strikeouts
Betting Trends
- Oakland Athletics – Moneyline (+135)The Oakland Athletics have hit the Moneyline in 23 of their last 37 games (+14.25 Units / 35% ROI)
- San Francisco Giants – Over/Under 3.5 Team Total (-155/+120)The San Francisco Giants have hit the Team Total Under in 7 of their last 8 games (+6.05 Units / 64% ROI)
- Brent Rooker – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-135/+105)Brent Rooker has hit the Total Bases Over in 32 of his last 49 games (+17.45 Units / 30% ROI)