NL West Odds
Handicappers are confirming what the rest of us have felt for a while: It’s strictly a two-horse race for the National League West crown.
Removing sub.-500 squads Colorado, San Diego and Arizona from the mix, online sports book Bovada.lv gives San Francisco odds of -700 to hang onto first place. The Dodgers, on the other hand, begin the second half of the season as +400 underdogs. Right now, the two rivals are separated by six games in the standings.
One completely understands why Bruce Bochy’s club receives the benefit of the doubt. Not only are the Giants fifth in run differential at plus-73, they’ve done nothing but steadily improve since the start of the year. After a 12-13 April, Buster Posey & Co. went 21-8 in May. The following month brought 17 additional victories, and July has kicked off with a 7-2 run.
Pitching, as always, remains the foundation for success. Madison Bumgarner totes a 10-4 record to go along with some stellar peripherals. Opponents bat a measly .197 off the measly World Series MVP, and he’s positively obliterating the completion at the moment. On Sunday, Bumgarner twirled a one-hitter against the Cubs, fanning 14 in the process. Johnny Cueto’s numbers are nearly as impressive in the No. 2 spot, and Jeff Samardzija keeps justifying that $90 million contract. If either Jake Peavy or Matt Cain ever gets back on track, watch out.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
Of course, Los Angeles can make the a similar about its array of arms. As ace Clayton Kershaw nears his return from a back injury, the rest of the rotation continues to fill in nicely. Lefty Scott Kazmir is his ever-reliable self, and the re-emergence of Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy should pay huge dividends over the next months. Nineteen-year-old phenom Julio Urias already proved capable of holding down the fort as an emergency option, too, if needed.
In terms of bullpens, Kenley Jansen creates more fear than Santiago Casilla. A comparison of the lineups, however, smiles favorably on San Francisco. With Brandon Belt and Buster Posey leading the way, the Giants boast the superior average (.263), on-base percentage (.336), OPS (.742) and RBI total (401). If Corey Seager doesn’t get further assistance from Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig, this race frankly loses a lot of sizzle.
FREE NL WEST PICK: GIANTS -700