Braves vs Giants Odds and Picks (Sep. 18)
- The San Francisco Giants are -135 home favorites over the Atlanta Braves in a National League game slated for Saturday, September 18
- Atlanta has won six of the last nine games from San Francisco
- The Giants have won 10 of their past 12 games – read below for our betting prediction
It’s not a stretch to suggest that this weekend’s series between the Atlanta Braves (76-69, 39-33 away) and San Francisco Giants (96-53, 48-25 home) could be a preview of the National League Championship Series.
Both the Giants (NL West) and Braves (NL East) lead their respective divisions by two games. Then again, it’s also not a stretch to think that neither might not win their division.
San Francisco is being pursued by the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Atlanta sees the hard-charging Philadelphia Phillies in the rear-view mirror. The Phils have gained 2.5 games in the standings in the past five days.
All that’s combining to make this set vital for both teams. San Francisco drew first blood with a 6-5, 11-inning win on Friday. Oddsmakers are establishing the Giants as -135 favorites to win again on Saturday. San Francisco is 39-15 as a home favorite this season.
Braves vs Giants Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | +115 | +1.5 (-180) | O 7.5 (-115) |
| San Francisco Giants | -135 | -1.5 (+155) | U 7.5 (-105) |
Odds as of September 18th at DraftKings
The first pitch for Saturday’s game at Oracle Park is set to go at 9:05pm ET. The forecast is calling for clouds with partly sunny skies, 11 mph wind and a temperature of 63 degrees.
Morton vs Wood
| 13-5 | Record | 10-4 |
| 3.49 | ERA | 4.08 |
| 3.72 | xERA | 4.00 |
| 1.05 | WHIP | 1.23 |
| 3.76 | SO/W Ratio | 3.46 |
Braves right-hander Charlie Morton has lost once since August 2. He’s 3-1 over his last four decisions. Morton has worked at least six innings in six of his past eight starts. He’s pitched a minimum of five innings through each of his last 16 starts.
Charlie Morton, Two Seamer & Curveball, Overlays. pic.twitter.com/bWdsY7CCeI
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 1, 2021
Since August 1, Morton has struck out 57 batters in 49 innings pitched. This will be his first time facing the Giants this season. Morton is 2-0 against NL West opposition in 2021.
Morton is 4-4 with a 2.48 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 13 career starts against San Francisco, covering 83. 1 innings pitched. At San Francisco, he’s 2-2 with a 3.43 ERA in seven career starts.
Giants’ lefty Alex Wood, a Braves pitcher from 2013-15, is 3-3 with a 4.26 ERA in six career starts against his old ballclub. They’ve touched him for 37 hits in 31.2 innings. He has not faced the Braves this season.
Alex Wood with a little live BP: pic.twitter.com/XmwVLRReAZ
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) September 15, 2021
The southpaw will be making his first start since August 26. Wood fell ill the night before his next scheduled start and tested positive for COVID-19. He was bedridden for a week with fever and other symptoms.
He’s 7-2 with a 4.01 ERA in 13 starts at home this season. Wood is 5-1 over his last six decisions. However, he’s 1-1 in six starts since July 31. He’s won as many games this season as he did between 2018-20.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Giants Batters | Batting Average vs Morton | Braves Batters | Batting Average vs Wood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Belt | .000 | Ehire Adrianza | .000 |
| Kris Bryant | .333 | Ozzie Albies | .000 |
| Curt Casali | .000 | Orlando Arcia | .000 |
| Brandon Crawford | .500 | William Contreras | .000 |
| Steven Duggar | .000 | Travis d’Arnaud | .000 |
| Wilmer Flores | .200 | Adam Duvall | .000 |
| Tommy La Stella | .000 | Freddie Freeman | .353 |
| Evan Longoria | .333 | Guillermo Heredia | .000 |
| Buster Posey | .000 | Joc Pederson | .000 |
| Darin Ruf | .000 | Austin Riley | .500 |
| Austin Slater | .000 | Eddie Rosario | .000 |
| Donovan Solano | .000 | Jorge Soler | .000 |
| LaMonte Wade Jr | .000 | Dansby Swanson | .143 |
| Mike Yastrzemski | .000 | — | — |
Giants’ shortstop Brandon Crawford is 1-for-2 (.500) when facing Morton. That one hit was a solo home run. Third baseman Kris Bryant is 1-for-3 (.333) against Morton. He hit a grand slam off of him while still with the Chicago Cubs earlier this season on April 26. Third baseman Evan Longoria is 3-for-9 (.333) with two RBI.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 27, 2021
Braves’ third baseman Austin Riley is 1-for-2 off of Wood. He clouted a solo homer against the Giants’ lefty. First baseman Freddie Freeman is 6-for-17 (.353) with a solo homer.
Braves vs Giants Pick
It’s been a rough go this month for the Braves. They’ve lost four of their past five games and are 6-8 in September. The Giants, meanwhile, are 12-4 so far this month.
San Francsisco placed reliever Jake McGee (right oblique muscle) on the 10-day IL on Friday and that’s concerning. The Giants have really worn down their bullpen in the last couple of weeks with starters Wood and Johnny Cueto on IL.
How much will Wood have in the tank in his first start back from COVID?
Pick: Atlanta Braves (+115).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
