San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers NLDS Odds, Prediction, and Preview
- The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers will meet in the postseason for the first time ever in the NLDS
- The teams had the two best records in the Majors this season
- Read on for the series preview, odds, and best bet
For the first time ever, the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers will meet in the postseason, with Game 1 of the NLDS scheduled for Friday in the Bay Area. The Dodgers walked it off against the Cardinals in the Wild Card Game on Wednesday night thanks to a two-run homer from Chris Taylor in the bottom of the ninth.
San Fran (107-55) and Los Angeles (106-56) had the two best records in the big leagues this season, with the Giants just edging out their division rivals by one game to capture their first NL West title since 2012. They also won the season series 10-9. LA has the best World Series odds at +224, while Gabe Kapler’s squad faded from +625 to +725 when their matchup with the reigning champs was cemented.
Giants vs Dodgers NLDS Odds
| Team | Moneyline |
|---|---|
| San Francisco Giants | +122 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | -144 |
Odds as of October 6th at FanDuel.
The Dodgers have opened as a -144 favorite to advance to the NLCS.
Red-Hot Dodgers
Playoff baseball is a whole different beast, but LA comes in scorching hot. They’ve won eight straight after their Wild Card victory, finishing the season with sweeps of the Padres and Brewers. While their bats are certainly a strength, it’s on the hill where the Dodgers have been utterly dominant.
BRING ON THE NLDS! #WALKOFF pic.twitter.com/Za2Tge069U
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 7, 2021
The reigning World Series champions had the best team ERA in Major League Baseball at 3.01, much in part to a starting rotation that was practically unhittable. Max Scherzer, who started on Wednesday, was terrific since coming to LA, posting a ridiculous 7-0 record and 1.98 ERA in 11 starts.
In the process, he struck out 89 in just 68.1 innings and walking only eight batters. But then you also have Julio Urias, who led the Majors with a 20-3 record, while Walker Buehler also dealt, throwing a team-high 202.2 innings for a 2.49 ERA. Clayton Kershaw sadly re-injured his elbow last week and won’t be available for the postseason, which means the Dodgers will likely roll with a three-man rotation. If they get past the divisional series though, David Price or Tony Gonsolin could be called upon.
Clayton Kershaw exits game early with an apparent injury after going just 1.2 IP and throwing 42 pitches.
Nothing but positive vibes and well wishes for Kersh. 🙏 #Dodgers
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 2, 2021
LA also lost Max Muncy to a fractured elbow, which is a real hit to their offense. The likes of Trea Turner, Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, and Justin Turner will have to step up heavily, but they will be tasked with some very tough Giants arms.
Giants Stellar on Both Sides of the Ball
San Francisco surprised literally everyone this season with the best record in the Majors. At the plate they were electrifying, hitting .249 as a team (6th) and scoring five runs per game (6th). But, their main source of offense was the home run, with the Giants clubbing a mind-boggling 241 bombs as a lineup, which ranked second in the bigs.
Although they didn’t have anyone hit over 30 long balls, there were four different players who went deep at least 20 times, led by Brandon Belt, with 29. However, he suffered a thumb injury in the final week of the regular season and will be out for the NLDS, which is a huge blow. Aside from Belt, veterans Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford have been magnificent for San Fran, hitting .302 and .299, respectively. As a whole, Gabe Kapler’s team is a force to be reckoned with offensively and will be a handful for the Dodgers pitching.
On the mound is where the Giants really excelled in 2021, though. They had a 3.24 team ERA, which was second-best in the MLB. Their rotation was consistent all year long, with Kevin Gausman leading the way. The hard-throwing righty enjoyed a breakout campaign, going 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA en route to making his very first All-Star Game in July.
Kevin Gausman has been thinking about a moment like this since he was a kid pic.twitter.com/MGnzKVrcr5
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) October 3, 2021
He was complemented by Anthony DeSclafani (13-7, 3.17 ERA), Logan Webb (10-3, 2.93 ERA), Alex Wood (10-4, 3.83 ERA), and Johnny Cueto (7-7, 4.08 ERA). As you can see, there isn’t exactly a starter who has struggled for San Francisco. Whoever gets the ball will certainly put their best foot forward. In the pen, Jake McGee was absolutely lights out in the ninth, collecting 31 saves while posting a terrific 2.72 ERA. Webb will get the ball in the series opener, with Gausman starting in Game 2.
Dodgers vs Giants Series Prediction
LA and San Francisco are even in most categories, which means this five-game series will likely go the distance. After all, their records are practically identical. Expect the home run to play a big part in the NLDS, considering they both rank top-five.
As for the pick, The Giants finally de-throned the Dodgers for the NL West crown and will be poised to knock them out in their first meeting in the heat of October. The moneyline is certainly worth it.
Pick: San Francisco to advance (+122)
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
