The 2022 MLB season goes on Friday, June 17, with the opening contest of a three-game National League series at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, so we have prepared the best Giants vs. Pirates betting pick and odds. 

San Francisco takes on Pittsburgh for the first time this season. The Giants are firm -195 moneyline favorites for Friday’s clash, while the Pirates are listed as +175 home underdogs with a total of 7.5 runs on Bookmaker Sportsbook

The Giants look to return to winning ways                                

The 35-27 San Francisco Giants are coming off a tough 3-2 defeat to the Kansas City Royals this past Wednesday. They missed a chance to sweep a three-game interleague series at home and put an end to their five-game winning streak. 

Over their last six outings, the Giants have accounted for 24 runs while slashing only .207/.306/.358. Their pitching staff has led the way and posted a microscopic 1.17 ERA to go with a 1.06 WHIP and .214 opposing batting average. 

Carlos Rodon will get the nod Friday and aim for his second straight win. The 29-year-old lefty threw six shutout innings in a 2-0 home victory over the LA Dodgers this past Sunday. Rodon is 5-4 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 83/25 K/BB ratio in 12 starts (65 innings) this season. 

The Pirates finally snapped their skid                                     

The 25-37 Pittsburgh Pirates are coming off a 6-4 victory to the St. Louis Cardinals last Wednesday. The Bucs put an end to their terrible nine-game losing streak and avoided a sweep in a four-game home set versus the Cards. 

Over their last seven outings, the Pirates have compiled an awful 6.00 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and .288 batting average against. Their offense hasn’t impressed either, scoring 22 runs on a horrible .189/.248/.329 slash line. 

Zach Thompson will toe the rubber Friday, and the 28-year-old right-hander is 3-4 with a 4.50 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 39/18 K/BB ratio in 11 starts and one relief appearance (50 innings) this season. Last Saturday, Thompson threw five frames of a two-run ball in a no-decision against the Atlanta Braves. 

Trends:

San Francisco: 

  • 5-1 in the last six games overall 
  • 4-1 in the last five games against the National League     

Pittsburgh:

  • 1-9 in the last ten games overall 
  • 1-7 in the last eight games against the National League 

San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Pick 

I’ve mentioned the Pirates’ awful run of form at the dish. They also hold an 84 OPS+ against the lefties and 83 OPS+ against the righties in 2022. If Carlos Rodon continues to pitch well, the Giants should come out on top. 

Rodon has allowed only nine runs (eight earned) over his previous five starts and 26.1 innings of work. The Giants’ lineup has plenty of room for improvement (105 OPS+ against both lefties and righties), and the matchup with the Bucs’ pitching staff seems like a nice opportunity for a good performance. 

Pick: Take San Francisco Giants at -195                             

The Total:

The Pirates bullpen sports a 4.04 ERA, 4.39 FIP, and 1.29 HR/9 across 49 innings of work in June. On the other side, the Giants ‘pen has registered a 3.07 ERA, 3.82 FIP, and 0.97 HR/9 in 55.2 frames so far this month. 

It’s hard to trust these two bullpens. The Giants have four losses in June, while the Bucs recorded three defeats. I’m a bit concerned about Pittsburgh’s offense, but with the line at 7.5 runs, I lean toward the over. Five of the Pirates’ last six games have produced more than seven runs in total. 

Pick: Go over 7.5 runs at -120