Cubs vs. Giants (July 31): Can the Giants Win a Series for the First Time Since the All-Star Break?

The Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants will conclude their 4-game series on Sunday Night Baseball. The Giants lead the series 2-1, but they have not been the hotter of the two teams.

Prior to the series with Chicago, the Giants had lost 7 straight games out of the All-Star break. They were swept by Los Angeles and Arizona on the road to make their road trip record 0-7.

The Cubs have been playing better baseball out of the break. They are 6-2 since the mid-summer classic, and they swept Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in back-to-back series.

Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Chicago Cubs (41-59, 21-27 away, 3rd in the NL Central) vs. San Francisco Giants (50-51, 28-23 home, 3rd in the NL West)
• Venue & Location: Oracle Park (San Francisco, California)
• Date: Sunday, July 31, 2022
• Game Time: 7:08 p.m. Eastern Time

Cubs vs. Giants Pitching Matchup

• Chicago Cubs: Adrian Sampson (2022: 6 starts, 0-1, 3.20 ERA)
• San Francisco Giants: Carlos Rodón (2022: 20 starts, 8-6, 3.18 ERA)

Cubs vs. Giants Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from other top legal and reputable online sports betting sites that we have reviewed and recommend may also appear in this article.

Moneyline

• Chicago Cubs +154
• San Francisco Giants -184

Over/Under

• Over 7.5 (-106)
• Under 7.5 (-114)

Run Line

• Chicago Cubs +1.5 (-137)
• San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+114)

Can Rodón Bounce Back From Last 2 Outings?

Carlos Rodón has had a decent pitching season in 2022. He is 8-6 with a respectable ERA of 3.18. However his last 2 starts were not his strong points. He gave up 5 earned runs in each outing, resulting in a no decision and a loss.

Rodón has not registered a win since July 9th, 4 starts ago. Since that time he has seen his ERA climb to over 3.00 and the walk totals have gone up. He has walked 2 or more batters in 5 straight starts.

However, Rodón has lights out stuff, even if he isn’t on his A-game. He has struck out 148 batters through just 116 innings of work. He has struck out 7 or more in 5 straight starts, which is helping to counter the walks he is giving up.

In 20 starts, he has only surrendered 7 home runs and 41 earned runs. This is helping his ERA to stay down, even when giving up big numbers over his last two starts. The WHIP is also respectable at 1.12.

Another thing to look at is the home/away splits for Rodón, as there is a big difference this season.

Rodón’s Home/Away Splits

• Home: 4-1 record with an ERA of 2.05 and only 10 extra base hits
• Away: 4-5 record with an ERA of 3.88 and 20 extra base hits

Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants Prediction and Best Bets

Cubs vs. Giants Prediction: Giants to win

Cubs vs. Giants Best Bets: Giants ML (-184 at BetOnline)

Rodón has a great opportunity to bounce back in this game. His strikeout totals are still high, and he has played above expectations while at Oracle Park. He will be opposed by the young Adrian Sampson for the Cubs.

Sampson is 0-1 this season in 6 starts. He is a pitch-to-contact type of pitcher who isn’t going to blow you away with strikeout totals. In fact, he only has 26 Ks over 39.1 innings of work.

If the Giants can get to Sampson early, it will be all they need for their own pitcher to have a lights out kind of night. Take the Giants in this game, as there is more structure to their pitching staff.