Reds vs. Giants (June 26): Will the bats serve up a San Francisco treat in series decider?

After a poor performance at the plate in Friday’s series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, improved offense and yet another good start on the mound for Logan Webb helped the San Francisco Giants pick up the win yesterday.

This afternoon, the two teams meet in the rubber game of the series, and there’s a good chance that we see some offense on both sides in this matchup.

Cincinnati Reds vs. San Francisco Giants Betting Odds and Matchup Information

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Cincinnati Reds (24-47, 12-24 away, 5th in the NL Central) vs. San Francisco Giants (39-32, 20-15 home, 3rd in the NL West)
• Venue & Location: Oracle Park (San Francisco, California)
• Date: Sunday, June 26, 2022
• Game Time: 4:05 p.m. Eastern Time (1:05 p.m. local time)
• TV Broadcast/Streaming Info: Bally Sports Ohio (Reds), NBC Sports Bay Area (Giants), MLB Extra Innings/MLB.TV (subscription packages)

Reds vs. Giants Pitching Matchup

• Cincinnati Reds: Tyler Mahle (2022: 15 starts, 2-6, 4.57 ERA, 80.2 IP, 90 K/31 BB, 1.31 WHIP, .243 OBA)
• San Francisco Giants: Anthony DeSclafani (2022: 4 starts, 0-1, 7.71 ERA, 16.1 IP, 16 K/3 BB, 1.90 WHIP, .394 OBA)

Reds vs. Giants Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from our other top reviewed and recommended sportsbooks may also be featured in this article.

Moneyline

• Cincinnati Reds +138
• San Francisco Giants -164

Over/Under

• OVER 7.5 (-120)
• UNDER 7.5 (-102)

Run Line

• Cincinnati Reds +1.5 (-146)
• San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+122)

Former Teammates Duel to Decide Series in San Francisco

Until last season, Mahle and Desclafani had been teammates, but a change of scenery proved to be positive for the latter, who went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA in helping the Giants win the NL West.

It was also a breakout season for Mahle, who went 13-6 with a 3.75 ERA. But after each won 10+ games for the first time in the big leagues, 2022 has been a disappointment for the former teammates.

DeSclafani started the season poorly then missed two months due to right ankle inflammation before making his return against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. The Giants pulled out a wild 12-10 win, though it was a rough return for the 32-year-old righty, who allowed five runs and six hits (including two homers) in three innings.

Mahle, meanwhile, has just two wins in 15 starts, which is only partially down to his performances.

His ERA was 7.01 in early May, but he has six quality stars in his last nine starts. Take away an ugly outing against the Cubs, in which he allowed eight runs in four innings, and his ERA goes from 3.44 altogether to 2.29 in the other eight starts.

When Mahle faced the Giants in Cincinnati on May 29, he was outstanding. He allowed just one hit and three walks and struck out eight in 6.2 scoreless innings, and he left the game with a 2-0 lead.

But the Giants scored six runs in the eighth and went on to win 6-4, denying Mahle a deserved win. That was the first of three consecutive starts in which bullpen meltdowns cost he and the Reds when he exited in line for a win.

Cincinnati Reds vs. San Francisco Giants Prediction and Best Bets

Reds vs. Giants Prediction: Giants to win

Reds vs. Giants Best Bets: Reds/Giants OVER 8 (+110 at Bovada Sportsbook) & Giants team total over 4 runs (-120 at BetOnline)

Run support hasn’t really been an issue for Mahle, as the Reds have scored four or more runs in 11 of his 15 starts this season. So, win or lose, Cincinnati should be able to push across some runs this afternoon.

But the Giants should fare better at home against Mahle than they did last month in Cincinnati, as they average 4.94 runs per game at home. Only the Dodgers, Mets, Reds, and Rockies rank ahead of them for runs per game at home.

And with Cincinnati having the worst bullpen in the league by far–they are the only team with a bullpen ERA over 5.00–don’t be surprised to see an extra run or three help these two bets hit.

Other MLB Content Today on Betting News (Sunday, June 26)

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