It doesn’t seem fair that Los Angeles and San Francisco are forced to meet in one of the National League Division Series, but that is exactly what has happened. The Giants edged out the Dodgers by one game in the NL West this season, finishing with a franchise-record 107 victories.
It was the first time in MLB history that two teams in the same division won 105 or more games. Their 213 combined regular-season wins are the most in a postseason series all-time. Let’s see the MLB odds.
Friday, October 08, 2021 – 09:37 PM EDT at Oracle Park
Los Angeles entered the playoffs with the second-best record in baseball and are the reigning champs, but that did not stop them from having to play a winner-take-all NL Wild Card game against St. Louis on Wednesday night. The Dodgers went down 1-0 in the top of the first when Max Scherzer’s wild pitch went to the backstop. They were able to tie the game on a Justin Turner solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. The game remained tied at 1-1 until the ninth inning when Chris Taylor walked it off with a two-run home run to left field.
The Dodgers finished the regular season as the No. 11 offense in the MLB, batting at a .244 clip. Turner led the team with 148 hits and a .278 average, while Taylor had 129 hits. First baseman Max Muncy hit a team-high 36 home runs, but he is currently out with a left elbow injury. They are facing a San Francisco pitching staff that is second in the majors with a 3.24 ERA. Right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler is going to start for Los Angeles. He was dominant during the regular season, posting a 2.47 ERA across 207.2 innings. Buehler finished with a 16-4 record in 33 starts.
San Francisco was not a popular pick to win the NL West heading into the season, but it was able to prove doubters wrong throughout the summer. The Giants went on several long winning streaks en route to a franchise-best 107 wins. They had to hold off Los Angeles in the final week of the regular season to avoid playing in the Wild Card game. San Francisco led the NL with 241 home runs, but it is going to be without Brandon Belt (29 homers) due to a broken thumb. San Francisco’s offense ranked seventh in the majors with a team batting average of .249.
Veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford leads the team with 144 hits and a .298 average, while catcher Buster Posey has 120 hits. They are going to face a Los Angeles pitching staff that ranks first in the MLB with a team ERA of 3.01. Right-handed pitcher Logan Webb is going to start for San Francisco on Friday night. He started Sunday’s regular-season finale against San Diego, so he is on full rest for this game. Webb went at least six innings in 12 of his final 14 starts of the 2021 season, posting a 2.68 ERA across those 87.1 frames. He allowed four runs in seven innings against the Padres in last Sunday’s outing.
While Buehler and Webb put up similar numbers this season, there is a key factor differentiating them heading into this start. Buehler has started 11 postseason games in his career, posting a 2.35 ERA across 61 innings. He is not going to back down from an NLDS start, even if it is on the road. Buehler also held San Francisco to a 2.19 ERA in six starts against them during the regular season. Webb is making his first career postseason start against one of the most talented lineups in baseball. This is going to be the biggest spotlight that he has had on him during his career. Take this into consideration for your MLB picks.
MLB Pick: Dodgers (-113) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.