ODDS ANALYSIS
The Giants won 14 of 21 games following an eight-game losing streak had them at 3-9 two weeks into the season. They got back to .500 with a win Sunday over Miami that gave them a 7-3 record on a 10-game homestand. The Giants haven’t been as good on the road but a convincing win at Houston Tuesday got them off to a good start on this quick six-game road trip. For the season the under is 18-13-1 but the Giants have been a different team on the road cashing the over seven times in 13 games.
The Reds have been treading water as they continue to look for a spark to kick their season into another gear and their 4-0 start to the season is now a distant memory. They ended a three-game losing skid with a walk-off 4-3 win Tuesday over the Braves, improving to 7-6 at home cashing the under in three straight games. With their offensive weapons you would expect the Reds to play the over, however the under is 16-14-3 on the year and 4-2-1 in Johnny Cueto’s seven starts.
PITCHING MATCHUP
San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum (3-2, 2.00 ERA) blanked the Marlins for six innings striking out eight in a victory Friday night for his second straight scoreless outing spanning 14 innings. He’s allowed just six hits in that stretch with 12 strikeouts and four walks. His velocity isn’t what it was but the changeup heavy arsenal is working well for now.
Lincecum has struggled against the Reds in his career with an 0-4 record and 9.79 ERA in six career starts. He’s allowed 40 hits and six home runs in 30.1 innings with a 1.78 WHIP.
Johnny Cueto (3-3, 2.98 ERA) pitched into the ninth inning in the first half of Saturday’s doubleheader against the White Sox yielding four earned runs on six hits. The Reds needed him to eat some innings and that’s what he did throwing 123 pitches.
In five career starts against the Giants Cueto is 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 36.1 innings. He’s allowed only 27 hits with 25 strikeouts and has yet to give up a home run.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“He had a lot of stuff. He throws hard, he has good offspeed stuff and he has gamesmanship too. He kind of sped up his delivery and started getting ahead real quick. I think he just kind of has that feel for it.” – White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Johnny Cueto.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Giants aren’t the most prolific offensive club in baseball but if they get a chance to face any member of the Reds bullpen they’ve suddenly become better hitters. Cincinnati’s pen is already the worst in the majors and now Aroldis Chapman is struggling. The All-Star closer took a second loss in as many games Monday against the Braves giving up the winning run in the ninth inning in back-to-back games and the bullpen ERA jumped to 5.47. Reds’ relievers allowed 11 runs and issued seven walks in 12.2 innings of a 1-4 stretch and even the usually reliable Chapman isn’t immune from the failures.
PROP TALK
Former NL MVP Joey Votto is back to crushing the ball for the Reds and he’s excited Tim Lincecum and the Giants are in town so he can break out of a mini-slump. Despite a recent stretch where he had only three hits in 18 bats, Votto still has an average over .300 and leads the team in RBI’s while slugging seven home runs. He’s enjoyed success against Lincecum with a .357 career average and a home run in 14 at-bats and will get a few knocks Thursday. Lincecum has struggled at Great American Park with a 9.19 ERA, his highest in any NL yard, and hitters bat .286 against him there.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Their early season struggles are behind them and the Giants have climbed all the way back to .500 behind a pitching staff that makes the defending champs competitive at all times. A good deal of the team’s success is due to the resurgent Tim Lincecum, who’s turned back the clock to his Cy Young days and hasn’t been scored on his past two outings. But The Freak has struggled against the Reds and in Cincinnati during his career and his recent run of success will end Thursday.
The Reds are looking for something good to happen before it gets too late. Their starting pitching has been good, the offense has struggled at times but can still score some runs and defensively they’ve been solid. The major problem has been their bullpen and when closer Aroldis Chapman can’t finish games the Reds are in trouble. Getting Zack Cozart, who missed a few games with a sore wrist, and his .324 average back in the lineup will help. Having ace Johnny Cueto on the hill is also a bonus.
Cincinnati 5, San Francisco 1
The MLB lines for this contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the San Francisco Giants versus the Cincinnati Reds will commence Thursday, May 14, 2015, at 7:10 p.m. ET at Great American Ball Park. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
