The top teams in the AL and NL square off in an interleague showdown when the San Francisco Giants host the Houston Astros for the opener of a three-game series.
Both clubs come into this series playing good baseball but it's the home Giants that are the MLB betting favorite for the first matchup.
Will San Fran hold serve as the favorite, or will Houston find a way to pick up a big road win? Check out our Astros vs. Giants MLB picks and predictions for Friday, July 30, to see our thoughts.
Astros vs Giants game info
• Location: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
• Date: Friday, July 30, 2021
• Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
• TV: NBCS BA, ATT SportsNet-SW
Astros vs Giants odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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Astros vs Giants betting preview
Starting pitchers
Framber Valdez (6-2, 2.97 ERA): Valdez hasn’t been all that reliable for the Astros recently, giving up 11 earned runs in a 15 1-3 inning stretch (spanning three starts), but he is coming off a promising start against Texas. The lefty pitched six innings of shutout ball in a 4-1 win in that one, although he continues to struggle with his control as he walked six batters against the Rangers — the third time he's issued 5+ free passes in his last five starts.
Kevin Gausman (9-4, 2.21 ERA): Gausman is coming off his worst start of the year as the righty gave up six earned runs on eight hits in only 4 1-3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Prior to that start, Gausman had allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his previous 16 trips to the hill. He’ll now try to rebound against one of the best offenses in baseball.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Astros: Alex Bregman 3B (Out), Pedro Baez RP (Out), Josh James RP (Out).
Giants: Buster Posey C (Questionable), Brandon Belt 1B (Out), Evan Longoria 3B (Out), Tommy La Stella 2B (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Astros are 13-5 in their last 18 road games. Find more MLB betting trends for Astros vs. Giants.
Moneyline pick
Valdez and Gausman are coming off two very different starts coming into tonight's matchup. Houston's lefty just pitched six innings of shutout ball against the Rangers, while Gausman was shelled in a loss to the Pirates.
That normally isn’t enough to base an entire pick around, but confidence matters when you’re talking about two of the best teams in the league. Valdez should be the guy that feels better on the mound here and he has a stellar 2.94 ERA on the road, while Gausman has a 3.10 ERA at home — compared to a 1.55 ERA on the road.
The Astros haven’t had much team success against Gausman in the past, but they do have a few guys that’ll be excited to get out there against a righty. Michael Brantley, who is hitting .326 with six homers and 35 RBIs this season, is batting .365 with five homers and 24 RBIs against right-handed pitchers. Kyle Tucker has also mashed against righties, with 13 homers and 35 RBIs against them.
On top of those lefties, the Astros also have Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa. They’re righties but are both capable of hitting anyone, making this Houston team a great value on the road tonight.
PREDICTION: Astros (+108)
Over/Under pick
Valdez hasn’t been as consistent, but he’s coming off a great start and just might have put his struggles behind him.
He now heads to a pitcher-friendly ballpark, where he should be able to turn in a solid effort here. Valdez has been much better on the road this year, and the Giants aren’t the type of team to completely crush him.
Meanwhile, while Gausman might be in for a rougher night, his worst performances this season have seen him giving up just five or six earned runs. Look for him to, at worst, give up around four runs here, with Valdez and both of these bullpens needing to do some work to keep this Under.
PREDICTION: Under 7.5 (-105)
Astros vs Giants betting card
- Astros ML (+108)
- Under 7.5 (-105)
Picks made on 7/30/2021 at 9:45 a.m. ET
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