Giants at Dodgers Game 4 Preview: Los Angeles Looks to Avoid Elimination at Home
A mixture of impressive defense, tremendous pitching, strong winds, and an Evan Longoria solo home run led the Giants to an instrumental Game 3 victory in Los Angeles on Monday night. The Dodgers had a few chances to get some runs on the board but could not get anything going offensively. They will look to turn things around and get the win in Game 4, trailing 2-1 in the series.
Let’s take a look at the game preview and MLB betting odds for this Game 4 matchup.
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Betting Odds & Betting Lines
Bovada has the Giants moneyline at -250, while the moneyline for the Dodgers is +200. BetUs has yet to release betting odds for this match.
Giants Preview: Can the Bullpen Hold Up?
Despite Alex Wood pitching a good ballgame against the odds on Monday, he only lasted 4.2 innings which caused a couple of key Giants relievers to throw multiple innings. Tyler Rogers pitched 1.2 quality innings while Camilo Doval spun two perfect innings to close out the game. Jake McGree also logged .2 of an inning as well.
This could have rippling effects for Tuesday’s game.
Anthony DeSclafani is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Giants, but it has been well over a week since he has toed the rubber, and I have genuine concerns about his potential effectiveness in this one. If San Francisco is limited on bullpen options, we could see a Dodgers hit parade on Tuesday night.
If the Giants want to win this game and avoid having to play a win or go home Game 5 back in San Francisco, they are going to have to get more than three hits as they did on Monday night.
Dodgers Preview: Buehler and the Bats
Tony Gonsolin is the projected starting pitcher, but the Dodgers will likely turn to Walker Buehler on three days rest at some point. While it is possible Buehler ends up getting the start, he will likely be reserved for a bullpen role. If the game is at all close, the Dodgers could call upon Buehler in the middle innings and implement him as a bulk reliever.
Offensively, the Dodgers were victims of three unfortunate circumstances on Monday.
First off, the Giants’ defense was nothing short of amazing. Secondly, the wind knocked down a few balls off the bat that would have been home runs on almost any other night. And finally, the umpire had a wide strike zone which led to some poor at-bats for Dodger hitters.
However, they can not make excuses and need to come out and attack against DeSclafani. When DeSclafani is at the top of his game, it is because he is pounding the strike zone. The Dodgers need to get to him before he settles in and take an early lead.
They need their stars to step up to the plate and do damage.
X-Factors
For the Giants, Tommy La Stella could play a crucial role in this game. The second baseman is hitting .400 in the series and has the ability to set the tone for the entire game, especially if he continues to hit leadoff against right-handed pitching.
Cody Bellinger is a player to watch as well. There is no debating that 2021 has been a rough season for the former MVP, but Bellinger will likely be back in the lineup on Tuesday with a right-handed starter on the mound. He is no stranger to big swings in the postseason, and don’t be surprised to see Bellinger come through with a clutch hit late in this game.
Headed for a Game 5?
This series feels destined to go five games. The Dodgers are too good of a team to go down without a fight. They are a team that has stepped up all season long when their backs are against the wall, and I expect to see no less on Tuesday night.
Once again, this projects to be another nail-biter, but the Dodgers offense will do just enough to get the win and send this series to a fifth and final matchup.
Use Dodgers as one of your MLB betting picks and cash out big since they are playing the role of underdog in this important Game 4 contest.
