MLB Betting at VietBet
By Charles Jay
We can almost guarantee you something – at the beginning of the year, very few people would have told you that Matt Cain would be at the halfway mark of the 2014 season still looking for his second win, while Alfredo Simon would be vying for the league lead in victories and possibly on his way to the All-Star Game in Minneapolis. But such are the twists and turns in baseball. These two pitchers will clash on Saturday night as the San Francisco Giants play host to the Cincinnati Reds in MLB betting action that will get underway at 10:05 PM ET at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
The Giants are a veteran bunch, so they know it is not time to panic. However, they’ve got to be more than a little concerned about the fact that their lead in the NL West has been reduced to only two games over the Los Angeles Dodgers. And if they lose that lead, there is nothing else guaranteed, as teams like the Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and yes, these Reds they are facing tonight, are all going to be in the running for one of the two wild-card spots.
The Giants could not get much going at all against Johnny Cueto on Friday night, and in this contest they will be facing one of the best road pitchers in the major leagues.
In the MLB betting lines that are listed on this game at VietBet, the Giants are the favorites:
San Francisco Giants (Cain – R) -118
Cincinnati Reds (Simon – R) +108
Under 7 Runs -115
Over 7 Runs -105
In dropping a 6-2 decision on Friday night, San Francisco not only lost its 13th game out of the last 17 they have played, but their 10th game at HOME in the last dozen. They got very lucky that the Dodgers lost to St. Louis, so at least they were able to maintain the two-game lead. But the Giants had very limited luck against Cueto, the major league ERA leader, who had given up only three hits when he was taken out of the game with one out in the ninth inning.
As badly as the Giants have been playing, that’s how well Cincinnati has been faring lately, with 12 wins in their last 16 contests. They are hardly intimidated by going to San Francisco, as they have emerged victorious in nine of their last 11 outings at this ballpark. These are things VietBet customers have to keep in mind.
Cain’s numbers have been awful, anyway you look at them. He’s just 1-6 on the season, with an ERA of 4.82, and has been worse than that lately, giving up 18 runs in his last 17 1/3 innings of work. There would appear to be serious doubt as to whether he can handle the Cincinnati lineup, which includes Jay Bruce, who is batting .452 in his last eight games.
MLB bettors have been able to cash in often with Simon as the visitor. His record is outstanding – he has won seven out of eight decisions with a 2.50 ERA on the road. And he has not lost a game since May 27. Meanwhile, Cain has not tasted victory since May 15. The Reds are making a move, but they are still in third place in the NL Central, which has suddenly become perhaps the toughest division in baseball. Milwaukee leads them by 7.5 games, and the Cardinals are two games ahead of Cincinnati. Pittsburgh is at 41-39, just a half-game in back of Cincy, so there can’t be any room for the Reds to let up.
