San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds Prediction, 5/20/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds

Date: Thursday, May 20, 2021

Location: Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH

TV: Bally Sports Ohio

Odds/Point Spread: San Francisco (+135) Cincinnati (-175)

Johnny Cueto and the San Francisco Giants (26-16, 1st in NL West) go to Great American Ball Park on Thursday where they'll meet the Cincinnati Reds (19-21, 4th in NL Central). The Giants open this matchup at +135 while the Reds are coming in at -175. The total opens at 8. The pitchers taking the mound will be Johnny Cueto and Tyler Mahle.

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As a unit, the San Francisco Giants are compiling 4.4 runs/g, which has them at 15th in baseball. They have earned 183 runs scored and have an OBP of .315. The Giants have earned 56 doubles as a unit and have hit 58 baseballs out of the park. They have compiled 173 runs batted in in addition to 305 base knocks over the course of the season, and their team batting average sits at .225. San Francisco is slugging .404 and have been called out on strikes 409 times, while being walked on 169 occasions.

The Giants are sitting with a team ERA of 3.25 this season (4th in baseball), and they have struck out 358 batters. They have walked 121 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 3.76 as a squad this season. Their K/BB ratio is 2.96 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.15. Giants pitchers have conceded 41 home runs and also 145 runs in total (3rd in the league).

The Giants have dispatched 142 relief pitchers to the hill on the year. The relievers have inherited 43 base runners over the course of the season and 44.2% of those players earned a run for their team. They have accumulated 18 saves on the season and have blown 12 out of their 30 chances to save the game. The Giants bullpen have recorded a save rate of 60.0% and has entered the game in 65 save situations. The bullpen have recorded 35 holds for the season (1st in the league). Giants pitchers have entered the contest with runners on base 31 times in addition to having 59 appearances in high leverage situations.

The San Francisco Giants have a total of 1,113 putouts on the year, as well as 393 assists and 13 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .991 which ranks 1st in MLB, and they have twisted 233 double plays. The Giants have transformed 72.5% of balls in play into outs in their 3,339 innings, ranking them 2nd in professional baseball.

Cueto has thrown 1,947 innings and has accounted for 1,634 strikeouts during his career. His ERA is 3.42 (739 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.197. He has surrendered 1,770 base knocks (8.2 hits per nine innings) and has 561 walks. Cueto (130-91 win-loss record in his career) holds a FIP of 3.83 while he has faced 8,075 hitters during his time in the majors.

The Cincinnati Reds have recorded an OBP of .328 and a team batting average of .252 this year. They have struck out on 354 occasions (18th in the league) and have recorded 347 base hits. Cincinnati is sitting with 58 home runs on the season as well as 198 runs batted in. The Reds hold a slugging percentage of .431 and they average 5.25 runs per contest (3rd in the league). They have put up 64 doubles, while taking a walk 133 times as well as scoring 210 runs.

The Reds are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.382 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.40 as a unit for the season. They come in at 16th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits conceded with 322. The Cincinnati pitching staff have conceded 213 runs on the year while holding a team ERA of 4.81 (192 earned runs given up). They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.27 (395 strikeouts against 174 walks). They have conceded 52 dingers and they relinquish 5.34 runs per 9 innings (26th in the league).

Cincinnati has had relief pitchers step onto the mound in 14 save chances and they have tallied 7 saves. They rank 24th in MLB holding a save rate of 50.0%, and they have dispatched 144 relievers to the mound on the year. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 40 times in high leverage situations and also on 46 occasions with runners on base. Cincinnati relievers hold an inherited score rate of 41.3% of 63 inherited runners. With 24 save situations, the Reds have earned 10 holds in addition to 7 blown saves.

In 3,231 innings played, the Reds have earned a defensive efficiency of 68.9% (21st in the majors). The Cincinnati Reds have turned 27 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .980 (26th in MLB). The Reds have 358 assists, 29 errors and have accumulated 1,077 putouts so far this year.

Mahle (15-26 career mark) has a 4.47 ERA while allowing 8.9 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.72 and he has gone up against 1,532 opposing hitters so far in his MLB career. He has allowed 175 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.368 and a FIP of 4.6. In his pro baseball career, Mahle has allowed 348 hits and he has 365 punch outs in 352 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take San Francisco (+135)

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