San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics Pick For 8/17/2024

• Date: August 17, 2024
• Venue: Oakland Coliseum
• Starting Pitchers:
  • Hayden Birdsong - Giants
  • Osvaldo Bido - Athletics

Betting Odds

San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics Win Probabilities

Implied Win % in sports betting represent the probability of an outcome as suggested by the betting odds. It's a way for bettors to gauge the likelihood of an event occurring based on the odds offered by sportsbooks.

Projected Win %, also known as projected win probability, is an estimate by ATS.io to determine the likelihood that a team will win a game or event. This projection is often based on various factors such as team performance, statistics, and historical data.

San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics Betting Preview

As the Oakland Athletics prepare to face the San Francisco Giants on August 17, 2024, both teams find themselves in the midst of challenging seasons. The Athletics, sitting at 52-70, are struggling to find their rhythm, while the Giants are slightly better at 62-62 but are also not lighting the world on fire. This matchup marks the first game in their series, adding an element of intrigue as both teams vie for momentum after getting wins in their most recent outings.

Osvaldo Bido is projected to take the mound for the Athletics. Despite ranking as the 195th best starting pitcher in MLB according to advanced stats, Bido has managed a respectable 3-3 record with a 3.92 ERA this season. However, his 5.00 xFIP suggests he may have been fortunate, hinting at potential struggles ahead. He faces a Giants lineup that has demonstrated patience at the plate, ranking 6th in MLB for walks, which could play to their advantage given Bido's high walk rate of 11.5%.

On the other side, Hayden Birdsong will start for the Giants. Though his 5.40 ERA is less than ideal, projections indicate he could improve, as his 4.15 xFIP suggests he has been a bit unlucky this year. Birdsong's ability to generate strikeouts (27.7 K%) could serve him well against an Athletics offense that ranks 2nd in MLB for strikeouts.

The Athletics boast the 4th best home run total in MLB with 132, which provides them with a power advantage, especially against a flyball pitcher like Birdsong. This game has a total set at 8.0 runs, signaling potential for a competitive outing. With the Giants holding a slightly lower implied team total of 4.23 runs compared to the Athletics' 3.77 runs, there's a chance for the Athletics to outperform expectations in this matchup.

Quick Takes San Francisco Giants:

Out of all the teams in action today, the strongest infield defense is that of the San Francisco Giants.

• Defense is an integral part of preventing hits and runs.

Extreme flyball bats like Mike Yastrzemski usually hit worse against extreme flyball pitchers like Osvaldo Bido.

• This mostly has to do with the way the hitter's swing plane interacts with the pitch trajectory, and it can create diminished performance across all categories and hidden value few are considering.

The San Francisco Giants bullpen grades out as the best in the majors, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).

• Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a strong bullpen sneakily creates a tougher matchup for the opposing offense and suppresses a game's runs.

Quick Takes Oakland Athletics:

Osvaldo Bido is an extreme flyball pitcher (36.4% FB% via the leading projection system, THE BAT) and is fortunate enough to be pitching in the #29 HR venue in the league in this matchup.

• This pitcher's skill set matches up particularly well with the park he's in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.

Lawrence Butler is projected to hit 1st in the batting order in today's game, which would be an upgrade from his 58% rate of hitting in the bottom-half of the lineup this year.

• The higher in the order a player bats, the more plate appearances he will get and the more opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits higher in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting lower.

As it relates to his overall offensive talent, Brent Rooker ranks in the 97th percentile according to the leading projections (THE BAT X).

• THE BAT X is a highly sophisticated projection system that accounts for a multitude of factors and regularly tests among the most accurate systems available.

Game Trends

• The Oakland Athletics have hit the Moneyline in 26 of their last 49 games (+9.65 Units / 18% ROI)
• The San Francisco Giants have hit the Game Total Over in 26 of their last 46 away games (+6.55 Units / 13% ROI)
• Seth Brown has hit the Home Runs Over in 3 of his last 11 games (+9.90 Units / 90% ROI)

San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics Prediction

Final Score: San Francisco Giants 4.35 vs Oakland Athletics 4.02

For more on today's game check out the comprehensive statistics, betting odds, and trends below. Be sure to check out all our free MLB picks here.