San Francisco Giants 2019 Betting Odds, Preview: A Trying Time for an Aging Club
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey.
- The Giants won 73 games last year and failed to sign Bryce Harper this offseason, but that's just the least of their troubles.
- Their roster is full of aging stars whose performances have been declining. Injuries have also kept them off the field altogether.
- Their farm system also ranks at the bottom of the league, which is why they'd be wise to try and sell as many veteran pieces as they can to rebuild, even if that means getting rid of some beloved faces.
Original analysis published on Mar. 1.
Earlier in the decade, the Giants were the best team in baseball. Now they’re not even the best team that begins with the word “San.”
The Giants still have a bunch of familiar faces from their 2014 World Series squad, but don’t go thinking that they’re still a contender. They’re not. Signing Bryce Harper would’ve helped, but without him, this franchise is entering a dark time. They’re old, their farm system is trash and they’re not getting back to their World Series contending days anytime soon.
2018 Results
- Record: 73-89 (-7. 4 units), 79-83 ATS (-7.0 units)
- Over/Under Record: 69-86-7
- Preseason World Series Odds: 33-1
- Win Total: 79.5
- Most Profitable Starter: Chris Stratton (14-12, +4.6 units)
Oddsmakers weren’t buying the Giants’ fluky 64-win season in 2017, as they were expected to be a near-.500 team last year. Though they did win nine more games, they still fell well short of their win total.
They definitely tried hard to win last year, though. They traded for Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria in the offseason, but sold McCutchen to the Yankees while they could still get something in return for him. Meanwhile, Longoria had his worst season at the plate in his career and is still under contract for several more seasons.
Injuries also took their toll, as Buster Posey played through one and eventually was shut down for the season. Madison Bumgarner missed the first couple of months with a broken finger. Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija made just 19 combined starts. Not much went right for San Francisco last year.
2019 Odds
- World Series Odds: +10000
- Division Odds: +4000
- Win Total O/U: 73.5
- Playoff Odds: Make +900, Miss -1600
Oddsmakers basically expect the Giants to tread water this year, setting their win total at 73.5. Although they tried to get Harper, they failed, and didn’t do much else in terms of making their club better. Drew Pomeranz is basically their biggest addition of the offseason, while several other notable names were inked to minor league deals.