San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Odds for July 23, 2020
Thursday, July 23, Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium; 10:08 p.m. ET
San Francisco Giants Odds
Introductions will be meaningful Thursday night as the Giants open the season with a new manager in Gabe Kapler and without their tried-and-true battery of Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey. Bumgarner left to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Posey was one of few All-Stars to tap out of the 2020 season – due to the risk involved with having new twins at home during the coronavirus pandemic.
What’s left is a lot of unknowns for the Giants. The variables entering Thursday are even more dramatic considering and infielders Brandon Belt (heel) and Evan Longoria (oblique) might not play either. Veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto gets the ball in Game 1. Will his offense produce enough to keep pace against the Dodgers’ loaded lineup?
A season opener against Clayton Kershaw is not the day for the Giants to be missing some middle-of-the-order threats. The Dodgers’ lefty is 5-1 in his previous eight Opening Day starts with a 1.05 ERA. That would be seven runs total in those games with 59 strikeouts.
Los Angeles Dodgers odds
Kershaw is starting on Opening Day for the ninth time in his career and he started on Opening Day against the Giants in 2011, 2013 and 2018. Each of those games was played in Dodger Stadium and, in those contests, Kershaw has given up a combined one run.
Los Angeles lives as much on offense these days with an arsenal suited for the American League, including former AL MVP Mookie Betts. Betts makes his debut on the heels of a massive 12-year contract and brings a new element of flair to Chavez Ravine. With Betts and slugger Cody Bellinger to deal with, the Giants are going to need a vintage effort from Cueto to avoid an 0-1 start to the 2020 season.
