Excluding their Sunday’s home clash against the Astros, the San Francisco Giants have dropped seven of their previous 15 games overall, so the upcoming week is quite important for the NL West leaders. They start a seven-game road trip Monday at Chase Field in Phoenix, so here’s the best Giants vs. Diamondbacks betting pick.

San Francisco has owned Arizona lately. The Giants have defeated the Diamondbacks in nine of their ten encounters in 2021 and are 17-3 in their last 20 encounters with Arizona. According to Betus Sportsbook, the visitors are firm favorites for Monday night’s showdown in Phoenix, so let’s take a closer look at this National League West matchup.

The Giants own the best record in the MLB

Despite those eight losses in the last 15 outings, the 65-39 San Francisco Giants were leading the way in the majors on Sunday, a game and a half ahead of the Houston Astros. The Giants beat the Astros as -120 home favorites last Saturday, 8-6, to keep a three-game lead in the NL West ahead of the LA Dodgers.

Since the All-Star, the Giants have scored just 4.27 runs per game, slashing .244/.320/.445. Their pitching has declined as well, and San Francisco has recorded a 4.02 ERA in its previous 15 tilts. On the season, the Giants are sporting the third-lowest ERA in baseball (3.37) while scoring 4.86 runs per game.

Anthony DeSclafani will get the starting nod Monday in Arizona, and the 31-year-old righty hasn’t been sharp as of late. He’s 0-2 over his previous three starts, yielding ten earned runs on 17 hits through 14.4 innings of work.

DeSclafani is 10-5 with a nice 3.10 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 21 starts this season. He met the D-backs twice and got a win on both occasions while surrendering three earned runs on 11 hits and three walks across 13.2 innings of work.

The Diamondbacks are playing in a relaxed manner

The Arizona Diamondbacks fell to 33-72 on the season following an 8-3 home loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers this past Saturday. It was their sixth defeat in 13 post-All-Star contests, and the D-backs can relax, as they managed to beat the reigning champs last Friday, 6-5.

Their season is already ruined, but moving from the bottom of the MLB would be nice, so the Diamondbacks will try to build up some momentum in the second half of the season. Arizona has scored 57 runs in its last 13 games while posting the ninth-best OPS in the majors since the All-Star break (.779).

However, the Diamondbacks own the second-highest ERA in the majors (5.28), and over the last three weeks, they’ve registered a 4.46 ERA. Pitching remains the biggest issue for Arizona, as Taylor Widener takes the hill Monday against the Giants.

The 26-year-old righty is 1-1 with a 4.42 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in eight starts (36.2 frames) this season. He met the Giants twice last season, tossing 3.2 innings in relief and surrendering three earned runs in the process. 

Trends:

San Francisco:

  • 12-1 in the last 13 games against Arizona
  • 8-3 in Anthony DeSclafani’s last 11 starts

Arizona:

  • 4-14 in the last 18 home games against San Francisco

San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Picks

Tyler Widener has yielded five earned runs in each of his previous two starts. He’s also allowed a whopping 13 hits and six free passes across 8.1 innings of work in that span, so I’m backing the Giants to win Monday’s opener at Chase Field.

San Francisco has dominated Arizona so far this term, and I expect this trend to continue. The Giants have scored 48 runs in their last six encounters with the Diamondbacks, going 5-1 in the process, including three wins at Chase Field.

Pick: Take San Francisco Giants 

The Total:

Betting on the over seems like the right move when it comes to the totals, though I would stick with the visitors to win. The Giants have scored in double digits in three of their last six meetings with the Diamondbacks, and the over is 5-2 in their previous seven head-to-head duels.

The D-backs bullpen has improved since the All-Star, posting a 3.83 ERA, but the clash against the Giants will be a proper test. Arizona has allowed 5.22 runs per game over its last nine outings at home.

Pick: Go over