Clear First Five Look In Yankees Vs Giants

Yankees vs. Giants, 10:15 ET

I bet against one New York team yesterday and it burned me. It really wasn't the wrong bet, it was the wrong placement of the bet. I took a play on Zac Gallen and the Diamondbacks to beat the Mets and it would've been fine if I took the first five innings. Instead, I played the full game thinking that the Diamondbacks bullpen wouldn't meltdown. Well, that was my biggest mistake. The Mets ended up scoring a run in both the seventh and eighth and won the game 3-2. Let's shift across country as the Yankees take on the Giants. 

Depending on who you talk to, the Yankees are the best team in baseball. What was envisioned last season is coming true this year. New York is hitting the ball well - both for average and for power. They are pitching better than expected, despite losing one of the best pitchers in the game before the season started. People in New York, and Yankees fans everywhere, have to be excited that this could be the team that brings home a World Series trophy. There is really no significant weak spot on this team. It is conceivable that by the end of the season, they have two guys who are competing for the MVP trophy as well with Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. Looking at the rotation, one of the biggest additions was grabbing Marcus Stroman from free agency. Stroman has been awesome for the season with a 4-2 record and a 2.76 ERA which is currently 19th for the season. He has allowed one or fewer earned runs in six of his 11 starts this year. He does only have five quality starts, so he isn't going overly deep into most games. Giants hitters are hitting just .222 against Stroman over his career. 

May 19, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks (12) throws a pitch against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

Unless you're talking to a die-hard fan, no one will mistake the Giants for being the best team in baseball.  They are above .500 right now, which is a good sign for the club. The reality is that they are in one of their peaks of the season, playing good baseball. Watching them you'll see that they go through stretches of good and bad play, more than almost any team I can think of. They do seem to play their best baseball at home as opposed to on the road. The real issue for the Giants though is their pitching staff. So far, the team is allowing opponents to hit .255 against them which is leading to a 1.35 WHIP and 4.36 ERA. One of the few bright spots for the staff has been tonight's starter, Jordan Hicks. The former Cardinal has put together a very nice season, with a 2.33 ERA right now (13th in baseball) and a 1.09 WHIP. Like Stroman, he has done a good job of allowing few runs. He has allowed one or fewer earned runs in seven of his 11 games. However, he has only lasted six or more innings three times this season. Yankees hitters don't have a ton of experience against him, but are hitting just 2-for-20 against Hicks in their careers. 

This is a game that has a bit more of a unique aspect to it than some of the others. I like taking first five bets to isolate the normal amount of innings a typical starter throws. In this particular game, you have two starters who are really effective through five innings and then usually removed for the game. That highlights even more that the first five can be a great angle. This is a tight line and you can take the under 4.5 for the first five, but I'll back under 3.5 at +105 in this one. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024