San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

When you think of some of the best rivalries in Major League Baseball, the Giants and Dodgers have to be right at the top of the list. These two franchises have been battling almost since the start of professional baseball, and odds are that their rivalry will continue to grow.

There is no love lost between the Giants and Dodgers players or their fans, and these two routinely battle for the top spot in the National League West. The San Francisco Giants have been the better team in terms of World Series Championships in the last decade, but the Dodgers are consistently one of the top teams in the National League. It is almost impossible to make a prediction about how the game will go when these two rivals take the field. 

Here’s a look at why:

Brief History of Giants and Dodgers Rivalry

The Dodgers and Giants are both currently located in the state of California, but this rivalry got its start when both teams were playing in New York. The two teams first met as the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants way back in 1898. This rivalry is widely considered as the oldest rivalry in professional baseball, and the two teams have played a total of 2,473 games against each other.

Looking at past history usually helps with making predictions for the future, and these two teams have been incredibly competitive since the beginning. The Giants hold a slim 1,243-1,213 lead over the Dodgers in terms of head to head standings. Remarkably, these two teams have also played to a tie 17 times in their long history.

The New York Gothams were founded in 1883, and three years later changed the name to the New York Giants. The team was moved to San Francisco prior to the 1958 season, and the Giants still call the city by the bay home to this day.

Many franchises have made the claim to be the best, but the Giants franchise has the most wins of any franchise in American baseball. Not only have the Giants produced some amazing teams, they have also featured some of the greatest players in baseball history. Odds are that even the casual baseball fan has heard about the great Willie Mays and Barry Bonds.

The Dodgers franchise was established in 1883 as the Brooklyn Dodgers. Apparently the Dodgers felt the need to keep up with the Giants and also made the move to California prior to the 1958 season. The Los Angeles team played at the Coliseum for their first four years in California before moving to legendary Dodger Stadium in 1962. While the Giants might have the most wins of any baseball franchise, the Dodgers are right on their heels. Two of the most famous players in Dodgers history are Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax.

Head to Head Comparison Between Giants and Dodgers

The Dodgers and Giants are two of the most successful National League teams of all time, along with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2018, the Dodgers tied the Giants with 23 National League pennants, which is the most of all time. The Giants have beaten the odds to win eight World Series titles, while the Dodgers are right behind them with six titles.

In the early days of this rivalry, making a prediction on the Giants would have been a much better bet, but the Dodgers have flipped the script on their rival. The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the National League West division a whopping 17 times, including the last six years. San Francisco has only won the National League West eight times since moving to that division.

The Giants have had better luck in the playoffs in recent years, winning the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without a championship since the memorable 1988 World Series.

A Glance at Last 20 Games Between Giants and Dodgers

The last 20 games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants were about as close as they have been all-time. The Dodgers won 11 of the previous 20 games over their rivals, leaving the Giants with just nine victories. Los Angeles put up 86 runs in the last 20 games against the Giants, while San Francisco managed to score just 59 runs during that span. The Giants were able to play well at against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, splitting the 12 games played away from home. Unfortunately, the Giants struggled at home against their rival, going just 3-5 against the Dodgers in San Francisco.

Detailed Series Split For Giants-Dodgers Rivalry

The Los Angeles Dodgers were the much better team during the 2018 season, but that doesn’t always mean that they were the correct betting prediction. Every game between the Dodgers and Giants had a run spread of 1.5 in the last 20 games. The Los Angeles Dodgers won eight times with a spread of -1.5, but the Giants were able to win 12 times with a spread of +1.5. Looking at these odds, betting on the Giants when they are given 1.5 runs seems like the proper bet to make.

The other thing to look at for this matchup is the over/under results between the Giants and Dodgers. During the last 20 games, the two rivals went under the run total 12 times while going over just seven times. The two teams pushed one time a season ago, but the clear bet when these two teams take the field is the under.

The rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers might not get as much attention as the Red Sox and Yankees, but this one is older and is just as intense. Los Angeles has been the much better team in recent seasons, but the Giants have been able to go all the way three separate times since 2010. History tells us that the Giants will find a way to be playoff contenders again, and this rivalry will only keep getting better. The Giants and Dodgers have been bitter rivals for more than 100 years, and odds are that the rivalry will last 100 more.

Here are some highlights:

Head to Head Comparison Between Giants and Dodgers

The Dodgers and Giants are two of the most successful National League teams of all time, along with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2018, the Dodgers tied the Giants with 23 National League pennants, which is the most of all time. The Giants have beaten the odds to win eight World Series titles, while the Dodgers are right behind them with six titles.

In the early days of this rivalry, making a prediction on the Giants would have been a much better bet, but the Dodgers have flipped the script on their rival. The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the National League West division a whopping 17 times, including the last six years. San Francisco has only won the National League West eight times since moving to that division.

The Giants have had better luck in the playoffs in recent years, winning the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without a championship since the memorable 1988 World Series.

A Glance at Last 20 Games Between Giants and Dodgers

The last 20 games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants were about as close as they have been all-time. The Dodgers won 11 of the previous 20 games over their rivals, leaving the Giants with just nine victories. Los Angeles put up 86 runs in the last 20 games against the Giants, while San Francisco managed to score just 59 runs during that span. The Giants were able to play well at against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, splitting the 12 games played away from home. Unfortunately, the Giants struggled at home against their rival, going just 3-5 against the Dodgers in San Francisco.

Detailed Series Split For Giants-Dodgers Rivalry

The Los Angeles Dodgers were the much better team during the 2018 season, but that doesn’t always mean that they were the correct betting prediction. Every game between the Dodgers and Giants had a run spread of 1.5 in the last 20 games. The Los Angeles Dodgers won eight times with a spread of -1.5, but the Giants were able to win 12 times with a spread of +1.5. Looking at these odds, betting on the Giants when they are given 1.5 runs seems like the proper bet to make.

The other thing to look at for this matchup is the over/under results between the Giants and Dodgers. During the last 20 games, the two rivals went under the run total 12 times while going over just seven times. The two teams pushed one time a season ago, but the clear bet when these two teams take the field is the under.

The rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers might not get as much attention as the Red Sox and Yankees, but this one is older and is just as intense. Los Angeles has been the much better team in recent seasons, but the Giants have been able to go all the way three separate times since 2010. History tells us that the Giants will find a way to be playoff contenders again, and this rivalry will only keep getting better. The Giants and Dodgers have been bitter rivals for more than 100 years, and odds are that the rivalry will last 100 more.