Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants NLDS Game 5 Preview: Which NL West Rival Will Move On to Face the Braves?

The Atlanta Braves have been waiting since Tuesday to find out who they will face in the NLCS. Will they get an NLCS rematch with the reigning World Series champs? Or will they match up with the Giants, who had MLB’s best record in the regular season? We’ll find out tonight as the two NL West rivals meet in Game 5 of their NLDS series.

The two teams have alternated wins thus far in the series. The Giants won Game 1 and Game 3, while the Dodgers took Game 2 and Game 4.

In tonight’s decisive matchup, the Giants will turn to Logan Webb, who has been excellent at Oracle Park all season and tossed a gem against the Dodgers to open the series. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are taking the interesting step of using reliever Corey Knebel as an opener tonight and presumably going Johnny Wholestaff from there.

Which approach will yield a winning result for one of these teams and for bettors?

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants NLDS Game 5 Matchup and Odds

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants NLDS Game 5 Matchup

• Matchup: Los Angeles Dodgers (2-2) vs San Francisco Giants (2-2)
• Time: 9:07 p.m. ET/6:07 p.m. ET
• TV: TBS

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants NLDS Game 5 Odds

Moneyline

• Los Angeles Dodgers -110
• San Francisco Giants -110

Total

• OVER 7 (+100)
• UNDER 7 (-120)

Run Line

• Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (+165)
• San Francisco Giants +1.5 (-200)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants odds are via BetMGM as of Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 5:25 p.m. ET. To compare MLB betting odds from top online sportsbooks, including BetOnline Sportsbook, BetMGM, and more, check out our MLB odds page.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants NLDS Game 5 Pitching Matchup and Consensus Picks

Pitching Matchup

• Los Angeles Dodgers: Corey Knebel (2021 Regular Season: 4-0, 2.45 ERA; Postseason: 0-0, 0.00 ERA)
• San Francisco Giants: Logan Webb (2021 Regular Season: 11-3, 3.03 ERA; Postseason: 1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants NLDS Game 5 Betting Picks

Moneyline

• 80% Los Angeles Dodgers
• 20% San Francisco Giants

Total (at O/U 7)

• 100% OVER 7
• 0% UNDER 7

Run Line (at -/+1.5)

• 40% Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5
• 60% San Francisco Giants +1.5

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants NLDS Game 5 Matchup: MLB Betting Picks, Odds, Stats and More

Betting News aggregates its MLB betting picks from trusted sports betting industry sources. Along with MLB betting picks for every MLB matchup, we similarly offer NFL picks, NBA picks, and NHL picks.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants Betting Breakdown

MLB Betting Trends to Consider for Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants NLDS Game 5

All of these trends include all games from the 2021 MLB playoffs.

• The Dodgers are listed as a slight underdog at other sportsbooks. They were an underdog in all of two games this season, and they lost both of those games.
• As a home favorite this season, the Giants have a 46-17 record. That is a winning percentage of 73 percent, which is second in MLB behind the Colorado Rockies (26-7, 78.8 percent).
• Both teams have played 23 games this season on one day of rest. The Giants are 19-4 in that scenario, which puts them tops in the league in both wins and winning percentage (82.6 percent). The Dodgers are 13-10 (56.5 percent) when playing on one day of rest.
• In division games this season, the Giants have the league’s best record against division opponents (55-25, 68.8 percent), while the Dodgers are tied for second (52-28, 65 percent) with the eliminated Tampa Bay Rays.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants Best Bet

Under 3.5 Runs 1st Five Innings

Both of the first two games in San Francisco finished UNDER 3.5 runs in the first five innings. In Game 1, the Giants led 2-0 after five innings on the way to a 4-0 win. In Game 2, the Dodgers led 2-1 after five innings then broke it open in the final four innings for a 9-2 win.

It remains to be seen how well the Dodgers’ plan of using Knebel as an opener instead of going with Julio Urias from the outset will work, but if there is any team that can pull this plan off, it’s the Dodgers.

Knebel has never gone more than two innings in his major league career, and he has hit the two-inning mark only once this season in 29 appearances in the regular season and postseason. And it’s rare for him to go past the 30-pitch mark as well, so if manager Dave Roberts can get two innings or 30 pitches out of Knebel without any runs on the board for the Giants, he’ll be happy with that. After that, it’ll probably be Urias and then we’ll see. But either way, I don’t see the Dodgers leaking many runs, if any, early.

As for Webb, I expect the same from him. He was dominant in Game 1, striking out ten, walking none, and allowing five hits in 7.2 scoreless innings. In four starts against the Dodgers this season (regular season and postseason), he is 2-0 with a 1.55 ERA, allowing only five runs (four earned) in 23.2 innings.

I don’t expect a lot of runs over the course of the entire game, but I’m more confident in the first five than the full game, based on the situation and what I have seen from these two teams so far.