Dog of the Day: Be honest, did you realize the Giants have the best record in baseball?
The best team in baseball is facing a .500 team Tuesday, probably with the better starting pitcher in the matchup. And they're underdogs.
The San Francisco Giants can't get any respect.
The Giants have the best record in Major League Baseball. Not the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees or any other team that was expected to lead the pack this season. The Giants' .639 winning percentage is the best in the sport, two games ahead of anyone else.
And yet, the line for the Giants on Tuesday night is +110 at BetMGM against the Los Angeles Angels. Angels starter Andrew Heaney isn't bad, but not the type of ace that should be a -125 favorite over a team that's 20 games over .500.
At some point, we have to admit the Giants aren't a fluke. Their +90 run differential is great. We're almost halfway into the season and they lead the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West. Even if they can't hold that division lead all season, the Giants are a good team. That shouldn't be a debate anymore.
One of the reasons the Giants have been so good is they've hit on starting pitchers who weren't wanted elsewhere. That includes Anthony DeSclafani, Tuesday night's starter. DeSclafani is 7-2 with a 3.01 ERA. He'll be a consideration for the NL All-Star team. He showed flashes during his five seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, but was inconsistent. The Giants have perhaps unlocked something. Since a brutal 10-run outing against the Dodgers on May 23, DeSclafani has allowed five runs over his last four starts, including a two-hit shutout over the Washington Nationals.
The Giants should have erased all doubt by now about their hot start, now that we've reached late June. But San Francisco will be an underdog for the 31st time in their 73rd game on Tuesday night, according to Team Rankings. None of the preseason favorites have been underdogs anywhere near that often (once for the Dodgers, six times for the Yankees, 15 times for the Padres).
The Giants aren't getting as much respect on the betting line as their record says they should. It's an opportunity to keep betting on them.
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