On July 29, the Pittsburgh Pirates face off against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, with Bailey Falter pitching for the Pirates and Justin Verlander on the mound for the Giants. The Pirates, having won the series opener 6-5 thanks to Andrew McCutchen’s two-run homer, are riding high with six wins in their last seven games. In contrast, the Giants are struggling, suffering four consecutive losses.

The betting lines show the Giants favored at -161 with a spread of 1.5 runs, while the total is set at 8.0 runs. Falter boasts a solid 3.82 ERA, and his last game saw him allowing just one earned run with eight strikeouts. Conversely, Verlander, despite his experience, has had a tough season with a 4.70 ERA and one win against eight losses. Expert predictions suggest favorable odds for the Pirates to cover the spread, and there’s an inclination to bet on the over for total runs scored given recent trends.