Astros vs. Giants: Game 1, prediction, odds and picks

Interleague baseball betting action opens from Minute Maid Park on Monday when the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros clash in the series opener. Bob Melvin's team started the season 2-1 after taking two of three from the Cincinnati Reds in the GAB over the weekend. Joe Espada's squad matched that mark against Juan Soto and the Mets.

The Giants will attempt to get on the right foot by marching Jordan Hicks to the starting bump to make his 2025 debut. The same goes for Ronel Blanco who hasn't thrown in a game that counts since logging two innings in a playoff loss to the Tigers last season.

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Astros vs. Giants recent form and records

The Giants won a pair of hard-fought matchups in their recent three-game series at Cincinnati. The team stormed back in the ninth inning to steal a 6-4 win in the opener and split the next two, winning 6-3 on Sunday to enter this series 2-1 and up $100 for MLB bettors overall. The over cashed in two of those games despite San Francisco only slashing .214/.250/.408/.658, with the lineup hitting five home runs and plating 14 runs.

Although an enormous contingent of Mets fans made the trek to Minute Maid Park to take in the three-game set over the weekend, Houston came out victorious by winning the opener and finale to get out to a winning 2-1 mark for baseball bettors. The rate of return only brought back $92 of profit for their supporters. However, under bettors reeled in $300 as all three matchups failed to exceed the over/under. All three Astros starters logging quality starts helped the cause.

Players to Watch

Starting Pitcher

Jordan Hicks (4-7, 4.10 ERA in 2024)

Hicks went 2-4 with a 4.14 ERA and 54:35 K/BB ratio over 50.0 IP on the road last year
Hicks is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA and 6:1 K/BB ratio in 5.2 IP thrown against the Astros
Hicks gave up 5 hits and 3 ER in 4.2 IP with 5 K and 1 BB against Houston in 2024

Ronel Blanco (13-6, 2.80 ERA in 2024)

Blanco went 6-4 with a 3.19 ERA and 93:38 K/BB ratio over 87.1 IP at home last year
Blanco is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 8:3 K/BB ratio in 7.0 IP thrown against the Giants
Soriano gave up 3 hits and 1 ER in 6.0 IP with 8 K and 1 BB against San Francisco in 2024

Must-Watch Hitters

San Francisco

Willy Adames has yet to make a big impact for his new team, collecting just one hit and RBI through 11 at-bats. He's slashing .091/.083/.174 and has struck out five times. His player props — except for his hit prop — are all offering some nice plus-money value that should be taken advantage of until oddsmakers start to correct them.

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Houston

With the Astros scoring six runs against the Mets' pitching, it's tough to find any hot hitters in the lineup. Like Adames, Yordan Alvarez is also off to a slow start, slashing .125/.333/.583 with one hit and two RBIs in eight at-bats. However, it's likely only a matter of time until the left-handed power hitter gets hold of one and sends it for a ride. His 2+ total bases prop is even money and that doesn't sit well for the extra-base hit machine.

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Astros vs. Giants Baseball Betting Odds

Monday 3/31	Money Line	Run Line	Total Runs
San Francisco Giants	+110	+1.5 -198	O 8 -112
Houston Astros	-130	-1.5 +164	U 8 -108

Astros vs. Giants Expert Picks & Game Prediction

While Hicks was a more reliable commodity to back in the comforts of Oracle Park than on the road last season, a solid outing against an Astros lineup yet to find its groove could be in the cards for the series opener. While not expecting more than 5-6 innings, it remains to be seen whether Blanco can match that output as rough a Spring Training session the right-hander experienced.

Solid pitching and defense propelled the Giants to the series win in the 'Natti. Look for that to carry over on Monday and back the road dogs at DraftKings Sportsbook for the series opener.

Money Line: +110
Run Line: +1.5 -155
Total Runs: Under 8 -108

Astros vs. Giants Prediction: San Francisco Wins 4-3

About the author

Mike earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology from the University of Kansas with dreams of becoming an orthopedic surgeon and team physician. However, his career path took a different turn as he ventured into sports handicapping, writing, and editing.

While preparing for the MCAT, Mike applied to contribute to a site offering free sports picks, which proved to be a pivotal step. His success there garnered interest from larger platforms and startups. Despite his efforts, organic chemistry derailed his medical school ambitions, and he chose to shift fully into sports betting and fantasy sports content creation.

Over a 20-year career, Mike has navigated the highs and lows of professional sports betting. His experience spans working on a late-night sports talk radio show, covering the Chicago Rush in the Arena Football League, managing a content distribution company, owning and operating a vape shop, and creating one of the first profitable DFS affiliate sites—an endeavor that helped buy his current home.

When offline, Mike enjoys working out his green thumb, coaching his son’s sports teams, hosting tea parties with his daughter, and relaxing with his wife and friends. A die-hard Kansas Jayhawks fan, he also proudly bleeds Cubbie blue.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez