2012 World Series Odds and Picks: Detroit Tigers vs San Francisco Giants Predictions – Free World Series Picks

2012 World Series Picks: Detroit Tigers vs San Francisco Giants Odds and Predictions – Free MLB World Series Picks: They took completely different paths to get here, but the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants are set to meet each other in the World Series, beginning Wednesday in San Francisco. The Tigers cruised into the matchup, sweeping the New York Yankees in the ALCS. The Giants, on the other hand, came back from an 0-2 deficit against the Cincinnati Reds in the divisional round and then rallied from a 3-1 deficit against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS. All told, San Francisco has already survived six elimination games. Despite taking different routes to the World Series, both sides have plenty of reasons to be confident as they prepare to play for a championship.

The strength of both teams has been their starting pitching. Led by the nearly-unhittable Justin Verlander, Detroit’s starting rotation posted a ridiculous 0.66 ERA against the Yankees in the ALCS. All of the Tigers’ starters can pile up strikeouts, and they have been making opponents swing and miss throughout the postseason. San Francisco’s rotation isn’t as deep, but Matt Cain is a bona fide ace, and Ryan Vogelsong and Barry Zito have caught fire at the right time. Both teams have gotten solid efforts from their relievers, as well, but San Francisco probably has the slight edge. While the Giants’ bullpen has compiled a sub-3.00 ERA in the postseason, Detroit closer Jose Valverde had a meltdown in the divisional round and hasn’t pitched since.

Offensively, both sides rely on a few big bats to drive in runs. Detroit’s dynamic duo features Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera from the right side of the plate and Prince Fielder from the left side. San Francisco counters with Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval. Posey won the NL batting title during the regular, and Sandoval was dialed in during the NLCS, driving in at least one run in each of the final six games. Of course, there will also likely be an unsung hero or two along the way for each team. After all, both sides ranked in the top six in terms of team batting average during the regular season, and that doesn’t happen when just one or two players are hitting the ball.

The Tigers Win If:

The extra time off will allow Verlander to start Game 1. Over the course of the series, the Tigers will be able to get as many as three starts out of the best pitcher in baseball, and that is a huge advantage. Detroit’s offense has to make sure it takes care of business whenever Verlander is on the mound. The last thing the Tigers want to do is waste a stellar effort from their ace because of an anemic offensive effort. Detroit doesn’t need to overanalyze things. If the Tigers start Verlander three times, they should have no trouble finding their way to one more win to secure a championship.

The Giants Win If:

Whether you call them scrappy or resilient, the Giants have been an impossible out during this postseason. They need to continue to battle in this series and find a way to manufacture enough runs to steal at least one victory against Verlander. San Francisco’s other starters can go toe-to-toe with anyone Detroit sends to the mound, but Verlander is going to have favorable matchups throughout the series. If the Giants end up beating Verlander, they will shift the balance of power in the series and be able to continue their run to a second World Series title in three years.

Bottom Line:

San Francisco has gotten unexpected performances from a variety of players during the playoffs and has found ways to win with their backs against the wall. While it seems eerily similar to the Cardinals’ run last year, St. Louis didn’t have to face a team with a pitching staff that is on one of the greatest runs in postseason history. Getting the extra days off to set up their rotation is going to pay dividends for Detroit. The Giants are going to fight and claw their way to some wins, but there just doesn’t seem to be any stopping Verlander right now. The Tigers can call upon their ace up to three times in the World Series, including in Game 7 if need be. San Francisco will push Detroit to the limit, but the Tigers will prevail on the strength of their pitching.

Prediction: Detroit Tigers Win in 7 Games

Detroit Tigers vs SF Giants – To win World Series
Detroit Tigers -170
San Francisco Giants +150

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