The San Francisco Giants finish a series with the Red Sox on Thursday before continuing their road trip against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Giants dropped the first two games of their series against the Red Sox, while the Phillies took two of three against the Angels before getting the day off on Thursday. The Phillies climbed the National League East standings by winning seven of their last ten games, sitting half a game back of the Braves for first place. Things haven't been going as well for the Giants, holding a 14-17 record, a poor record when trying to chase down a team like the Dodgers. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Giants-Phillies prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The Giants haven't officially announced their starter at the time of this writing, but Jordan Hicks is the next man up in the rotation. Hicks has been one of the team's best pitchers this season in his transition from the bullpen. He has gone at least five innings each start and is 2-0 with four no-decisions. Hicks hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any game, giving him an ERA of 1.59. He's a valuable pitcher to capitalize on before being a first-year starter catches up to him in the pitch count department. 

It'll be a good pitching matchup on Friday night as Aaron Nola heads to the bump for the Phillies. He started the year on a sour note, allowing six earned runs and 11 hits to the Braves, but has cleaned it up in recent starts, improving his ERA to 3.20. He's made it into the eighth inning in three straight starts and hasn't allowed more than three earned runs since the Braves start.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Giants-Phillies Odds

San Francisco Giants: +1.5 (-195)

Moneyline: +124

Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+158)

Moneyline: -146

Over: 8 (-105)

Under: 8 (-115)

How to Watch Giants vs. Phillies

Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT

TV: Apple TV+

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Giants Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Phillies rely on power hitting and a high walk rate to get on base and drive in runs. This is an area where Jordan Hicks thrives, as he's allowed just one home run over 34 innings. His ten walks are average, but the Giants can win this game if he limits the damage.

The Giants haven't been the best power-hitting team this season, but their numbers have improved over the past ten games. Home runs are one area where they can capitalize on Nola, as he's allowed a home run in five of six starts, including two in games against the Cardinals and Braves. Considering the Cardinals are the worst home run-hitting team in baseball, it isn't farfetched to say that the Giants can knock a couple out of the park. 

Why The Phillies Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Phillies have been winning games when Aaron Nola takes the mound. They were blown out in the first start against the Braves but won his next five. Nola is 4-0 over that span, with a no-decision that went into extra innings. The Phillies bullpen has been a minor issue, owning just a 4.14 ERA. Therefore, it makes sense that the Phillies have been winning Nola starts since he's gone into the eighth inning in three straight.

The Phillies offense has woken up over their last ten games, batting .268 and averaging 5.3 runs/nine. Thanks to a great walk rate, they have a whopping .346 on-base percentage. They are also hitting the ball for power, ranking second in the MLB in home runs, helping to drive in all the runners they're getting on base.

Final Giants-Phillies Prediction & Pick

This game is a great pitching matchup with appealing matchups for the starters. The Phillies will find it hard to hit for power against Hicks, and the Giants aren't good at hitting for power against a pitcher that can get into trouble with home runs.

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Final Giants-Phillies Prediction & Pick: Under 8 (-115)