Charlie Cummings previews Sunday’s MLB matchup between the San Francisco Giants and the Baltimore Orioles and provides his best pick.

The San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles have more in common than you think. Orange and black uniforms; scenic ballparks; an incredible affinity for crab sandwiches. They’re also looking to erase the memory of disappointing 2025 seasons and have gotten off to shaky starts. But only one of these teams can take home this interleague series.

First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m. ET. The Orioles are -131 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while a Giants upset is priced at +109. The game total is set at O/U 8.5 runs.

Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Giants-Orioles game.

Giants vs. Orioles Preview

First things first, let’s get to know these starting pitchers.

Adrian Houser takes the mound for the Giants in this rubber match. One of their big offseason acquisitions, Houser was tasked with bringing stability to a rotation that was an injured and inconsistent mess behind Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. So far, so good. He put up a strong first outing against the Padres, then took a bit more of a hit against the Phillies. But if he put up a 3.97 ERA for the rest of the season, the Giants would take that.

Houser is mostly a sinkerballer, sitting around 94 mph with good break. You’ll also see a fair amount of sliders and changeups with a lively four-seamer and curveball to keep hitters on their toes. He’s a good, dependable pitch-to-contact veteran who leans on his defense; who doesn’t love those guys?

Opposite Houser is left-hander Cade Povich, no relation to Maury. Povich has struggled early in his career, posting a 5.20 ERA over 192 innings in his first two seasons. 2026 may be his last shot to stick in the Baltimore rotation. With Povich on the mound, you’re going to see a lot of fastballs, though he’s a bit of a soft-tosser. He also mixes in a curveball, cutter, changeup, sinker, and slider to get a healthy mix of ground balls.

Both lineups are having very strange starts to their seasons. Rafael Devers is expected to do the big slugging for this Giants group, yet he’s scuffling out of the gate. Luis Arraez has been positive as a new addition, but Harrison Bader couldn’t hit a beach ball. San Francisco wasn’t projected to be the bash brothers, but the early-season returns have certainly been a disappointment.

Baltimore is also hoping to get more life from Pete Alonso, its big offseason prize. After taking a 0-for on Saturday, Alonso is down to a .167 batting average with only one home run. Meanwhile, Gunnar Henderson is tearing the cover off the ball, launching a major league-leading sixth home run during Saturday’s win. Baltimore needs the rest of its lineup to pick it up around Henderson, or this is going to be a long season.

Now that we know these teams a bit better, who is going to take this one home?

Giants vs. Orioles Pick, Best Bet

It sure is tough to trust these Giants. But Povich has some rough peripherals that seem bound to rear their ugly head. Houser is no ace, but he will do enough to keep the lid on Baltimore’s lineup in order to get to the bullpen with a lead. From there, San Francisco’s surprisingly robust bullpen should close the door.

Best Bet: San Francisco Giants Moneyline (+109)