Giants vs. Brewers Friday Betting Prediction - San Francisco tries to get on track

The San Francisco Giants (61-67) won the opener of their series against the San Diego Padres but dropped the final three contests at Petco Park.

Things don't get easier on this road trip as San Francisco begins a three-game weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers (80-48), who own the top record in the National League.

The Giants and Brewers start at 8:10 p.m. ET at American Family Field on Friday.

MATCHUP NOTES

It's been a rough two-week stretch for Bob Melvin's squad, losing 10 of 12 games since a three-game winning streak.

The Giants scored four runs in the first inning of Monday's 4-3 win over the Padres, but San Francisco plated six runs in the final 35 innings of the series.

San Francisco entered Tuesday's game at San Diego posting a 7-2 road record in its previous nine tries, but the Giants are riding their first three-game road skid since late July.

Milwaukee began August on a 14-game winning streak, but the Brewers have lost four of their last six games. The NL Central leaders dropped three of five to the Cubs at Wrigley Field but captured the series finale on Thursday.

These teams met at Oracle Park for a four-game series in April. San Francisco took three of four matchups from Milwaukee, including a pair of comeback victories from multi-run deficits.

PITCHING MATCHUP

A pair of left-handers take the mound in Friday's opener as San Francisco sends out rookie Carson Whisenhunt (1-1, 5.02 ERA), who is making his first start since August 9.

Whisenhunt entered the Giants' rotation on July 28 against Pittsburgh and allowed four runs in five innings of a 6-5 defeat. He bounced back with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings of a 12-4 road blowout of the Mets.

The Nationals knocked around the San Francisco southpaw for three solo home runs in a 4-2 defeat, as Whisenhunt heads to the mound for the first time in nearly two weeks.

The Brewers counter with Jose Quintana (10-4, 3.32 ERA), who defeated the Giants in Milwaukee's lone victory in the April series. Quintana allowed one run in six innings of an 11-3 victory as a +130 underdog on April 22.

In the veteran's last two starts, he yielded one run apiece, although the Brewers had their 14-game winning streak snapped in his previous outing at Cincinnati in 10 innings.

FIRST FIVE INNINGS TRENDS

San Francisco has led once through five innings in the last 11 games, which came in Monday's victory at San Diego.

Quintana has compiled a 9-6-4 record in the first five innings this season, including a 3-0-1 mark in the last four games.

In each of the past seven games, the Brewers have scored two runs or fewer in the first five innings.

BETTING OUTLOOK

DraftKings has listed the Brewers as a -167 favorite with the total set at 8.5 runs.

Milwaukee is 9-4 in Quintana's 13 starts since the beginning of June, including a 4-1 mark at American Family Field.

The Giants are 3-7 in their last 10 games against left-handed starting pitchers, along with six losses by two runs or more.

BEST BET: Brewers -1.5 (+123)