Article courtesy OddsShark (@OddsShark)
The Los Angeles Dodgers (16-9) needed a vintage performance from ace Clayton Kershaw to stop a season-worst three-game losing streak on Wednesday. Now the Dodgers are looking to start another positive run on Thursday when they visit the Milwaukee Brewers (14-10) as solid road favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com in the opener of a four-game series that kicks off a season-high 10-game trip.
Kershaw pitched seven scoreless innings against the Cincinnati Reds, scattering four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts, en route to an 8-0 rout to help Los Angeles avoid being swept in the three-game series as a heavy -200 favorite at sports betting sites in the finale. The much-needed victory kept the Dodgers in a tie with the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West.
Dodgers vs. Brewers | OddsShark Matchup Report
Los Angeles opened as -175 road chalk for the first game versus Milwaukee with reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer (3-0, 2.53 ERA) on the mound. However, early money has come in on the Brewers, as the line on the Dodgers has come down 20 cents or more already at some sportsbooks (how line movement works).
Maybe that is because Milwaukee is no slouch, sitting three games ahead of Cincinnati atop the NL Central. Surprisingly though, the Brewers have enjoyed most of their early success on the road so far this season with a 9-3 record compared to their losing mark of 5-7 at home. However, they have not fared well in this series, losing three straight meetings and six of seven.
These teams have seen low-scoring games against each other recently, with the UNDER cashing in the past two meetings along with seven of the last eight. But Los Angeles has seen the opposite happen lately in its games, with the OVER on a 6-0 run in its previous six.
The latter trend may continue considering Milwaukee is going with Eric Lauer (0-2, 13.09 ERA in 2020) in the opener before Freddy Peralta (2-0, 2.45 ERA in 2021) toes the rubber on Friday. Brandon Woodruff (2-0, 1.55 ERA) and Corbin Burnes (2-2, 1.53 ERA) will round out the series for the Brewers.
Dustin May (1-1, 2.53 ERA), Julio Urias (3-0, 3.23 ERA) and Walker Buehler (1-0, 3.16 ERA) are lined up behind Bauer to take the mound for the Dodgers in the rest of the series.
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