Article courtesy OddsShark (@OddsShark)
The Los Angeles Dodgers (64-35) are rolling through the punches right now, trying to stay sharp and healthy as they prepare for the final stretch towards what they hope to be another National League pennant and World Series berth.
The Dodgers completed a seven-game road trip after the MLB All-Star break at 4-3, and they are huge betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com for Friday against the Miami Marlins (36-58) in the opener of a three-game series.
The consensus price on Los Angeles is a hefty -300 (bet $300 to win $100) on the MLB odds for Friday with ace Hyun-Jin Ryu (10-2, 1.78 ERA) on the mound, and he pitched fairly well off his start for the National League All-Stars on Sunday versus the Philadelphia Phillies.
Ryu gave up two runs and eight hits in seven innings of a 7-4 victory at Philadelphia with one walk and six strikeouts, but he did not get a decision. He is 1-1 in his past six outings.
Marlins at Dodgers | OddsShark Matchup Report
Countering for Miami will be 23-year-old righty Zac Gallen (0-1, 4.24 ERA), who will be making just the fifth start of his young career. Gallen is also searching for his very first win after four fairly solid outings that have seen him allow three runs or less each time.
Unfortunately for him, the Marlins have lost each of the last three times he has started. Fortunately, they have won four of the past five meetings as underdogs, according to the OddsShark MLB Database, with the UNDER cashing in six of the previous eight.
Saturday’s pitching matchup is not any easier for Miami, with another 23-year-old righty Sandy Alcantara (4-9, 3.94 ERA) facing Los Angeles’ two-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw as another likely big underdog. The Marlins have lost the last three games Alcantara has started as his ERA has risen from 3.51.
Meanwhile, the eight-time All-Star Kershaw snapped a three-start winless streak by picking up an easy victory against the Phillies on Monday after also pitching in the All-Star Game, surrendering one run and four hits in six innings of a 16-2 rout with two walks and seven strikeouts.
In the series finale on Sunday, yet another 23-year-old righty will take the mound for Miami in Jordan Yamamoto (4-0, 1.59 ERA), and he will be looking to stay perfect in his seventh career start. Yamamoto earned his fourth win last time out versus the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, allowing two earned runs and four hits in five innings.
The Dodgers will give 24-year-old Walker Buehler (8-1, 3.44 ERA) the nod following a rough outing at Philadelphia in which he served up three home runs and six runs (two earned) in an eventual 9-8 loss. Buehler is winless in his previous three starts for Los Angeles.
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