The Dodgers and Astros hold leads in the NL and AL West respectively, but each has a challenge just a couple games back. Despite the similarities, one has been far friendlier toward bettors as the 65-55 Astros have a cumulative moneyline of $466 compared to the Dodgers, who are 67-52 and have a moneyline of -$1,079.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Simply put, the Dodgers have failed to reach expectations while the Astros have exceeded theirs. Nevertheless, each team sits in a similar situation headed into this three game weekend set, starting on Friday.
Los Angeles is in the midst of a solid stretch, winning five of its last seven games, but most of that success came at home. The Dodgers are just 25-32 on the road and have dropped four straight away from the City of Angels.
On the other side, the Astros have dropped nine of their last 14, but over their last six games, they’ve got four wins as they begin to turn things around. Their turnaround started when they returned home where they’ve won 41 of 61.
PITCHING MATCHUP
After struggling since his acquisition, the Dodgers are skipping Mat Latos and will throw southpaw Brett Anderson against the Astros on Friday.
Anderson has been a surprisingly strong starter for the Dodgers going 7-7 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.329 WHIP in 134 2/3 innings of work.
The 27-year old lefty has always been a good pitcher, but has struggled to stay healthy, something that he’s done this year. He may be showing signs of fatigue, however, having not thrown more than 112 1/3 innings any year since his rookie season back in 2009.
Over Anderson’s last two games, he’s allowed 10 runs on 16 hits, walking five in just 11 innings of work.
For the Astros, 30-year old right-hander Mike Fiers will get his third start. The former Brewer has a combined 5-9 record with a 3.87 ERA and 1.356 WHIP in 135 innings this year. In three games—and two starts—for Houston he’s allowed nine runs, though only seven earned, in 17 innings pitched, striking out 15. Strike outs are a big weapon for him as his career strikeout to walk ratio is 9.1.
QUOTE TO NOTE
Anderson’s last two starts haven’t been great, though he did win his last one, throwing a quality start. Afterwards, manager Don Mattingly spoke about his young left-hander, saying:
“I thought he was solid for us. It’s kind of what he’s been doing. He kept us in the game.”
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Astros have scored 20 more runs than the Dodgers this year, but the two teams are pretty even overall.
Both teams lead their respective leagues in home runs, each depending on the long ball for a good portion of their runs.
One difference, however, the Dodgers do have a better OBP at .332 compared to .309. That said, the two offenses still stack up very well. Both teams are deep in talent and each have gotten a few surprise performances with Justin Turner posting a .924 OPS and Carlos Correa already establishing himself as the best shortstop in baseball since his promotion.
Interestingly, each team also has a black hole position. For the Astros, it’s first where Chris Carter has most of the at bats and is hitting just .180. For the Dodgers it’s shortstop with Jimmy Rollins hitting .225.
PROP TALK
As a team, the Dodgers have had some success against Fiers, combining to go 12 for 44 with a pair of home runs with Adrian Gonzalez and Alex Guerrero each leaving the yard.
The player with the most success against him, however, is Andre Ethier. The veteran outfielder is 4-for-6 with a double and a triple.
On the other side, Anderson has held current Astros to a .226 average. Jed Lowrie has had the most at bats against him and is just 3-for-12 with a double.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Anderson typically keeps his team in the game, but the Dodgers are just 12-11 when he starts because of a disappointing bullpen.
The pen has a couple good arms in Kenley Jansen and J.P. Howell, but has otherwise struggled with a 4.18 ERA compared to the Astros’ 2.73.
Factoring the Dodgers’ rather unimpressive road numbers and the Astros’ dominance at home, I expect the bullpen to let Los Angeles down once again.
Houston 6, Los Angeles 5
The MLB lines for this contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the Houston Astros will commence Friday, August 21, 2015, at 8:10 p.m. ET at Minute Maid Park. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
