Clayton Kershaw recent said how "fired up" he was to get the Los Angeles Dodgers into the playoffs. His team sits at 67-53 headed into this series against the 66-55 Houston Astros, and he'll have the ball in Sunday's finale.
ODDS ANALYSIS
It was really never supposed to be in doubt this year that LA would get to the playoffs. However, with the Wild Card teams starting to run away from the NL Central, it's suddenly looking like there will be just one spot for the NL West in the postseason.
The Dodgers are down 11.96 units this year, and they had better improve upon that if they are going to get into the second season.
Houston is at +5.66 units this year, but it sports an awesome 42-20 record here at Minute Maid Park.
PITCHING MATCHUP
For those of you who were worried about him, you can stop wondering whether Mr. Kershaw is ever going to get back into form. He’s allowed more than one earned run once since the middle of June.
Suddenly, the lefty is 10-6 with a 2.34 ERA and 212 strikeouts against just 32 walks. Because of it, another Cy Young Award isn't out of the equation.
Lance McCullers is technically still down in Double-A, but Houston is intending on bringing him up for this game on Sunday. The young righty is 5-4 at the big league level this year, and has acquitted himself well.
McCullers has a 3.17 ERA and has more strikeouts than innings pitched.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'm sure I can get out of this bad time in this final part and in the postseason, where it will be even more important." – Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who has been mired in a season-long slump including a .754 OPS
SITUATIONAL BETTING
It's good to see Kenley Jansen back on track as the Dodgers closer. He’s nailed down five straight saves with authority, allowing just two hits in his last six innings of work with 12 strikeouts.
Clearly, if the Astros aren't winning this game in eight innings, they aren't getting the job done.
PROP TALK
The Mighty Mouse is hot again. Jose Altuve might stand just 5-foot-5, but he can really hit the baseball and can fly when he gets aboard. The second baseman is batting .433 in his last six games with five multi-hit games in the bunch.
Considering the fact that he is getting five at bats atop the order with the strong Houston lineup behind him, Altuve is always a good option to target for prop bets.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
McCullers is going to have a shot in this game. It's been a while since anyone has seen him at the big league level, and most teams which have seen him for the first time have been baffled by his stuff.
It's super hard to bet against Kershaw, who is clearly the best pitcher in baseball at the moment. But at the price on LA is going to be steep. With that the case, we're going to have to pass and take a shot with the Astros instead.
Houston 3, Los Angeles 2
The baseball betting odds for this Sunday game will first be available at BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this 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!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don't have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone or tablet. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The duel between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros will take place Sunday, August 23, 2015 at 2:10 p.m. ET at Minute Maid Park. Catch the action live on TBS.
