Two enticing young pitchers will be on the bump on Friday night in Tinseltown, where the Los Angeles Dodgers (44-35 SU, -7.35 Units) clash with the New York Mets (40-38 SU, -0.33 Units).
ODDS ANALYSIS
Clayton Kershaw is going to get the ball in his hands on Friday night once again, and he is going to be pitching for the first time in his career riding a three-game losing streak.
The impact Kershaw has had on bettors this year has been incredibly painful. You've always had to have the willingness to choke on a lot of chalk to get Kershaw on your side, and the end result sometimes is a big loss.
Kershaw has cost bettors 7.35 units just in his last three starts, and he has lost as a -176 or greater favorite seven times already this season.
PITCHING MATCHUP
It's not like Kershaw is pitching poorly. He still has a K/9 of around a dozen, and his ERA, though high by his standards at 3.20, isn't shabby at all.
The lefty has allowed three runs or fewer in seven consecutive starts, and he has quality starts in all seven games.
Noah Syndergaard, Friday's foe, is interesting, if nothing else. The 22-year old has tremendous stuff, as demonstrated in his last start against Cincinnati when he allowed just five hits and one run in eight innings.
However, the Mets are still babying him just a bit. They didn't let him try to finish what he started against the Reds after throwing just 89 pitches in eight frames, a problem that he will continue to have the rest of the year.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"He may show frustration at the time, but when he gets away from it, I think he knows he has pitched really well." – Dodgers manager Don Mattingly on Kershaw showing visible frustration on the mound of late
SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Mets are still a week away from getting back disgraced reliever Jenrry Mejia, but the fact of the matter is that both Jeurys Familia and Bobby Parnell have pitched tremendously well late in games. The two have combined to allow just one run the entire month of June, and you should feel confident that these two can close out a game if Syndergaard puts New York in a position to win late.
PROP TALK
What isn't going so well for the Mets is their offense. Take out the four runs which Steven Matz drove in during his MLB debut, and you've got an offense which has generated two RBIs or fewer in eight straight games.
Perhaps Daniel Murphy can be a spark back in this offense, as he is leading the team in hitting at .282, but if he can't, any bet against a Met in this one is a smart wager.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This one has "Pitcher's Duel" written all over it. We're not all that sure that Syndergaard is going to be able to go zero for zero with Kershaw, and even if he does, that LA bullpen is every bit as good as the Mets bullpen at the back.
Expect to see a really low scoring game when this one is said and done with, and don't be surprised if Kershaw turns in a real gem to end his losing streak.
Los Angeles 2, New York 0
The MLB lines for this Friday contest will be first released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
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 New York Mets versus the Los Angeles Dodgers will commence at 10:10 p.m. ET on Friday, July 3, 2015 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. The matchup will be televised live on ESPN.
