Clayton Kershaw has once again put the Los Angeles Dodgers in an 0-1 hole in a short series. There is a slew of pressure on Zack Greinke to turn things around and salvage a split of the first two game of the NLDS at home against the New York Mets on Saturday.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Dodgers were hefty -190 favorites in Game 1, and they figure to be huge chalks once again in Game 2 with Greinke on the mound. That said, we have seen this time and time again with Los Angeles. This team is favored by massive margins at home early on in short series, only to be forced into games by what are supposed to be inferior foes.
PITCHING MATCHUP
The argument could be made that the Kershaw/Greinke combination is the best starting pitching duo in baseball in quite some time. Greinke probably should've started Game 1, though.
The righty was nuts this year at 19-3, and he led the Dodgers to a 23-9 record in his 32 starts. His 1.66 ERA and 0.84 WHIP could very well earn him the NL Cy Young Award, though in this year where Jake Arrieta was so unbelievable, it might not quite be good enough.
It should be remembered though, that the combo of Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard isn't all that bad either.
Yes, the man they've nicknamed "Thor" in the Big Apple only went 9-7 this year, but his 1.05 WHIP and 3.24 ERA are legit. This is Syndergaard's first playoff game, but if he pitches anywhere near as well as deGrom did in his first postseason effort, the Dodgers are in a lot of trouble.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I've got a little more confidence out there. Last year, we probably wouldn't have finished that." – Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom on the difference between this season's team and the one which struggled to close out games in 2014
SITUATIONAL BETTING
Don Mattingly is going to be questioned a lot about his decision to take Kershaw out of Game 1 in favor of Pedro Baez. Baez immediately gave up a two-run hit to David Wright to take a 1-0 game and make it an unreachable 3-0 game.
It was unfortunate for the Dodgers to struggle so badly when they allowed just that one hit in 2.1 innings of relief, but we've seen this all year with this unit. Pivotal moments are squandered time and time again.
PROP TALK
Don't you get the feeling that Wright is just set to explode here in the playoffs? He had the biggest hit of Game 1 off of Baez, and though he only hit .289 this year in limited action, he still has that knack of coming up with the big hit when needed.
Don't bet against him for prop purposes in Game 2 for sure.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Dodgers are in a lot of trouble here. We do think that they are going to win Game 2 more often than not, but the odds should once again suggest that New York has the better price on its side.
Syndergaard, much like deGrom, doesn't know any better at this point. He should be scared out of his mind to be pitching on a stage like this, but he should be relying on his huge fastball to try to get out of trouble against a group of Dodgers hitters who flailed against deGrom a ton on Friday.
Road teams have dominated the LDS series thus far. That could continue on Saturday in Tinseltown.
New York 3, Los Angeles 2
The baseball betting odds for this Saturday 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!
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! Game 2 of the NLDS between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers will start at 9:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 10, 2015 at Dodger Stadium. You can watch the contest live on TBS.
