World Series contenders will collide from the “Juice Box” on Hump Day night when the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers put a wrap on their abbreviated two-game mid-week series. After going into San Francisco and embarrassing the NL West leading Giants, the defending champs check in as the +340 favorites to win successive World Series titles at online sportsbooks. Though they just got humbled in Arlington over the weekend, Dusty Baker’s troops +700 sit only behind the White Sox and Yankees on the futures odds to win the American League pennant. They do however offer up an attractive 18-1 return to win it all. Trevor Bauer will get the starting nod for the visitors and will run up against Luis Garcia who will be making his eighth start of the season. With that, you can expect linemakers to have the Astros installed home dogs for the second time in as many nights after opposing Clayton Kershaw in the series opener.
First pitch for the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros is scheduled for Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. ET from Minute Maid Park. The matchup will air live on ESPN. Bet on MLB odds and player props at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
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Odds Analysis
Though LA managed just three wins in the 18 games it played from April 18 to May 7, oddsmakers still had the defending champs lined as the favorites to win the division and National League. Unfortunately, it prevented futures bettors from reeling in any sort of line value. Now that the team has rattled off wins in 12 of its last 14 games and invades Houston winners of seven straight, the Dodgers have clawed to within $226 of breaking even for MLB bettors. After suffering yet another walk-off loss to the Rangers on Sunday, the Astros are now $131 in the red overall regardless of owning a 26-21 record. That said, the team has been dramatically different when playing at home 15-9, $15 as opposed to the road 11-12, -$146. This series will mark the first time linemakers will have them installed home dogs in 2021.
Probable Pitchers
Trevor Bauer: The $102M contract the Dodgers inked the righty to in the offseason might end up being quite the bargain! Bauer has done nothing but perform since changing jerseys for the fifth time in his career. Through 10 starts, the right-hander’s gone 5-2 with a 1.98 ERA and 88:18 K/BB ratio. He’ll enter start No. 11 having racked up double-digit strikeouts tallies in each of his last two outings, but will have earned it if the streak continues with the Astros tops in the league at limiting strikeouts against right-handed pitching. You might want to think about fading it should his K prop hit the market inflated. Bauer has however been dominant versus Houston through nine career starts in going 8-0 with a 2.90 ERA and .267 BAA logging 71 K through 59 IP.
Luis Garcia: After making a grand total of two starts for the Astros last season, Garcia is going to make Dusty Baker’s decision on what to do with him extremely tough in the very near future once the walking wounded are ready to return to the starting rotation. Though the righty owns a losing 2-3 record, he’s been pretty solid in pitching to a 3.38 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with a 10.6 K/9 while allowing just 6.5 hits per nine innings. That said, he’s yet to reach the sixth inning in any of his seven made starts and the long ball has been an issue evidenced by him allowing 1.8 home runs per nine innings. He’s served up at least two in two of his last three starts. Max Muncy’s home run prop could be one to target with lefty’s owning a .516 SLG percentage against Garcia.
Dodgers vs. Astros Prediction
As enticing it’s going to be to take a nice-sized number back with the Astros at home, I simply just can’t do it. While the Astros offense won’t be the least bit intimidated by Bauer’s stuff, I just don’t think Houston’s No. 14 ranked bullpen will be able to withstand Mookie Betts and company for a majority of the game. The Astros pen will be called upon early like it has in every single one of Garcia’s starts to this point of the season. On the flipside, Bauer has gone for 103, 113, 90, 113, 113 and 126 pitches in his last six starts; all but one of those outings was of quality. So long as LA’s bullpen wasn’t taxed the night prior, I’d be very confident in laying the road chalk on the MLB odds with “Bauer Power” and the Dodgers in the series finale and might even throw some beer money on the run-line as well!
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