The
Washington Nationals will take aim at their 21
st win of the season tonight when they battle the
Los Angeles Dodgers. First pitch in this evening’s meeting between the Nats and Dodgers is set for 10:10pm ET at Dodger Stadium.
MLB Odds have the hosting Dodgers, who will send 2011 Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw to the hill, listed as a huge -182 moneyline favorite ($182 wins $100); the Over/Under is set at 6.5 runs. The Nationals are drawing +162 odds to take tonight’s contest.
The Nationals, coming off a home series loss to the Cubs, recorded their sixth win in eight games last night when they topped the Dodgers 6-2 to take the series opener. Washington’s offense chased starter Josh Beckett after just three innings, tagging the veteran for three hits and four runs (two earned). Nats starter Jordan Zimmerman took care of the rest, limiting the Dodgers to two earned runs over 7.2 innings to earn his seventh win of the season.
The Dodgers will look for a better performance tonight from starter
Clayton Kershaw and they are almost certain to get one. However, unless they provide a little run support for the dominant lefty it may not matter.
Kershaw owns a 1.62 ERA and 0.90 WHIP, but L.A. is 2-4 in his last six starts thanks to its inability to score runs. The Dodgers averaged just 2.3 runs per game in those six outings and they are plating an average of just 2.4 runs per game with Kershaw on the hill.
Washington’s Dan Haren is tasked with keeping L.A.’s anemic offense in check tonight as he chases a fourth straight win. Haren is coming off a less than stellar performance against the Tigers (nine hits and four earned runs allowed over six innings), but the Nationals garnered a 5-4 victory nonetheless.
Despite last Thursday’s sub-par showing, Haren (5.17 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) has shown improvement in his last three starts, allowing 19 hits and seven earned runs over 20 innings of work.
Notable Trends: The Over is 8-2 in the Dodgers last 10 games as a home favorite with a total between 6 and 7 runs.
MLB Odds Washington Nationals vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Washington Nationals +1.5 (-140), Over 6.5 (-110), +162 (Moneyline)
Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (+120), Under 6.5 (-110), -182 (Moneyline)
Baseball Betting Tips from Chuck Edel & Johnny Detroit
Chuck Edel is a well respected gambler / handicapper who appears on numerous radio shows and is frequently featured in the Las Vegas Review Journal. He sits down with Johnny Detroit and goes over some of his personal MLB betting tips.