MLB Betting Picks: Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies
Added on Jun 03, 2012 by Jack Thurman in
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The Los Angeles Dodgers still have the best record in baseball, but they’re heading in the wrong direction. Heading into Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies the Dodgers had a record of 33-20 but they’d lost 7 of their last 10 games. They managed to end a 5 game losing streak on Saturday night in Colorado but they need to start stringing some wins together.
The Phillies, on the other hand, are in last place in the NL East but are showing signs of life having won 6 of their last 10 games. They’ll host the Dodgers on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. Their performance at home has been Philadelphia’s biggest liability this season–following a Sunday loss to Florida the Phillies are 12-15 -10.5 units on their own field. The Dodgers are right around .500 on the road but they’ve been dominant at Chavez Ravine going 21-9 on their home field.
The Phillies’ home record could get worse before it gets better–the pitching matchup for Monday’s game seriously favors the Dodgers. Los Angeles will start talented left hander Clayton Kershaw–Kershaw has a 2.54 ERA on the year and the Dodgers have won 7 of his 11 starts this year. This includes 2 of 3 assignments on the road. That’s bad news for a Philadelphia team that has struggled against lefthanded pitching this year–the Phillies have gone 6-9 against southpaws for a net loss of -5.3 units. The Phillies are averaging only 3.1 runs per game against lefties which should make things easier for a Dodgers team that has struggled at the plate in the absence of injured Matt Kemp.
Philadelphia’s Vance Worley has been competent though far from dominant. Worley has a 3.07 ERA overall but that has ballooned to 4.26 in his last three starts. Kershaw is surprisingly winless against the Phillies in his career (0-5) which includes two losses in 2010 in which he pitched very well. Something just isn’t right with Philadelphia at this point of the season–their starting rotation has started to show some cracks and the offense on which they once relied hasn’t been there either. Worth noting that the Dodgers have beaten up on right handed pitching this year going 22-10 +9.7 units pending the outcome of Sunday’s game. With a solid edge in the pitching matchup we like the Dodgers to pick up a much needed victory here.
Bet Los Angeles Dodgers (Kershaw) -120 over Philadelphia Phillies (Worley)
