Diamondbacks are Underdogs But Look for Series Sweep in LA
Who: Arizona Diamondbacks v. Los Angeles Dodgers
When: Wednesday September 6th, 2017 10:10PM EST
Where: Dodger Stadium—Los Angeles, California
The Dodgers, though still considered to be perhaps the best team in all of MLB, are struggling currently. In fact, heading into Wednesday night, the Dodgers are on a 5-game losing streak and run the risk of being swept by their division rivals, the Arizona Diamondbacks. While the current 5-game losing streak is concerning, the fact that the Dodgers have lost 10 of their last 11 is downright scary for Dodgers fans. At a time when a team is expected to be playing their best ball, Los Angeles is doing anything but that.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers came close to breaking their streak, but it was not to be as the Diamondbacks took a 3-1 win in 10 innings. The D-Backs will look to build off this victory as they aim for their 13th consecutive victory and a series sweep on Wednesday night. Arizona may still be more than 10 games back of the Dodgers in the division, but they have surged to open up a 6.5 game lead atop the NL Wild Card.
What has really been powering the Diamondbacks through this streak is an offensive output that has been above average, to say the least. Through 2 games in their series with the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks have scored 16 runs, averaging 8 per game. If you add to this the solid pitching that has been a pleasant surprise for the D-Backs coaching staff, you have yourself one of the hottest teams in baseball at the present moment in time.
Whether or not they close out the series sweep is inconsequential, really, because they have already won enough games in a row to convince just about everyone that they are, in fact, the real deal.
Game Overview and Analysis
When the visiting Diamondbacks (+145) take the field on Wednesday, they will send Taijuan Walker 8-7 3.42 ERA) to the mound. Taijuan, like most D-Backs pitchers, has not had a stellar season, but has more than held his own. His form, much like that of his team’s, will be as good as it has been this season entering his start on Wednesday. He has won each of his last 2 starts, and during those starts he has given up a total of just 1 earned run through more than 11 innings pitched. Of course, facing off against the Dodgers is going to be a bit more difficult than the Giants or Rockies, but if his offense can provide him some support I do not dislike his odds.
As for the Diamondbacks’ offense, there is not much we can say that has not already been said. They have been hitting the cover off of the ball recently, and that should bode well through the last 3 or so weeks of the season. In the opinion of many, their hitting has done enough to get them into a position that makes them just about a shoe-in for the post-season. As was mentioned before, there are still 3 weeks to play, but it would take a massive collapse for the D-Backs to be thrown out of a playoff position.
As for the Dodgers (-170), the alarms are not exactly ringing, but people are growing concerned as each and every day passes. Starting for Los Angeles on Wednesday will be Kenta Maeda (12-6 4.19 ERA). If there is someone who is capable of getting the Dodgers off this losing streak, Maeda seems to fit the bill. Though he has gone only 2-2 in his last 4 starts, he is capable of putting forward a solid performance. Of course, there will be some lingering concerns considering that Maeda gave up a whopping 7 earned runs in just 3 innings of work in his last outing.
To make what can be a long story short, the Dodgers need their bats to come through. Through most of the season, the Dodgers’ prolific offense has helped them surge close to 100 wins. Unfortunately, the last 2 weeks have brought about an incompetent Dodgers’ offense that we thought did not exist. Though a sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks is not the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination, it would be a bit of a confidence-booster for them to close out the series with a win.
Betting Prediction
Despite their underdog status according to Bovada, I think the moneyline you have to go with in this one is the Diamondbacks (+145). I like the value in a bet on the D-Backs, and in addition to that Maeda is coming off one of his worst performances of the year. I do not think it is a guarantee that the D-Backs will win, I like their chances.
As for the over/under, it is currently listed by Bovada at 8.5 runs (EVEN/-120). I am going to take a risk and say that you should take the over (EVEN) in this one. My reasoning for this is due to the fact that, in all actuality, both of these teams have solid offenses. If they have even average nights, this game has a good chance of going over.