MLB Odds: Streaking Reds Head To Los Angeles
A six-game winning streak has pushed the Cincinnati Reds out to a 3½-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central as Dusty Baker's squad arrives in Los Angeles to battle the Dodgers.
If there’s a team to fade right now in your late season baseball betting, it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers. Talk about a club that has nothing left for which to play this season.
The Dodgers came into 2010 with high expectations after cashing the National League West in each of the last two years. Los Angeles wasn’t able to make any big ticket moves in the offseason because of owner Frank McCourt’s messy divorce, but it was the favorite in the division nonetheless.
Thing is, on July 1, the Dodgers were in pretty good shape, even if I predicted their demise in the competitive NL West. At that point, L.A. was tied for the NL Wild Card only two games behind first-place San Diego.
Since then, the Dodgers have won only 19 of 44 ballgames against the money line, good for .419 baseball in a division in which they can ill afford to play at .500 for any stretch.
The Los Angeles Dodgers sit at 62-60 SU (-8.86 units), 12 games back of the Padres with the Cincinnati Reds (70-51 SU, +17.27 units) coming to Dodger Stadium for a three-game series beginning on Friday night.
It’s only going to get worse before it gets better. The Dodgers play 27 of their last 40 games against playoff contenders, and it starts this weekend with the NL Central-leading Reds.
Los Angeles is 13-19 this season without the services of Manny Ramirez, who remains on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain. Also out of the lineup for the Dodgers are leadoff man Rafael Furcal (lower back tightness) and catcher Russell Martin (hip labrum tear).
Ranked 26th in MLB with 84 home runs this season, the Dodgers have stayed afloat over the last two months because of their pitching staff, but even their arms are letting them down lately. L.A.’s bullpen has an 8.14 ERA over its last 10 games.
All of this is good news for the Reds, who should take two of three from the failing Dodgers this weekend. Cincinnati is the second-most profitable club this season on the road (34-25 SU, +11.69 units), and is third on the baseball betting odds board against the runline (68-53, +17.83 units).
Cincinnati has used a recent hot streak to stake a three-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central. The Reds have cashed six straight and 15 of their last 20 games against the money line.
NL MVP hopeful Joey Votto is dealing with a back issue, but is expected to be in the lineup this weekend. Orlando Cabrera (strained left oblique) is on the 15-day DL.
Homer Bailey (2-2, 4.92 ERA) throws for Cincinnati in Friday night’s opener (10:10 p.m. ET), and he’s been a better pitcher lately than his overall numbers indicate. The 24-year-old righthander tossed six scoreless innings to get the win in the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Florida on Sunday, and has a 2.93 ERA in his last three starts.
Johnny Cueto (11-3, 3.38 ERA) returns from his seven-game suspension for his involvement in a brawl with St. Louis last week to start for Cincinnati on Saturday night (10:10 p.m. ET).
Cueto has certainly enjoyed taking the ball away from hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park: He’s got a 2.69 ERA on the road this season, during which the Reds are 8-4 against the money line.
Cincy turns to Bronson Arroyo (13-7, 3.87 ERA) for Sunday afternoon’s series finale (4:10 p.m. ET). Arroyo has a 1.29 ERA against Los Angeles this season, and like Bailey, has been solid with a 2.79 ERA over his last three outings.
The Dodgers had yet to announce their starters for the series as of press, but expect them to go with Vicente Padilla (6-4, 3.96 ERA), Chad Billingsley (9-7, 3.66 ERA), and Clayton Kershaw (11-7, 3.03 ERA).
This is the only meeting between the teams at Dodger Stadium this season. The clubs have split six games at Great American Ball Park, with Los Angeles taking two of three in the previous meeting in June.
A six-game winning streak has pushed the Cincinnati Reds out to a 3½-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central as Dusty Baker's squad arrives in Los Angeles to battle the Dodgers.
If there’s a team to fade right now in your late season baseball betting, it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers. Talk about a club that has nothing left for which to play this season.
The Dodgers came into 2010 with high expectations after cashing the National League West in each of the last two years. Los Angeles wasn’t able to make any big ticket moves in the offseason because of owner Frank McCourt’s messy divorce, but it was the favorite in the division nonetheless.
Thing is, on July 1, the Dodgers were in pretty good shape, even if I predicted their demise in the competitive NL West. At that point, L.A. was tied for the NL Wild Card only two games behind first-place San Diego.
Since then, the Dodgers have won only 19 of 44 ballgames against the money line, good for .419 baseball in a division in which they can ill afford to play at .500 for any stretch.
The Los Angeles Dodgers sit at 62-60 SU (-8.86 units), 12 games back of the Padres with the Cincinnati Reds (70-51 SU, +17.27 units) coming to Dodger Stadium for a three-game series beginning on Friday night.
It’s only going to get worse before it gets better. The Dodgers play 27 of their last 40 games against playoff contenders, and it starts this weekend with the NL Central-leading Reds.
Los Angeles is 13-19 this season without the services of Manny Ramirez, who remains on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain. Also out of the lineup for the Dodgers are leadoff man Rafael Furcal (lower back tightness) and catcher Russell Martin (hip labrum tear).
Ranked 26th in MLB with 84 home runs this season, the Dodgers have stayed afloat over the last two months because of their pitching staff, but even their arms are letting them down lately. L.A.’s bullpen has an 8.14 ERA over its last 10 games.
All of this is good news for the Reds, who should take two of three from the failing Dodgers this weekend. Cincinnati is the second-most profitable club this season on the road (34-25 SU, +11.69 units), and is third on the baseball betting odds board against the runline (68-53, +17.83 units).
Cincinnati has used a recent hot streak to stake a three-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central. The Reds have cashed six straight and 15 of their last 20 games against the money line.
NL MVP hopeful Joey Votto is dealing with a back issue, but is expected to be in the lineup this weekend. Orlando Cabrera (strained left oblique) is on the 15-day DL.
Homer Bailey (2-2, 4.92 ERA) throws for Cincinnati in Friday night’s opener (10:10 p.m. ET), and he’s been a better pitcher lately than his overall numbers indicate. The 24-year-old righthander tossed six scoreless innings to get the win in the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Florida on Sunday, and has a 2.93 ERA in his last three starts.
Johnny Cueto (11-3, 3.38 ERA) returns from his seven-game suspension for his involvement in a brawl with St. Louis last week to start for Cincinnati on Saturday night (10:10 p.m. ET).
Cueto has certainly enjoyed taking the ball away from hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park: He’s got a 2.69 ERA on the road this season, during which the Reds are 8-4 against the money line.
Cincy turns to Bronson Arroyo (13-7, 3.87 ERA) for Sunday afternoon’s series finale (4:10 p.m. ET). Arroyo has a 1.29 ERA against Los Angeles this season, and like Bailey, has been solid with a 2.79 ERA over his last three outings.
The Dodgers had yet to announce their starters for the series as of press, but expect them to go with Vicente Padilla (6-4, 3.96 ERA), Chad Billingsley (9-7, 3.66 ERA), and Clayton Kershaw (11-7, 3.03 ERA).
This is the only meeting between the teams at Dodger Stadium this season. The clubs have split six games at Great American Ball Park, with Los Angeles taking two of three in the previous meeting in June.
