Arizona (79-58) at LA Dodgers (92-44)
When: Monday, September 4th 2017
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Time: 8:10 ET | TV: MLB Network
Opening Odds: Los Angeles -154/7.5
Open an Account at Bovada Sportsbook Now! Sign up at Bovada.lv to get a $250 Signup Bonus to bet MLB Baseball odds and props!
With the ‘official’ end of summer coming today – Labor Day – we have a full slate of great MLB action, but the schedule makers saved the best for last as the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers host the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game set on Monday. The Dodgers are glad to be home after a rough road trip that saw them get swept by Arizona last week, then drop three of four in San Diego over the weekend. L.A. still own a major league-best record of 92-44 but are mired in their worst slump of the season – losing eight of their last nine overall. The Dodgers have won 31 of their last 37 at home and hope to get back on track. Cody Bellinger provided the lone bright spot by breaking the Dodgers’ rookie record with his 36th home run in Sunday’s 6-4 loss. Los Angeles starting pitchers have posted a 7.65 ERA over their last nine games and the trio of Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda allowed 19 runs over 10.2 innings during the Diamondbacks’ three-game sweep last week. With his team holding a comfortable 6.5-game lead over Colorado for the top NL wild-card spot, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo began giving his starters some much-needed rest over the weekend. Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock and J.D. Martinez were held out of the starting lineup in Sunday’s 5-1 win over Colorado, and left-handed hitters David Peralta and Jake Lamb could take a seat for Monday’s series opener. Goldschmidt is a career .325 hitter with 14 home runs and 38 RBIs in 52 games at Dodger Stadium.
Pitchers: Diamondbacks – Robbie Ray (11-5, 2.97 ERA) | Dodgers – Rich Hill (9-6, 3.71)
Robbie Ray was on the winning side last Wednesday against the Dodgers, allowing one run in 6.2 innings while striking out 10. Ray is having a break-out season and has been terrific on the road, posting a 6-1 record and 1.49 ERA. Justin Turner is 4-for-21 against Ray, who has gone 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts versus Los Angeles this season and owns a 2.19 ERA in six career outings at Dodger Stadium.
In his first start since suffering a horrific loss in Pittsburgh when he didn’t allow a hit through nine innings, Rich Hill was smoked for six runs and a season-high eight hits over 3.2 innings in Tuesday’s 7-6 loss at Arizona. Hill was 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA in five July starts but was 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA in August. He has a 1-4 record and 5.02 ERA in eight career starts against Arizona, recording 40 strikeouts against 13 walks in 43 innings.
[ad id=’36449′]
You have to go with the hotter team here even thought he Dodgers are great at home. Oddsmakers are still underestimating Ray. Arizona’s offense and pitching are clicking right now and I see them winning the opener here. This should be a terrific game and a potential playoff preview come October. Most people will probably be tuned into the Tennessee/Georgia Tech game, but I’m more interested in this contest.
Pick: Diamondbacks +137
BETTING TRENDS:
- Diamondbacks are 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Diamondbacks are 8-0 in their last 8 vs. National League West.
- Diamondbacks are 7-0 in their last 7 games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Diamondbacks are 4-0 in their last 4 during game 1 of a series.
- Diamondbacks are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Diamondbacks are 4-0 in their last 4 Monday games.
- Diamondbacks are 11-1 in their last 12 overall.
- Diamondbacks are 11-1 in their last 12 games on grass.
- Diamondbacks are 5-1 in their last 6 road games.
- Diamondbacks are 17-45 in their last 62 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Diamondbacks are 6-2 in Ray’s last 8 road starts.
- Diamondbacks are 6-2 in Ray’s last 8 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Diamondbacks are 9-3 in Ray’s last 12 starts vs. National League West.
- Diamondbacks are 10-4 in Ray’s last 14 starts.
- Diamondbacks are 10-4 in Ray’s last 14 starts on grass.
- Diamondbacks are 3-10 in Ray’s last 13 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Dodgers are 26-6 in their last 32 games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Dodgers are 42-10 in their last 52 home games.
- Dodgers are 23-6 in their last 29 during game 1 of a series.
- Dodgers are 41-11 in their last 52 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Dodgers are 21-6 in their last 27 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Dodgers are 57-18 in their last 75 overall.
- Dodgers are 57-18 in their last 75 games on grass.
- Dodgers are 45-22 in their last 67 home games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Dodgers are 1-5 in their last 6 vs. National League West.
- Dodgers are 0-5 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Dodgers are 5-2 in Hill’s last 7 home starts.
- Dodgers are 7-3 in Hill’s last 10 starts.
- Dodgers are 7-3 in Hill’s last 10 starts on grass.
- Over is 5-1 in Diamondbacks last 6 overall.
- Over is 5-1 in Diamondbacks last 6 on grass.
- Under is 5-1 in Diamondbacks last 6 Monday games.
- Over is 5-1 in Diamondbacks last 6 vs. National League West.
- Over is 5-1 in Diamondbacks last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 4-1 in Diamondbacks last 5 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Over is 4-0-1 in Ray’s last 5 starts vs. National League West.
- Under is 4-1 in Ray’s last 5 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Under is 8-2 in Ray’s last 10 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 10-3-1 in Ray’s last 14 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Over is 3-1-2 in Ray’s last 6 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Ray’s last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 14-6-1 in Ray’s last 21 road starts.
- Over is 7-1 in Dodgers last 8 vs. National League West.
- Over is 5-1 in Dodgers last 6 overall.
- Over is 5-1 in Dodgers last 6 on grass.
- Under is 4-1 in Dodgers last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Under is 4-1 in Dodgers last 5 home games.
- Over is 4-1 in Dodgers last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Under is 22-7-1 in Dodgers last 30 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 7-3 in Dodgers last 10 during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 6-1 in Hill’s last 7 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 5-1 in Hill’s last 6 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1 in Hill’s last 5 home starts.
- Under is 9-3-1 in Hill’s last 13 starts vs. National League West.
- Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
- Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Los Angeles.
- Diamondbacks are 4-1 in Ray’s last 5 starts vs. Dodgers.
- Over is 4-1 in Ray’s last 5 starts vs. Dodgers.
- Diamondbacks are 7-27 in the last 34 meetings in Los Angeles.
