MLB Baseball Betting: Los Angeles Dodgers at Pittsburgh Pirates
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past week or so and on Friday they try to keep their momentum going as they begin a weekend series against a team that has most decidedly *not* been one of baseball’s hottest teams. In fact, given the talent that the Pittsburgh Pirates have on hand they may be baseball’s ‘coldest’ team. But let’s talk about the Dodgers first. Los Angeles is now just six games back of the San Francisco Giants who have been *the* hottest team in baseball of late. The Giants have won 9 of 10 and are 14-6 in the month of June. Despite the blistering fractions set by San Francisco the Dodgers have managed to keep pace. They’re 13-8 in the month of June and have won six straight and eight of ten.
The Pirates are rapidly approaching ‘grease fire’ status. They’ve lost three straight and eight of their last ten. They’re a downright brutal 5-17 -13.4 units in the month of June. They’re now 34-39 on the season and are just 1.5 games ahead of the fourth place Milwaukee Brewers and just 5.5 ahead of the last place Cincinnati Reds. They’re five games back of the second place St. Louis Cardinals after being ‘neck and neck’ with St. Louis for most of the season.
The Dodgers will start Nick Tepesch, formerly of the Texas Rangers who has been playing for Oklahoma City in Triple A this season. Tepesch has pitched well in the minors and will replace Mike Bolsinger in the rotation. Tepesch has no Major League action this season. Pittsburgh will counter with Jameson Taillon, a righthander that has started three games this season with mediocre results at best. The Pirates have a 1-2 record in Taillon’s starts and he’s put up a 3.50 ERA overall. The Bucs are 0-1 at home and Taillon has a 4.50 ERA.
The Dodgers are just a .500 team on the road this season but it’s going to take a lot more than that to justify a play on Pittsburgh. The pitching matchup looks like a ‘wash’ and with the Dodgers’ torrid form and the Pirates’ dismal form there’s only one way to play this.
BET LOS ANGELES DODGERS +120 OVER PITTSBURGH PIRATES
