The Oakland Athletics take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Our MLB odds series has our Athletics Dodgers prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Athletics Dodgers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have pounded the Oakland Athletics in the first two games of this series. They have scored a combined total of 17 runs, putting up seven on Tuesday and 10 on Wednesday in a pair of comfortable victories. The Dodgers are trying to fend off the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. The Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday afternoon to move within two games of Los Angeles in the division race. The Giants have pushed the D-Backs six games behind the Dodgers, so the chase for the N.L. West crown seems to be a two-team race rather than the three-team scramble it appeared to be a week ago.

The Dodgers' schedule will involve some very tough battles later this month. Los Angeles will face the Diamondbacks, the Boston Red Sox, and the Atlanta Braves in the next four weeks. That means the Dodgers better take advantage of soft spots in the schedule such as this one. Los Angeles lost a series to the Kansas City Royals earlier this season. To compensate for that failure, the Dodgers really do need to sweep the A's and solidify their division advantage.

Here are the Athletics-Dodgers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Athletics-Dodgers Odds

Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (+114)

Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-137)

Over: 8.5 (-122)

Under: 8.5 (+100)

How To Watch Athletics vs. Dodgers

TV: NBC Sports California (Athletics) / SportsNet LA (Dodgers) / MLB Extra Innings

Stream: MLB.tv

Time: 10:10 p.m. ET/7:10 p.m. PT

*Watch Athletics-Dodgers LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread

The Dodgers are sending Julio Urias to the mound. Urias is normally a very good pitcher, but this year he hasn't been able to find a consistent formula. Urias carries a bloated ERA of 4.98. He hasn't been able to put away hitters with the consistency he used to produce. Urias is allowing a lot of hard contact and is giving up early-game runs which put the Dodgers in a spot of difficulty. The A's aren't a good team, but they did hit three home runs off Dodger starter Lance Lynn on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. They can certainly mash against Urias if the lefty is not on his game, which has been a normal occurrence for him in 2023.

Dodger pitching has been ravaged by injuries this year. Not having Walker Buehler has hurt this rotation. Tyler Anderson, who now plays with the Angels, is sorely missed. Tony Gonsolin has not looked nearly the same as he did before his own injury. The bullpen has been shaky. The A's can feast on Los Angeles pitching.

Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread

The Dodgers have shredded the A's in the first two games of the series. The biggest thing to emphasize with the Dodgers is that when Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are hitting well, this team is very tough to beat. Betts and Freeman have both clubbed the ball in this series. As long as that continues, the Dodgers are going to put pressure on a weak Oakland pitching staff and eventually wear the A's down. Even if the game is tied through five innings, the Dodgers' depth and quality can create a bunch of late-inning runs and cover the spread.

Final Athletics-Dodgers Prediction & Pick

The Dodgers are a lot better than the A's. That's all you need to know.

Final Athletics-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5