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The Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. Our MLB odds series has our Dodgers Diamondbacks prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Dodgers Diamondbacks.
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night, a result which was very much in line with how these teams' seasons have unfolded in the middle of the summer.
When these teams met in April, Arizona won five of eight games and began to believe it could be a factor in the National League West. Through the All-Star break, the Diamondbacks looked like a real contender. They were 52-39 heading into the break. They exceeded all expectations for the season. They outplayed the Dodgers head to head, and they looked like a better team than the Dodgers for much of the first half of the season.
Then came the post-All-Star break portion of the MLB campaign, the midsummer “dog days” when we learn which teams are for real and which ones are pretenders. The Diamondbacks have been exposed as a pretender. They are 5-18 since the break, while the Dodgers have moved well in front of Arizona and have carved out a four-game lead over the second-place San Francisco Giants, with the San Diego Padres being under .500 and at the fringes of the wild card race. That's where the D-Backs are. They're 57-57 after their calamitous collapse. There are still 48 games left in the season, but this youthful Arizona team will have a very hard time picking itself off the canvas and playing well enough to earn a playoff spot. The third wild card team in the National League will probably need at least 85 wins to make the playoffs or at least have a good chance. Arizona will therefore need to go 28-20 in its remaining 48 games. That's certainly possible, but it would require a substantial turnaround for this team after the past 23 games.
Here are the Dodgers-Diamondbacks MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Diamondbacks Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+118)
Arizona Diamondbacks: +1.5 (-142)
Over: 9 (-120)
Under: 9 (-102)
How To Watch Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks
TV: SportsNet LA (Dodgers) / MLB (Diamondbacks) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Article Continues Below
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET/6:40 p.m. PT
*Watch Dodgers-Diamondbacks LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
The performance of the Dodgers has been up and down, but recently, it has been trending in the right direction. The Dodgers have won seven of eight games, and when they thrive, everyone knows why: Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman crush the baseball. They banged out several hits and were hugely productive. It's hard to find too many Dodger games this year in which the Los Angeles offense plays well and Betts or Freeman (at least one of them) are not significantly involved. J.D. Martinez had some excellent games and carried the team at times, but he is injured right now. Betts and Freeman have been absolutely outstanding for the Dodgers in 2023, and when they're not, there's no really good reason to bet against Los Angeles.
Why The Diamondbacks Could Cover The Spread
The Diamondbacks know they need to turn their season around if they want to get back into the National League wild card race. Urgency and motivation are good reasons to pick Arizona. Also consider the simple reality that Arizona has lost seven in a row. In baseball, streaks end. In a 162-game season, great teams will lose and bad teams will win. The Texas Rangers just did get shut out by the Oakland A's on Wednesday. It doesn't mean they're a bad team or that the A's are good. It's one game out of 162. The Rangers won the series in Oakland but had a clunker. Arizona is bound to play a good game at some point. It's the way baseball goes.
Final Dodgers-Diamondbacks Prediction & Pick
The Dodgers are the better team, but the D-Backs are in must-win mode. Stay away from this game, even though the Dodgers are hot and the D-Backs are not.
Final Dodgers-Diamondbacks Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5
