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It's time to continue our MLB odds series with an Orioles-Dodgers prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Orioles Dodgers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have seemingly stopped the bleeding. They were playing bad baseball for several weeks, allowing the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres to get uncomfortably close in the National League West race. The Dodgers' lead shrank to two games not that long ago. Los Angeles had to do some work to restore its position. While the Dodgers haven't opened up a large lead, they have kept Arizona and San Diego at arm's length, moving to three games ahead of the Diamondbacks and four ahead of the Padres. The main reason the Dodgers have stabilized is that they have gotten Max Muncy and Mookie Betts back. They were out for an extended period of time, and even a lineup with Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman is going to be more limited if Muncy and Mookie are out. Pitching staffs can pitch around Ohtani and Freeman and take their chances with other Dodger hitters. Now, with Muncy and Betts back in the batting order, it's harder to pitch around any of the Dodgers' top four hitters. There is more traffic on the bases and more chances for Los Angeles to score. Los Angeles has looked a lot more like the first-place team we have seen the past few seasons since the lineup regained two of its main thumpers.
Now comes a challenge from an American League pennant contender, the Baltimore Orioles. The area where the O's and Dodgers can really relate to each other is that both teams have been ripped apart by injuries to their starting pitching rotations. Baltimore and LA have had to use emergency stopgap measures to fill in for injured pitchers and create a patchwork rotation. The hope for both teams is that their rotations will be whole — or close to it — in time for October. Meanwhile, both teams are trying to win tough division races, the key difference being that the O's trail the New York Yankees in the AL East while the Dodgers have a small cushion in the NL West. Buckle up for what should be a delicious late-August series.
Orioles-Dodgers Projected Starters
Cole Irvin vs. Jack Flaherty
Cole Irvin (6-5) has a 4.82 ERA. The Orioles need innings from their back-end rotation starters. Irvin has done a decent job in that regard. He didn't get out of the fifth inning, however, in his most recent start. Baltimore could really use a five- or 5 1/3-inning performance against the Dodgers, but this will be a tall task against a healthier Los Angeles batting order.
Last Start: Wednesday, August 21 versus the New York Mets: 4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 2 K
2024 Road Splits: 6 starts, 41 IP, 42 H, 25 R, 7 HR, 12 BB, 26 K
Jack Flaherty (10-5) has a 3.00 ERA. He is going to be a key piece of the Dodgers' plans in October. This game could provide a good measuring stick for what to expect from Flaherty against quality opposition when the postseason rolls around. Gavin Stone gave the Dodgers a terrific outing on Sunday in a 3-1 win over the Rays. If Flaherty can do something similar on Tuesday, the Dodger bullpen could begin to get more rest and find a strong finishing kick in September.
Last Start: Wednesday, August 21 versus the Seattle Mariners: 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 HR, 1 BB, 5 K
2024 Home Splits: 9 starts, 55 IP, 52 H, 23 R, 9 HR, 11 BB, 70 K
Here are the Orioles-Dodgers MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Orioles-Dodgers Odds
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-137)
Moneyline: +160
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+114)
Moneyline: -190
Over: 9 (-105)
Under: 9 (-115)
How to Watch Orioles vs Dodgers
Time: 10:10 p.m. ET/7:10 p.m. PT
TV: MASN (Orioles) / SportsNet LA (Dodgers) / ESPN Plus, MLB Extra Innings
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Orioles Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Orioles just played a tough four-game series against the Houston Astros which felt like October. That test should have the O's battle-hardened for this series against the Dodgers, whose recent series versus the Rays did not offer the same test Baltimore just faced. The O's are going to be sharper and better than LA in this game.
Why The Dodgers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Dodgers have a clear-cut pitching edge with Flaherty being far superior to Irvin.
Final Orioles-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
The Dodgers have the bats. Here, they have the pitching advantage, too. Take LA.
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Final Orioles-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5
