The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Chavez Ravine to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in an NL West thriller. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Diamondbacks-Dodgers prediction and pick.

Diamondbacks-Dodgers Projected Starters 

Ryne Nelson vs. Bobby Miller

Ryne Nelson (5-6) with a 5.69 ERA …

Last Start: 3.2 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 3 K's

2024 Road Splits: 33 IP, 2-3, 4.64 ERA

Bobby Miller (1-1) with a 6.75 ERA …

Last Start: 2.0 IP, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

2024 Home Splits: 6.o IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA

Entering play, the reigning NL champions from a year ago have endured a rocky first half of the 2024 season. With only a couple weeks to go until the All-Star Break, the Diamondbacks possess a 41-43 and currently trail the Dodgers for first place in the division by a whopping 10.5 games. Luckily, Arizona is only 2.5 games behind a Wild Card spot and are also tied with LA at three games apiece in the head-to-head season series.

On the other side of things, the Dodgers are once again putting the rest of the MLB on notice. In addition to their commanding division lead out west, Los Angeles has also won five out of their last seven games and have not been defeated in back-to-back games in over a month. With their eyes on the World Series prize for the first time since 2020, there is no question that the Dodgers are clear-cut contenders at this stage of the season.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Diamondbacks-Dodgers Odds

Arizona Diamondbacks: +1.5 (-125)

Moneyline: +168

Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+104)

Moneyline: -200

Over: 9 (-105)

Under: 9 (-115)

How to Watch Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers

Time: 10:10 ET/7:10 PT

TV: MLB.TV

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Diamondbacks Will Cover The Spread/Win

In order to draw first blood in this series, the Diamondbacks will need to play a brand of baseball that is close to perfection. Unfortunately, this has not been the case whatsoever as of late.

At first glance, the best chance that Arizona has at covering the spread will happen to come in the form of an offense that boasts top-ten hitting metrics in most statistical categories. For example, the D-Backs rank within the top ten of the majors in runs scored, batting average, and even on-base percentage. Against a team like the Dodgers who can put up crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the blink of an eye, it will be extremely important for Arizona to string together patient at-bats en route to creating chaos on the base paths.

All in all, be on the lookout for starter Ryne Nelson to bounce back in a big way following his latest performance from the pitching rubber. After getting shelled for ten hits on six earned runs, it will be up to Nelson to get back on track if the Diamondbacks want any chance of covering the spread in a hostile environment.

Why The Dodgers Will Cover The Spread/Win

On paper, the Dodgers are heavy favorites and for a good reason, but they will still need to bring their A-game when it is all said and done.

For starters, the offensive numbers that the Dodgers have put on the table up to this point are outstanding, to say the least. Not only does LA boast enough star power to shine brightly in the nighttime sky throughout their dynamic lineup, but they rank first in on-base percentage, second in on-base plus-slugging, and are third in home runs and RBIs. Pitching-wise, Los Angeles is just as dangerous with a rock-solid 3.37 ERA and a minuscule 1.13 WHIP.

From a sheer talent perspective, it is the Dodgers that have the edge, but this one is going to come down to whether or not Bobby Miller can put his recent struggles aside and instead put forth a tremendous showing as a starter.

If there is going to be an X-Factor in this one, look no further than catcher Will Smith. Over the course of his last five outings at the plate, he is only raking .190 but does happen to be in the middle of a two-game hitting streak. Expect him to have a big day with the bat if the Dodgers are ultimately going to prevail.

Final Diamondbacks-Dodgers Prediction & Pick

With both starting pitchers coming off rough outings, this contest may simply come down to which arm gets in more of a groove beginning in the opening frame. At the end of the day, the Dodgers are the far more reliable team to put money on, and their dominant ways at home should only continue on Tuesday night.

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Final Diamondbacks-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5 (+104)