The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers will open up a three-game set on Thursday night. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Dodgers-Brewers prediction and pick.
This series features two first-place teams in their respective divisions. Los Angeles has been fairly inconsistent recently following a scorching start to the new campaign. Milwaukee has been solid of late, winning six of its last nine games coming in. Which team will have the edge in the opener of a possible NLCS preview?
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Dodgers-Brewers odds.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Brewers Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-121)
Milwaukee Brewers +1.5 (+101)
Over 7.5 Runs (-116)
Under 7.5 Runs (-104)
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
The Dodgers have been going through an uncharacteristic slump as they've lost seven of their last 10 games. The Dodgers are down right now following a series defeat against the division rival San Diego Padres over the weekend. They lost in the prior series to the Cincinnati Reds and will now need to defeat the Brewers in a crucial get-right series this weekend. The Dodgers possess the sixth-best offense at 4.95 runs per game. They also enter this game with the third-best team ERA at 3.12. Los Angeles has won six of its last seven games against Milwaukee coming in.
The Dodgers will send out reigning Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer for the opener. In his last start against the Padres, Bauer gave up two earned runs in six innings of work. The newly acquired right-hander is thriving in his new home with a 2.53 ERA to date. Bauer is 3-0 on the season in 32 innings of work. In three career starts against the Brewers, Bauer is 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA.
Why The Brewers Could Cover The Spread
The Brewers have been a resilient bunch as they currently sit atop the NL Central. They have found great success this year despite having to play without Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain for some time now. The lineup is thin without these two key contributors, but the Brewers are still managing to score 4.08 runs per game, which is right around league average. The pitching has really carried this team as the Brewers' 3.46 team ERA is good for seventh in all of baseball. Milwaukee has played well against the NL West this season and will look to gain ground on the NL-leading Dodgers.
Milwaukee will send out Eric Lauer for his first start of the 2021 season. Lauer appeared in just 11 innings last season. He gave up 16 runs and 17 hits in a horrible season for the southpaw. Lauer spent a few years with the Padres earlier in his career, which means that he is very familiar with this Dodgers bunch. Lauer has found great success against Los Angeles, going 5-0 with a 2.11 ERA in seven career starts against the Dodgers.
Final Dodgers-Brewers Prediction & Pick
Despite the recent struggles, it is still clear that the Dodgers are the best team in the league this season. Whenever they send Trevor Bauer out to the mound, the Dodgers have a great shot of winning. Bauer has been dominant this season, allowing two or fewer runs in four consecutive starts. Without Cain and Yelich, it's hard to make a case that Milwaukee will have enough firepower in the lineup to put up much of a fight against the lethal right-hander. I'm confident that the Dodgers' lineup will wake up against a familiar arm, too.
FINAL PICK: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-121)
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