The Los Angeles Dodgers will send ace starter Clayton Kershaw to the mound on Saturday as they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks to open the 2014 MLB season at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia.
Kershaw went 16-9 with a 1.83 ERA for the Dodgers last season, striking out 232 batters along the way. The D-Backs will counter with Wade Miley on Saturday, with the lefthander posting a 10-10 mark with a 3.55 ERA in 2013.
View Los Angeles Dodgers vs Arizona Diamondbacks Odds and Stats.
The Diamondbacks - Dodgers odds would favor the Dodgers if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Arizona is rated No. 20 in the current Odds Shark poll, while Los Angeles is at No. 17.
Last time out for Los Angeles, they were a 9-0 loser as they battled the Cardinals on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Cardinals at +122 were rewarded, while the 9 combined runs moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Michael Wacha shut down the Dodgers in their last game, striking out 5 in a 9-0 shutout over Los Angeles in baseball action at Busch Stadium.
Arizona won its last outing, a 3-2 result against the Nationals on September 29. Bettors who backed the Diamondbacks at -121 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (5) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. Arizona looks to continue its winning ways following a victory last time out against the Nationals, a 3-2 final on Sunday in support of Wade Miley at Chase Field.
How They Match Up:
On offense, it's a battle between Arizona and its No. 14-rated batting order, averaging 4.23 runs per nine innings, against the No. 17 lineup of the Dodgers at 4 runs per outing.
Defensively, Los Angeles features the No. 4-rated defense on the road, allowing 3.63 runs per game. Arizona, meanwhile, comes in at No. 14 at home, scoring 4.23 runs per game.
A few Dodgers at Diamondbacks trends to consider:
LA Dodgers is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games
LA Dodgers is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 8 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 7 games
Arizona is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 8 games when playing LA Dodgers
Next up:
Los Angeles at Arizona, Saturday, March 22nd
