The baseball wagering menu sees a clash between Los Angeles and Arizona on Thursday, with the host Dodgers trying to win for themselves and reward bettors who back them on the moneyline.

Ian Kennedy, with a record of 11-11 on the season, gets the ball for the Diamondbacks, while the Dodgers trot Clayton Kershaw to the mound in this one. He is 12-7 so far in 2012.



View Arizona vs LA Dodgers Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to side with the Dodgers in this one will find them as -215 favorites on the MLB money line. Betting the over under instead? It was hovering near 6.5 at its open earlier today.

Power Rankings:
The Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings have the Dodgers at No. 1 in the National League and the Diamondbacks at No. 8 in the National League heading into this contest.



How They Match Up:
Rating these teams in several key categories is important for handicappers and Los Angeles has the National League's No. 12-rated offensive output, at 8.5 hits per game. The Diamondbacks average 8.5 hits per game, good for No. 9 on the National League list.

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Los Angeles has the National League's No. 3-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Diamondbacks own the National League's No. 9 mark in runs allowed.

In their last action, Arizona was a 6-2 loser at home against the Reds. Bettors on Cincinnati at +100 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (8) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. Arizona looks to rebound from a loss to the Reds, who beat them 6-2 on Wednesday behind a start from Mat Latos at Chase Field.

The Dodgers were a 10-8 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against the Rockies. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Los Angeles at -117 on the moneyline, while the total score (18) was good news for OVER bettors. The Dodgers enjoyed a 10-8 victory at the expense of the Rockies on Wednesday, with Joe Blanton throwing 7 1/3 innings of 10-hit ball at Coors Field.


Arizona Diamondbacks Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing LA Dodgers are 5-5
After playing Cincinnati are 3-7
After a loss are 3-7

Los Angeles Dodgers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
Before playing Arizona are 6-4
After playing Colorado are 7-3
After a win are 6-4

A few Diamondbacks at Dodgers trends to consider:
Arizona is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Arizona is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers' last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers' last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona
LA Dodgers are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games
LA Dodgers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home


Next up:
Arizona at LA Dodgers, Friday, August 31