The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the stretch run to clinch a postseason slot for the 2018 playoffs but will need to go through Zack Greinke and the Arizona Diamondbacks first. The bullpen let the Dodgers down last night in the 4-3 loss and they are clinging to a half-game lead over the Rockies for the NL West crown. Los Angeles will lean on Ross Stripling to bounce back at Chase Field and opened as a -115 favorite to get the W.
- The Dodgers are 10-3 SU and 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games.
- The Diamondbacks are 6-17 SU in 23 games in September.
- The UNDER has hit in 5 of the last 6 games in this matchup.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks Game Center
Breaking Down the Pitching Matchup
Ross Stripling will get the ball for the Dodgers tonight and he’s had a rough go in September after enduring a back injury. Stripling owns a 5.23 ERA in four outings this month and has gotten knocked around for seven hits and five earned runs over his last two appearances that didn’t last more than four innings. He has only faced the Diamondbacks as a starter once this season back in April and got shelled for eight hits and four runs in an 8-5 loss. It does help that the Dodgers are 10-3 SU and 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games and their bullpen ranks second in ERA (2.62) over the last 30 days so he may only go five innings and let the relievers do their work.
As for the Diamondbacks, they’ll send Zack Greinke out to the mound in what is expected to be his last start of the season. Greinke owns a 4.12 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers this season and sports a 3.83 ERA against them in 14 career starts. The righty has not been as reliable in September as he was earlier in the season as he owns a 4.91 ERA in four starts this month, with the D-backs going 1-3 SU and ATS in those games.
Diamondbacks are Dead in the Water
When the calendar turned over to September, the Diamondbacks were leading the NL West Division and seemed like they had a great chance to lock up the division. Fast-forward to today and the D-backs are eight games back of the Dodgers and were eliminated from the postseason after going 6-17 SU in 23 games this month. The ’Zona offense is stagnant, to say the least, ranking 25th in homers and 29th in runs, while the bullpen ERA is 28th this month. I know Greinke is pitching but Arizona looks to be in fade territory.
UNDER Bettors Cashing In When These Teams Clash
The total opened at 7.5 and trends are pointing to another UNDER between these divisional rivals. The UNDER has hit in five of the last six games in this matchup with an average combined score of 6.1 runs per game. When you factor in the Diamondbacks’ hitting woes and the fact that the UNDER has hit in 15 of their last 19 games vs divisional opponents, it’s shaping up to be a snoozefest in the desert.
My pick is…
To take the Dodgers -1.5 runline. Los Angeles looks to be on a mission and over the last 30 days has the best offense (1st in homers and batting average and fifth in RBIs) and Arizona can’t seem to score. The Diamondbacks have the look of a team counting down the days till the season is over so I can’t endorse them on any level at this stage.
