Los Angeles isn’t exactly looking like a baseball town at the moment, as the Dodgers host the Angels for a two-game Freeway Series. Both teams will look to turn things around, as the two sides have combined for six wins in their last 20 games.
Once thought of as a heavy World Series favorite, the Dodgers have hit a rough patch in recent weeks. This series provides plenty of opportunities for them to regain their confidence, however.
Dodgers vs. Angels picks (10:10 PM ET, TBS)
Tony Gonsolin OVER 6.5 strikeouts (+105 on BetMGM)
When Tony Gonsolin takes the hill for the Dodgers, things tend to go very well for them. He is 7-0 this year with a 1.58 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. If you take off the silly qualifier of a pitcher needing to have thrown one inning pitched per team game on the season, then Gonsolin would rank second in the MLB in ERA.
At home, Gonsolin has been downright nasty. He’s pitched five home games, logging four wins and 22 strikeouts in 27.0 innings of work.
He started the year not making it very far into games and not factoring into the decisions, but as the calendar turned to May, his performance improved dramatically. Gonsolin has won seven of his last eight appearances while pitching exactly 6.0 innings in five straight.
Tony Gonsolin throws a pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Getty ImagesGonsolin has struck out at least five batters in eight straight games, and has struck out seven in three of his last five. The Angels have struck out the second-most of any team this season, giving Gonsolin plenty of value at plus odds to continue his recent domination.
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Dodgers alternate spread -1.5 (+105 on BetMGM)
Why not ride the same narrative as above — Gonsolin is on fire, and should be expected to continue to do so. Even though the Dodgers have been struggling as of late, the Angels provide a great opportunity to turn back toward their winning ways.
This is a team that is capable of putting up a ton of offense. The Dodgers have scored 309 runs so far this year, second only to the Mets. Their OPS of .751 is good for third-best. The top of their lineup, anchored by Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Trea Turner, is about as good as it gets.
Facing off with Noah Syndergaard, there’s every reason to believe that the Dodgers offense can erupt tonight. Away from his home stadium, Syndergaard is 1-3 with a 7.88 ERA and only eight strikeouts while only making it through 16.0 IP in four outings.
I might even juice this bet up to Dodgers -2.5 at +165 if I’m feeling saucy.
