Astros vs. Dodgers MLB Preview and Best Bet

The team with the best run differential in the American League meets the team with the best differential in the National League as the Houston Astros finally hear it from a stadium full of Los Angeles Dodgers fans.

Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Wednesday, August 04, 2021 – 09:40 PM EDT at Dodger Stadium

The Houston Astros finally face an angry crowd of Los Angeles Dodgers fans as the two teams play a rematch of the 2017 World Series in L.A. with a quick two-game midweek series. The Dodgers and Astros played last season, but stadiums were virtually empty due to the pandemic.

The crowd vented its anger at Houston for the sign stealing scandal that tainted their win over Los Angeles in the Series. But the Astros were able to silence the crowd, shutting out the Dodgers in a 3-0 win in the opener. The Dodgers look to even things up, while Houston tries to finish off the mini-sweep on Wednesday night. Take it into consideration for your MLB picks.

In addition to the emotion and drama of the matchup, the series also features the teams with the two best run differentials in Major League Baseball. Despite being in second place in the National League West, the Dodgers have an MLB best plus 162 differential, while the Astros lead the American League at plus 152. The series could be a preview of a World Series rematch as the Dodgers try to run down the Giants to take the NL West.

Playoff Crowd

The Astros used a 9-4 run to put some distance between themselves and their American League West challengers. Houston enters play up five and a half games in the West and has led by as much as six. The win over the Dodgers in the opener snapped a two-game mini losing streak in San Francisco. Houston heads home after wrapping up business in L.A. to face the Twins and Rockies and will have 13 straight games against teams with losing records following Wednesday’s game in Los Angeles.

Houston, who has been razzed on the road all season as fans return to ballparks and finally get to share their feelings on the cheating scandal, didn’t appear phased by the loud Dodger Stadium crowd, which kept its intensity up through the early innings.

Manager Dusty Baker called it a “playoff atmosphere” and said he’d have enjoyed playing in the game during his days as an outfielder. Pitcher Lance McCullers, one of five current Astros on the sign-stealing team in 2017, said, “I liked it. I enjoyed it.” Jake Odorizzi, who was not on that team, will take the mound to try to get Houston the series sweep. The righthander is 4-5 wit ha 4.30 ERA on the year. He hasn’t completed the sixth inning in any of his last three starts.

On a Treadmill

Most observers believe that the Dodgers, the defending World Champions, will catch the Giants in the NL West before the end of the season. But it hasn’t happened yet, and, in fact, Los Angeles opens play Wednesday three and a half games back, matching its largest deficit in the division since the last week of June. Take it into consideration for your MLB odds.

The Dodgers were shut out on Tuesday, the second time in five games the team’s batters have been blanked. Los Angeles has also been held to one run twice in the last nine games. Cody Bellinger, a former MVP, has been emblematic of the team’s struggles. He’s been on and off the injury list several times this season and finished Tuesday’s play with a .165 average, the worst among any MLB regular this season.

The Dodgers have plenty of stars and award winners on the roster, but it hasn’t translated in a dominant performance. Trade deadline pickup Max Scherzer starts Wednesday’s game and will become the 16th former All-Star to play for Los Angeles this year. Fellow deadline pickup Trea Turner, currently on the COVID list, will become No. 17 when he’s activated, the most All-Stars the Dodgers have fielded since 1941. He’ll also be the fourth former Cy Young winner to pitch for the team.

Scherzer is 8-4 with a 2.76 ERA and, along with Turner, who was acquired in the same trade, gave the Dodgers a resounding win at the trade deadline as they picked up arguably the best pitcher and best position player available.

The Pick

Scherzer has been a big game pitcher throughout his career and gets the chance in his debut with the team to do exactly what the Dodgers acquired him to do—stop a slump and get the team going in the right direction. He’s an expensive pick, but it’s the right call. For your best bet, look for Scherzer to be the stopper once again.

MLB Pick: Dodgers (-215) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)

Dodgers(-215)

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*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.

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