The MLB season is set to continue when the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium in the second game of a three-game series.
The Dodgers have had a fine season so far and come into this game with a record of 59-42, while the Twins are on another rocky patch, and come into the game with a losing 48-52 record for the campaign so far.
We’ll take a look at the match-up and provide you with our best free MLB betting picks as we try to earn you some extra cash while you take in all the action on the field.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers started their season as defending champions with nine wins from their opening ten games, including two wins in the season-opening series in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs. They then lost three in a row to the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals, before racking up another seven wins from their next ten.
They entered May with a 21-10 record after a five-game winning run, and that continued with two more wins over the Atlanta Braves to open the month. But a poor run of form came next as they lost nine of their next 15 games, including a four-game losing streak against the Los Angeles Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Their first series against the Mets came later that month, where they went 1-2 in New York, before winning four of their final five games of the month. June started poorly as they lost seven of their first 12 games of the month. But they bounced back with some great form, winning five in a row, including three straight over the San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers then lost two of their next three before going on another excellent winning run, winning nine of their last ten as they moved into July. But that run was brought to an abrupt end as they lost seven in a row, scoring just 17 runs in those games, including three games each against the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers.
Los Angeles were able to win two in a row before the All-Star Game break, but have lost three out of four games since returning, with their only win coming last night against the Twins.
Minnesota started their season in the worst possible way, as they lost their opening four games of the season, before claiming back-to-back wins over the Chicago White Sox to get off the mark. But that didn’t last long, as they then lost eight of their next 11 games.
The Twins then claimed consecutive wins over the New York Mets, before three straight losses to the Atlanta Braves. However, they bounced back again quickly and won six of their next seven games to end April with a 13-18 record.
May started with two defeats but then Minnesota really found their groove and won 13 straight matches, before a defeat to the Brewers brought that to an end. But they didn’t forget how to win, and won five of their next ten games to finish the month with a record of 31-26.
June saw them win three of their first four games, but they quickly fell off a cliff and struggled with 15 defeats in 18 games to start tumbling down the standings. Two wins over the Seattle Mariners and one win over the Detroit Tigers helped to stem the tide, but the month ended with two more defeats and a record of 40-44.
July saw them find more inconsistency as they went 7-5 before the All-Star Game break, but since returning from that they have gone 1-3 with their only win coming against the Colorado Rockies.
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Unsurprisingly the Dodgers are strong favorites coming into this game, even despite their recent poor form before the All-Star break.
Pitcher Yamamoto will start his 20th game of the season, and he comes into it with an 8-7 record, while holding a 2.59 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 104 1/3 innings pitched.
But the batting is where this game will be won, and it’s no surprise that the Dodgers are flying considering the talent in their roster. Shohei Ohtani is flying once again this season with 35 home runs scored, alongside a .275 avg and 67 RBI. He’s joined by the in-form Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez, who have more than enough firepower to beat any team if they’re on song.
Ohtani is LA’s best batter this season, and when you compare his numbers to Minnesota’s top dog Byron Buxton (23 home runs, .292 avg and 58 RBI), it shows the difference in levels.
At -205 there is enough value there to just back the Dodgers to get the victory on the moneyline, with the handicap of -1.5 also appealing at -110.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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