Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Preview

In a rematch of the 2017 World Series, the Houston Astros (64-42) will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers (64-43) in interleague play. Los Angeles will host this one at Dodger Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 pm ET.

There is obviously a lot of animosities built into this game. Not only did the Astros beat the Dodgers in the 2017 World Series, but hard feelings have only been intensified by the sign-stealing scandal that was associated with the Astros that year.

The Astros currently lead the AL West by 4.5 games over the Oakland A’s. They are in the midst of a tough eight-game road series that saw them take two of three from the Mariners before dropping two out of three to the San Francisco Giants.

Speaking of the Giants, the Dodgers currently trail them by three games in the NL West. After a trade deadline that saw them pick up Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, and Danny Duffy, the Dodgers are still confident they can close the gap.

The Dodgers are the favorites in Tuesday’s contest. They are -162 to win while the Astros’ moneyline sits at +136. The runline features Houston +1.5 (-154), and the over/under for total runs is 7.5.

Pitching Matchup

The Astros will send righty Lance McCullers, Jr. to the mound in this one. On the season, he is 8-2 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and has 115 strikeouts in 97.2 innings pitched. In his last start, he went six innings, allowing four runs and striking out eight in a win over the Seattle Mariners.

The Dodgers will counter with righty Walker Buehler (11-1, 2.19 ERA). Buehler was the winning pitcher in an 8-0 win over the Giants his last time on the mound. In that start, he went seven shutout innings and struck out eight.

By The Number

These are the two best offenses in baseball to this point. The Astros rank first in scoring averaging 5.47 runs per game (5.79 on the road). The Dodgers are second, averaging 5.23 runs per game.

Defensively, it is the Dodgers with the advantage. They rank second in the majors in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 3.69 runs per game (3.49 at home). The Astros rank 10th allowing 4.07 runs per game.

Astros Look To End Road Trip On High Note

3-3 thus far on this eight-game road trip, the Astros would love nothing more than to take both of these games from the Dodgers but would probably be content even with a split. Unfortunately for Houston, they have to face both Walker Buehler and Max Scherzer in this short series.

Leading the way for Houston offensively is second baseman Jose Altuve. On the season, he is hitting .277/.354/.509 with 25 home runs, 65 runs batted in, and 80 runs scored.

Playing in a National League park, it may take one of their best weapons out of the game as designated hitter Yordan Alvarez has only played in the outfield about 20 times this year. Acquired from the Dodgers in a trade for Josh Fields five years ago, Alvarez is currently hitting .281/.349/.510 with 19 home runs and 67 runs batted in for Houston.

Dodgers Look To Get Some Revenge Against Astros

For the first time since the 2017 World Series, the Astros will travel to face the Dodgers with fans in attendance. Expect it to be a raucous environment and look for the Dodgers to try to build on their 33-18 home record.

Max Muncy has led the way for the Dodgers’ offense thus far this season. He is currently hitting .279/.413/.557 with a team-leading 22 home runs. He also has 62 runs batted in and 61 runs scored this year.

Chris Taylor has also been sensational this season, hitting .285/.479/.501 with 17 home runs, 60 runs batted in, and 78 runs scored.

While newcomer Max Scherzer will pitch on Wednesday, the Dodgers still will not have the services of Trea Turner yet as he remains on the COVID-19 list.

Take The Dodgers To Win

This series certainly does not line up well for Houston. Despite enjoying a day off Monday, they are coming off back-to-back losses to the Giants and have to go against two of the best pitchers in the game in Walker Buehler and Max Scherzer.

It is certainly possible that Lance McCullers, Jr. can pitch a gem and give the Astros a chance to win, but the smart money is on the Dodgers to take care of business at home behind Walker Buehler.

Take the Dodgers to win.