Wrap up an exciting Opening Day of baseball Thursday with a NL West showdown between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles will host this one at Dodger Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 pm ET.
The Dodgers are the favorites in this one playing at home. They are -184 to win, while the Diamondbacks’ moneyline sits at +154. The runline features Arizona at +1.5 (-142), and the over/under for total runs is 7.5.
Youth Movement In Arizona
While they aren’t expected to compete in the NL West, the Arizona Diamondbacks might surprise a lot of teams this year as they will boast a core of young players with bright futures. Diamondbacks fans are hoping that this youth movement will translate into more wins, as the team finished just 74-88 last year, 37 games out of first place.
One of the most exciting players to watch is 22-year-old Corbin Carroll. The outfielder hit .260/.330/.500 with four home runs and 14 runs batted in over 104 at bats last season, and he is expected to hit leadoff for Arizona this year. The Diamondbacks are so excited about him that they inked him to a eight-year, $111 million deal over the offseason.
Other contributors for the offense include Christian Walker (36 HR, 94 RBI), Ketel Marte (12 HR, 52 RBI), Josh Rojas (9 HR, 56 RBI, 23 SB), Jake McCarthy (8 HR, 43 RBI, 23 SB), and Alek Thomas (8 HR, 39 RBI). As a unit, the offense ranked 14th, averaging 4.33 runs per game.
On the mound for the Diamondbacks will be ace Zac Gallen. In 31 starts last year, Gallen went 12-4 with a 2.54 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and struck out 192 in 184 innings.
Dodgers Look To Dominate Division Again
Having won the division nine out of the last ten years, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to continue that dominance this season. They will get their chance to set an early tone against the up-and-coming Arizona Diamondbacks.
On the bump for manager Dave Roberts’ squad will be lefty Julio Urias. Last year, Urias finished third in NL Cy Young voting after going 17-7 with a 2.16 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and striking out 166 in 175 innings.
Offensively, the Dodgers were the highest-scoring team in the majors last season, averaging 5.17 runs per game.
Still, they took a bit of a hit this year as Trea Turner is now in Philadelphia, and his replacement, Gavin Lux, suffered a season-ending injury in spring training.
Despite the losses, the Dodgers still have a lineup that features Mookie Betts (35 HR, 82 RBI, 117 R), Will Smith (24 HR, 87 RBI), Freddie Freeman (21 HR, 100 RBI, 117 R), and Max Muncy (21 HR, 69 RBI).
Betts is someone to watch in this one, as he has had success against Gallen in his career. In 13 at bats, Betts is hitting .385 with a home run and two runs batted in.
Take Dodgers To Win And Cover
Despite Zac Gallen’s abilities on the mound, there is a lot to like about Los Angeles in this one. Not only were they 57-24 at home last season, but they are 12-2 in their last 14 games against Arizona when playing at Dodger Stadium.
If that wasn’t enough, the Dodgers have won their Opening Day game in four consecutive years, outscoring their opponents 30 to 9 in that time.
Take Los Angeles to both win and to cover the -1.5 runline (+118).
