The Los Angeles Dodgers won each of the first two games of their National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and now the series shifts to Phoenix with the Dodgers poised to complete the sweep. The Dodgers will start Yu Darvish, whom they picked up to be the co-ace on their pitching staff at the trade deadline from Texas, against Zack Greinke, the Diamondbacks’ ace. Greinke hasn’t started since the National League wild card game last Wednesday — when he got shelled by the Colorado Rockies in the early going, lasting just 3 ⅔ innings and permitting four runs on six hits and a base on balls. Now Greinke has the chance to restore his reputation as an elite ace or simply add another lost opportunity to his list of meltdowns in big games. Check out our MLB lines on this game before you commit to any wagering.
Remember — Arizona beat Los Angeles 11 times out of 18 this season. While the Dodgers did win 104 games and went through a 43-7 stretch, they did show some signs of faltering as the year wore on into September. If you like the Diamondbacks, you think that Greinke can bounce back from a career track record of iffy performances in marquee events such as this one, and you also think that the trend that Darvish has shown at times to give up the home run ball (or at least the extra-base hit) in bunches will reassert itself in Phoenix.
LA Dodgers at Arizona MLB Lines & Game Info for NLDS Game 3
When: Monday, October 9, 2017, 10:08pm ET Where: Chase Field, Phoenix TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio Live Stream: MLB.tv MLB Lines: Dodgers -110 Pitching Matchup: Yu Darvish (10-12, 3.86 ERA) (LA) vs Zack Greinke (17-7, 3.20 ERA) (ARI)New Photoblog up on @DodgerInsider: More offense in NLDS Game 2 https://t.co/5mW8ovU7Ph
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 9, 2017
Weather Forecast
- Clear: 24°C/76
- Humidity: 13%
- Precipitation: 0%
- Wind: 12 mph NE
- Cloud Cover: 0%
- Type of Stadium: Retractable
Why should you bet on the Dodgers?
Four of the Diamondbacks’ regulars have never hit safely off Darvish, and three more of their batters have career batting averages below .200 against him. Only Adam Rosales and J.D. Martinez have ever hit home runs off Darvish. His knee-bending curve ball gives him the chance to strike out a lot of batters, but going for strikeouts also tends to elevate his pitch count, which could mean that the Diamondbacks get into the Dodgers’ bullpen early. He also had trouble with the home run ball during the end of his time in Texas, although that has not been as much of a problem since his move to Chavez Ravine. Several of the Dodger batters have hit well against Zack Greinke in the past. Corey Seager (.545, 2 HR, 4 RBI), Justin Turner (.318, 1 HR, 5 RBI) and Cody Bellinger (.333, 1 HR, 1 RBI) have all seen pitches that they could hit well against him. If you like the Dodgers in this game, then you see Darvish coming out and pitching well, while the Dodgers’ batters take advantage of some inconsistency out of Greinke.Why should you put your money on the Diamondbacks?
Some of the Arizona hitters have fared quite well against Yu Darvish over their careers. David Peralta has two base hits in two at-bats, while Daniel Descalso and Ketel Marte have .500 career averages against Darvish. However, none of the Arizona batters have faced him more than 16 times, and only two have faced him more than six times, so it may be that he still holds that edge that pitchers have when they are new to batters. Darvish had had a miserable first half of the season while still in Texas, but the trade to Los Angeles helped him find that sharp bite to his curveball and remember how to keep his fastball out of the fat part of the plate.
Remember — Arizona beat Los Angeles 11 times out of 18 this season. While the Dodgers did win 104 games and went through a 43-7 stretch, they did show some signs of faltering as the year wore on into September. If you like the Diamondbacks, you think that Greinke can bounce back from a career track record of iffy performances in marquee events such as this one, and you also think that the trend that Darvish has shown at times to give up the home run ball (or at least the extra-base hit) in bunches will reassert itself in Phoenix.
Latest MLB Lines Trends
- Dodgers are 8-1 ATS in the last 9 games
- Dodgers are 8-1 SU in the last 9 games
- The total went OVER in 7 of LA Dodgers’s last 9 games when playing Arizona
- Arizona is 2-4 ATS in the last 6 games at home
- Arizona is 2-4 SU in the last 6 games
- The total went OVER in 4 of Arizona’s last 5 games
