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Wkd Series Prices – Best Bets

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
MLB Weekend Series Prices Best Bets

Thankfully I don't have to open up this week's piece with the definition of insanity, as the Phillies were able to get it done for us last weekend, even if there was a fed pounds shed with a 2-1 win in extras on Sunday to win that series. A win is a win no matter how easy it comes, as like in golf they don't ever ask “how” your strokes looked, they just ask “how many” strokes you took.

Hopefully we can pile another win this weekend on top of last week's success, as it's a National League heavy board with nearly all of the American League teams starting four-game sets on Thursday. Throughout both leagues there should be some highly entertaining and exciting baseball played this weekend, as the best of the best attempt to show out and continue to make those playoff pushes.

In fact, it's a NL series between two teams that would be in the playoffs were they to start today that is the feature of this week's breakdown, as the league's best LA Dodgers (67-37) are on the road to visit a Washington team (55-47 SU) that's been the best in baseball for the past two months.

It was easy to expect another great year out of the Dodgers, but there weren't many who thought Washington would be where they are after losing Bryce Harper to free agency, but here they are, using some great pitching and timely hitting to put themselves in a playoff position. Can the Nats keep it going this weekend against LA?

MLB Series Odds: LA (-150) vs Washington (+130)

Washington has surged up the standings by playing some great baseball without question, but this series with LA is going to be a test of a higher degree. Yes, the Nationals have been on a tear since late May, but outside of series against division rivals Atlanta and Philadelphia, the quality of opponent just hasn't been there. Ignoring matchups with the Phillies and Braves, these are the list of teams Washington has built this great run on the backs of since May 24th: Miami, Cincinnati, Chicago White Sox, San Diego, Arizona, Miami, Detroit, Miami (again), KC, Baltimore, and Colorado. At the moment, only Arizona sports a winning record (52-51) and the bulk of those teams are basement dwellers that everyone knew would be in rough for 2019.

While taking care of business still matters, and like I said earlier, wins are wins no matter how they happen or who they come against, context does matter and it's something that often gets lost in this industry. Everyone (myself included) wants to quote long winning runs, over/under runs etc, as support for why a certain team should be backed in a given spot, often ignoring the full context of the situation. Winning breeds confidence and that definitely rubs off on how a team plays, but when the big boys like the Dodgers come to the ballpark, context definitely matters.

Furthermore, the scheduled starting rotation for Washington is far from it's best lineup, as only Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg have been slated to go, with a possible spot/start mixed in as well. That means no Corbin, no Scherzer for the Nats in this series, and right off the hop that's a tough hill to climb.

Conversely, when the Dodgers have future Cy Young winner starting in the opener on Friday night, and Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler backing him up over the weekend, things get even more bleak for the Nationals prospects of not dropping at least two of these three games. Add in the fact that the Dodgers bats were cooled off in getting swept in a two-game series with LA to start the week – losing all four games with the Angels this year – you've got a pissed off Dodgers bunch looking to put a beating down on someone. It just so happens that it's the Nationals that are that someone as the next opponent on the slate.

LA is already in the -160/-165 range for the opener with Ryu going against Gonzalez on Friday, and you know that Kershaw against whatever spot starter/bullpen day route Washington decides to take will be a heavy road favorite as well. Even if the Nats move Strasburg up to Saturday, Kershaw and LA will still be laying significant chalk of at least -140 or so, and here we are getting them at -150 for the series? That sounds like plenty of value to me to back the best team in all of baseball looking to bounce back from a couple of losses, while making a statement to a playoff contender like the Nats that they are still far from being in the Dodgers league.

The next two months of Washington's season is significantly harder then the last two months of the season have been in terms of facing quality opponents, and there is a good chance some significant regression is coming to the nation's capital. It likely starts that process this weekend against the Dodgers.

Best Bet: LA Dodgers to win the series



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