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Friday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read
Game of the Night: Brewers at Dodgers – 10:05 PM EST

The National League Championship Series went seven games last October as Los Angeles staved off Milwaukee for its second consecutive pennant. The Dodgers (8-6) return to Chavez Ravine tonight after suffering a four-game sweep at the hands of the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Los Angeles opened up a pair of early leads in Games 1 and 4 of the series, but fell apart in each defeat, while dropping an 11-7 decision to St. Louis on Thursday.

The Brewers (8-5) remain in southern California after losing all three games to the Angels earlier this week. The normally reliable Milwaukee offense was limited to two runs in two of the defeats, while overcoming a 6-0 deficit in Game 2 to take an 8-7 lead before losing, 11-8. Milwaukee was swept for the first time since dropping all five games at Pittsburgh last July before making its run towards the NL Central title.

Julio Urias (0-0, 3.12 ERA) makes his third start of the season for the Dodgers, as the southpaw seeks his first victory. Urias has been dealt a pair of no-decisions so far, as he tossed five scoreless innings and struck out seven in a 4-2 defeat to San Francisco. In his next start at Colorado, Urias was staked to a 6-0 lead, but couldn’t escape the fourth inning in a 12-6 victory.

Corbin Burnes (0-1, 9.90 ERA) counters for Milwaukee, as the right-hander has allowed 11 earned runs in 10 innings of work. Burnes struck out 12 in his season debut against the Cardinals as Milwaukee rallied from a 4-1 deficit to stun St. Louis, 5-4 with two runs in the ninth inning. In his last outing against the Cubs, Burnes was knocked around for seven runs in five innings of a 14-8 defeat as he looks for his first win as a starter after posting a 7-0 mark in relief in 2018.

The Brewers won two of the first three meetings at Miller Park last season before the splitting a four-game set at Dodger Stadium, which included Los Angeles blowing out Milwaukee, 21-5 in the series finale. In the NLCS, the Brewers took two of the first three games before the Dodgers won the next two to take a 3-2 series advantage. Milwaukee forced Game 7 with a 7-2 blowout, but the Dodgers took home the pennant with a 5-1 triumph at Miller Park.

Astros at Mariners – 10:10 PM EST

The biggest shocker through the first two weeks of the season is the success in Seattle as the Mariners (13-2) sit atop the AL West. The expectations were pretty low going into the season for the M’s after they blew up their team in the offseason, but things are going much better than anticipated. Seattle has captured all five series, including rallying past Kansas City on Thursday, 7-6 in 10 innings to grab the four-game sweep.

The team that has owned the division the last few seasons is currently looking up at the Mariners as the Astros (8-5) have overcome a slow start to win six straight games. Houston finished off a perfect 6-0 homestand after sweeping Oakland and New York, while scoring at least six runs in four of those victories. After beating Tampa Bay in the series opener, 5-1, the Astros plated three runs or less in six of the past seven games before the recent power explosion, which has resulted in a 3-1 mark to the OVER the last four contests.

It’s a battle of Wades on the mound tonight as Houston’s Wade Miley (1-1, 2.31 ERA) opposes Seattle’s Wade LeBlanc (2-0, 4.76 ERA) at T-Mobile Park. Miley rebounded from a loss at Tampa Bay in his first start to toss 5.2 scoreless innings in a 6-0 home victory over Oakland last Saturday. LeBlanc has received terrific run support in two starts as the Mariners have scored 10 and 12 runs for the southpaw. In his first outing against Boston, LeBlanc rebounded from a rough first inning to go 5.1 innings in a 10-8 win.

Houston saw plenty of success at Seattle last season by winning seven of 10 road matchups, but all three wins by the Mariners came in the series openers. The Mariners have taken care of business at home with a 5-1 record, while cashing the OVER in six of the past seven games overall.

Rockies at Giants – 10:15 PM EST

The bottom two teams in the NL West continue their four-game series at Oracle Park after San Francisco edged Colorado on Thursday, 1-0. Recently acquired Kevin Pillar lifted the Giants (5-9) with a solo home run in the seventh inning for the lone run of the night, while Jeff Samardzija put together a brilliant outing on the mound with seven scoreless innings and striking out seven.

The Rockies (3-10) started the season with consecutive wins over the Marlins, but it has gone downhill since then as Colorado has lost nine of its past 10 games to sink to the basement of the NL West. Colorado has scored six runs in five separate games, but has plated three runs or fewer in the other seven contests.

Chad Bettis (0-2, 11.88 ERA) is looking to get not only the Rockies on track, but himself after giving up 11 earned runs in 8.1 innings of losses to the Rays and Dodgers. Colorado won two of Bettis’ three starts against San Francisco last season, which included a 5-3 victory at Oracle Park last May as a +130 underdog.

The Giants send out southpaw Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 4.00 ERA), who has allowed six hits and two earned runs in each of his first two outings. Pomeranz grabbed a victory as a +180 underdog against the Dodgers in his first start prior to a 3-0 setback to Tampa Bay. San Francisco has yet to win back-to-back games this season as the Giants own an 0-4 mark off a victory, while scoring one run or less in three of those defeats.

You can reach Kevin Rogers via e-mail at rogers@vegasinsider.com

Kevin Rogers can be followed on Twitter at virogers.

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