Odds and Bets: L.A. Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles Suit Up for Pivotal Series

Los Angeles Dodgers (53-49) vs Baltimore Orioles (57-35)

There is no rest for the weary or the battle-tested. After completing a three-game weekend sweep over the surprising Miami Marlins, the Baltimore Orioles stay home for a trio of bouts against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. The baseball gods have ordained that the early part of the post-All-Star break will give fans a clearer picture of what the Orioles are all about. After the Dodgers, they hit the road due south to play the Rays…

Both clubs go with pitchers who haven’t seen that much action this year. L.A. will be represented by Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 4.35 ERA) and Baltimore will try to protect home soil with Grayson Rodriguez (2-2, 7.35 ERA) on the mound. Look who should suddenly be leading the NL West but the Dodgers. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are having great years hitting in L.A. This one feels just as tricky as the Marlins series the Orioles completed, but for Monday night we’ll go with experience.

Best Bet: Dodgers on the runline

Arizona Diamondbacks (52-42) vs Atlanta Braves (61-31)

This series starts on Tuesday. The Diamondbacks completed a weekend of hell in Toronto, getting swept in three contests, none of which featured final scores that reflected well on them. Bad pitching late in games, even worse fielding, and bats that went cold told the tale of a weekend to forget for Arizona, now third in the NL West. Atlanta is probably anxious to get the week started as well. They hosted the lowly Chicago White Sox and somehow lost two of three games, getting destroyed 8-1 on Sunday.

Zach Davies is on the mound for the Dbacks (1-5, 6.37 ERA), whereas Bryce Elder (7-2, 2.97) will try to help the Braves get back on track. Spencer Strider has the most wins on Atlanta’s rotation, but Elder is more efficient at limiting the runs other teams score. Despite the results, Ronald Acuna Jr. broke out of a little slump against Chicago. Expect him to heat up with Arizona in town.

Best Bet: Braves on the runline. Check back for the National League odds tomorrow

Houston Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers

The NBA Summer League championship is Monday night in Las Vegas. As expected, the two undefeated clubs will put youthful honour on the line when the 5-0 Houston Rockets go up against the 5-0 Cleveland Cavaliers. The latter earned its place in the final with an exciting 102-99 overtime win over the Nets on Sunday. The Rockets had a slightly more comfortable 115-101 win over the Utah Jazz.

Isaiah Mobley has been a big figure for Cleveland this summer. His 23 points on Sunday against Brooklyn led the side. For Houston, Cam Whitmore’s played a critical role in getting the team this far. He’s averaged 20.4 points through five games and came through with 25 versus the Jazz. In football, good defence typically gets the better of a good offence, but the opposite is true in basketball. Therefore…

Best Bet: Houston Rockets to win