There’s an opportunity on Wednesday’s sports betting calendar for everyone to make a ‘max’ bet in the series finale in Los Angeles between the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.
Wednesday, September 1, 2021 – 10:10 PM EDT at Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles brought the heavy lumber in Monday’s opener, popping four homers for a 5-3 win. All three Atlanta runs also came on solo shots. Both sides homered Tuesday, but Dodger relievers were better than those of the Braves in a 3-2 LA final. The Dodgers have now won seven in a row over the Braves at home, including the 2018 NLDS, and after two ‘under’ winners to begin the set, totals are 8-5-1 O/U/P in the last 14 collisions in Los Angeles.
Online betting sites like the Dodgers’ chances of making it a clean sweep on Wednesday. Max Scherzer (12-4, 2.51) is on the hill for Los Angeles and chalked around -190. Max Fried (11-7, 3.54) is Atlanta’s first line of defense to avoid the LA brooms, and the 7½-run total is generally priced to the ‘over’ at most reputable shops.
Atlanta enjoyed August with an 18-8 record for the month that gave the Braves the lead in the NL East. The month closed on a sour note, however, with losses in five of their final seven games, leaving the Braves with a 2½-game lead over the surging Philadelphia Phillies who enter September on a 5-game win streak.
Coming off a fabulous August, Fried looks to keep his good run going against the toughest lineup in the National League. The Cali native posted a 1.36 ERA across five starts last month, Atlanta winning each time as chalk on the MLB betting odds. The Braves were laying -120 last Friday at home against the Giants, and Fried tossed the first six innings of a 6-5 decision over San Francisco. It was his worst start of August (6 IP, 4 ER), and a 4-game homerless streak ended for the young southpaw.
Fried beat the Dodgers in Atlanta when the clubs met in early-June, cashing as a +125 home ‘dog opposite Trevor Bauer. His two starts against the Dodgers last season both came at home in the playoffs, Atlanta splitting those games. His last start in LA was May 2019, and Fried allowed four runs in the first inning before leaving the game after being nailed on his pitching hand by an Alex Verdugo comebacker.
August was also very kind to the Dodgers who finished the month on the right side of the MLB scores in 21 of their 27 contests. Los Angeles is suddenly just a half-game behind the Giants in the NL West, and could climb into the lead with a win on Wednesday and a San Francisco loss to Milwaukee. The Dodgers and Giants begin a huge series in LA on Friday.
It was also a perfect month for Scherzer in August, his first with the Dodgers who won all five of his assignments while he pitched to a 1.55 ERA. He reached the 10-K plateau for the fifth time this year last Thursday in San Diego, working into the eighth of a 4-0 final with Los Angeles -140 on the MLB betting odds. Since joining the Dodgers in the trade with the Nationals, Scherzer has struck out 41 against five walks in his 29 frames.
Scherzer faced the Braves at Nationals Park in what was Washington’s season opener following a virus-related delay to the season, and gave up four runs – all solo homers – in six innings. The Nationals eventually prevailed 6-5 in a walk-off. The Braves have taken him deep seven times over the last four times to face Scherzer, Freddie Freeman own three career homers and Travis d’Arnaud two in their encounters.
Manny Gonzalez is next in line for dish duty on Jeff Nelson’s umpire crew. Now in his 12th big league season, Gonzalez has favored neither direction on the scoreboard in 2021 with a 9-10-2 O/U/P record when calling balls and strikes. Visitors have fared better with Gonzalez behind the plate, winning 12 of 21 and going 7-7 as the underdogs. Bettors with ‘over’ tickets have returned to the pay window the last four times Gonzalez was on the dish at Chavez Ravine.
Everything is hunky dory on the weather front, the forecast calling for clear skies, temps in the upper-60s and a light southwest breeze (out to right). Though I generally don’t like moneylines this high, a free MLB pick on Los Angeles is the way to go.
MLB Pick: Dodgers -187 with Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.