The Dodgers on Friday will start rookie Landon Knack to open their series against the Los Angeles Angels. Knack hasn't started a game in the Majors since May 19, but that didn't stop the Dodgers from being favored over their Southern California rivals.
Knack will take the mound for his fifth career start, and he'll face off against Angels left-hander Patrick Sandoval. The Dodgers enter Friday's game having won four of their last five, while the Halos stumble in on a two-game losing streak having lost three of their last five.
This is a two-game set for the Dodgers before they face MLB's worst team, the Chicago White Sox. They have to keep stacking wins in the soft part of their schedule while key players recovery from injuries. BetMGM likes them to get their series at Dodger Stadium with a win. Here's what the odds look like:
Run line
Angels +1.5: -135
Dodgers -1.5: +110
Moneyline
Angels: +150
Dodgers: -185
Total
Over 8.5 runs: -120
Under 8.5 runs: +100
Prediction
The Dodgers hit left-handed starters about the same as they hit right-handers, but Sandoval has been particularly tough on lefties this season which may inhibit some of the production LA has gotten from Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward lately.
However, Ohtani and Freeman are both exceptional hitters who are both getting hot at the right time, so the splits may not ultimately matter. The bottom of the Dodgers' lineup has also been productive of late, which bodes well for their chances to continue rolling offensively even after they've left Coors Field.
One advantage the Dodgers will have defensively is the lack of tape and experience the Angels will have on Knack. It may take a couple times through the order before they start to figure out the rookie who has posted a 2.61 ERA and a 0.968 WHIP in 20.2 Major League innings.
Dodgers 6, Angels 3
