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• Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies
• Friday, June 9 at 7PM ET
• Citizens Bank Park in Philadephia, Pennsylvania
This is already a matchup that a lot of people are hoping to see once the playoffs arrive. Whenever the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies face off, there’s always going to be a lot of intrigue. Historically, these are two of the best teams in the National League and they’ll be getting together on the field for a big-time series this week. With that said, the Dodgers should beat the Phillies in a huge Friday night matchup.
Despite this game being played on the road for the Dodgers, they have proven to be the better team this season. As of this writing, LA is 35-26 on the year and they have seen their World Series betting odds skyrocket in recent weeks. The same can’t be said for the Phillies, as the NL East side is 29-32 on the year. This is something that not a lot of people were expecting, especially because of their stacked lineup.
| Dodgers vs. Phillies odds |  |  |  |  |
| Dodgers to win | -115 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Phillies to win | +125 | +125 | +125 | +125 |
| Over to hit | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under to hit | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
The Phillies have announced that left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez will be getting the start in this one. Suarez has been far from impressive on the bump for Philly this year, as he’s 1-2 with a 5.47 ERA. Those are some tough stats for him and the fact that the Dodgers have a great lineup is only going to make life even more difficult for him on Friday when these two clubs face off in the opening game of the series.
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Dodgers hold -115 MLB betting odds to post a win on Friday, while the Phillies have been set at +125. Philly will be the home team for this one, but we don’t think that’s going to make much of a difference. The Dodgers are the better team, which will be showcased in this meeting. We’re going with the Dodgers as our pick.
FREDDIE GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/xJAR8p4Hqc
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 7, 2023
The over should hit between the Phillies and Dodgers
In terms of runs being scored, we think the over should hit between the Phillies and Dodgers. There’s simply no arguing that both of these teams have a ton of star power offensively. With the Dodgers, we’ve always got to bring up players like Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, Freddie Freeman and more. With the Phillies, their best hitters are without a doubt Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, two guys who are threats to hit a home run whenever they’re at the dish.
Injuries have been a problem for the two, but they’re back to full health and doing what they do best: blasting dingers. Schwarber recently posted a two-homer game vs. the Nationals, which was great to see. Schwarber is really starting to heat up right now, which is only going to give his confidence a boost for the rest of the season, which is needed. You know he’s going to be fired up to try and impress going up against LA.
When the weather heats up so does Kyle Schwarber 🔥
(via @Phillies)pic.twitter.com/rz421QyMaK
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 6, 2023
With the Dodgers, their bats have been great over the last month and that’s going to be needed going up against the Phillies. With Suarez struggling this year, he is going to have his hands full facing Betts, Freeman, Martinez and more. It would be a surprise if the Dodgers don’t put up a lot of runs vs. Philly on Friday. Suarez has simply been too inconsistent with the ball in his hands.
Right now, the over/under is at 6.5 runs. While the Dodgers are yet to announce who their starting pitcher will be, the Phillies are always a threat to put up a lot of runs. Suarez should give up a lot of runs to the mighty LA offense as well. With all of that said, we’re going with the over as our pick.
Dodgers remain the slight favorites to win the World Series
What’s exciting for people in California is that the Dodgers remain the slight favorites to win the World Series. Per the oddsmakers, LA holds +450 MLB betting odds to win the Fall Classic, with the Atlanta Braves right behind them at +470. If the Dodgers and Braves end up meeting in the NLCS, it could be a series to remember. Both teams will be favored to win the World Series regardless of who ends up winning the American League.
The Astros hold the top odds of the AL sides, as Houston has been nothing short of brilliant once again this year. They started a bit slow, but they have looked like a totally different squad lately. We think the Dodgers will end up winning the NL, but who will win the AL? It could come down to either the Astros or Yankees.
Regardless of that, LA has the tools to win the World Series and bring back the glory for their local supporters. It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out. Atlanta will hope to take down LA this fall, but bringing down the Dodgers will not be an easy task for anyone out there.
