by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Jul 25, 2024
Game Time: 8:10 pm ET, Friday, July 26, 2024
Venue: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Dodgers +102, Astros -122; Over/Under: 8.5 runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Dodgers +100, Astros -120; Over/Under: 8.5 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Dodgers +100, Astros -120; Over/Under: 8.5 runs
Season Record
Los Angeles Dodgers: 61-42 (1st place, NL West)
Houston Astros: 53-49 (1st place, AL West)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Dodgers: 6-4 last 10
Houston Astros: 5-5 last 10
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Houston Astros Preview and Analysis
The Dodgers completed the sweep in their 3-game series against the Boston Red Sox 3-0 in their last series. They enter this game with a 61-42 record overall and have a road record of 28-22. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Astros on Friday with the series finale of their series against the San Francisco Giants still to be played on Thursday. The Dodgers won the series opener of that series on Monday and the 2nd game on Tuesday but lost the 3rd game on Wednesday. Their offense ranks 1st in the MLB with a .770 OPS. Clayton Kershaw is their starting pitcher on Thursday while Gavin Stone is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 9-3 with a 3.19 ERA this season. His team lost 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 ER, 1 HR, and 0 BB with 3 Ks on 6 hits through 5 IP against the Boston Red Sox.
The Astros are entering this series off a win and lost their 3-game series against the Oakland Athletics 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 53-49 record overall and have a home record of 28-21. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Dodgers on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 8th in the MLB with a .738 OPS. Hunter Brown was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Framber Valdez is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 8-5 with a 3.63 ERA this season. His team won their last 5 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 earned runs, 1 homer, and 4 BB with 6 strikeouts on 3 hits through 5.2 innings played against the Seattle Mariners.
Dodgers vs Astros Prediction
The current betting odds have the Dodgers listed as a slight underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Dodgers have looked really good in their games this season with their 61-42 record overall which leads the NL West with one of the best records in the entire MLB. They have looked good in their road games too with their 28-22 road record. Meanwhile, the Astros have looked good in their games this season with their 53-49 record overall which now has them leading the AL West as they have overtaken the Mariners. They have also looked better in their home games with their 28-21 home record. The Astros are going to have Valdez on the mound here and he has looked good this season. He is 8-5 with a 3.63 ERA and hasn't been giving up many runs lately. He gave up 2 earned runs in his last start and the team has had a ton of success with him lately, winning 5 games in a row with him as the starter. The Dodgers still have the stronger offense though and they have been really hot coming out of the All-Star break. The Astros were really hot going into the All-Star break as they were able to overtake the Mariners in 1st place, but they haven't looked good on this side of the break so far. They just lost a series against the A's with their pitching staff being terrible and the Dodgers do have their own stud on the mound in this one. Stone is starting for the Dodgers and he is 9-3 with a 3.19 ERA. He gave up 1 earned run in his last start which has been a common theme for him all year. His team has lost 2 of their last 3 games with him starting, but he has looked so good in his starts lately that he is due for another win with the Astros offense underperforming. The Dodgers not only have one of the best offenses in the MLB to help him out here, but their offense has also been a lot hotter than the Astros lately. The best way to place a bet here is on the Dodgers to win this game.
Dodgers Astros Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Friday, July 26, 2024 (8:10 pm ET start time) is Dodgers 6 Astros 2.
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MLB Betting Trends
Los Angeles Dodgers: 30-36 (-15.50 units) on the first 5 runline in their last 66 games. 22-17 to the under in their last 39 away games.
Houston Astros: 20-9 (+10.70 units) on the moneyline in their last 29 games. 28-13 (+15.30 units) on the runline in their last 41 games. 50-35 to the under in their last 85 games.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Dodgers: M. Rojas (SS) Out indefinitely - Forearm. D. May (SP) out of season - Elbow. Y. Yamamoto (SP) Out indefinitely - Tricep. M. Muncy (3B) Out indefinitely - Oblique. W. Buehler (SP) Out indefinitely - Hip. M. Betts (SS) Out indefinitely - Hand. M. Grove (SP) Out indefinitely - Lower Body. R. Brasier (RP) Out indefinitely - Calf. E. Sheehan (SP) out for season - Elbow. C. Kershaw (SP) Mid Aug - Shoulder. B. Graterol (RP) Early August - Shoulder. T. Gonsolin (SP) out for season - Elbow. C. Brogdon (RP) Out indefinitely - Foot.
Houston Astros: K. Graveman (RP) out for season - Shoulder. J. Verlander (SP) Early July - Neck. C. Javier (SP) out of season - Forearm. J. Urquidy (SP) out for season - Forearm. B. Sousa (RP) out for season - Shoulder. O. Ortega (RP) Late July - Elbow. P. Murfee (SP) Mid July - Elbow. L. McCullers Jr. (SP) Early July - Forearm. L. Garcia (SP) Mid July - Elbow. K. Tucker (RF) Out indefinitely - Shin.
Notable Quotes
“I think it was the rust of not pitching. I think his stuff was good. Certainly, the command wasn’t there." - Dave Roberts after his team’s loss against the Giants in their game on Wednesday.
“Hunter Brown set the tone from the beginning. He kind of has that ace feeling to him. We are expecting him to go out there and deliver what he just did.” - Joe Espada after his team’s win against the A’s in their game on Wednesday.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Dodgers
S Ohtani (L) DH
W Smith (R) C
F Freeman (L) 1B
T Hernández (R) RF
A Pages (R) CF
M Vargas (R) LF
C Taylor (R) 2B
K Hernández (R) 3B
N Ahmed (R) SS
Houston Astros
J Altuve (R) 2B
A Bregman (R) 3B
Y Alvarez (L) DH
Y Diaz (R) C
J Peña (R) SS
J Meyers (R) CF
M Dubón (R) LF
J Singleton (L) 1B
C McCormick (R) RF
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Dodgers
Batting Average: Nick Ahmed (.333)
Hits: Shohei Ohtani (122)
Home Runs: Shohei Ohtani (30)
RBI: Shohei Ohtani (73)
Stolen Bases: Shohei Ohtani (24)
Wins: Gavin Stone (9)
Saves: Evan Phillips (15)
ERA: Eduardo Salazar (0.00)
Houston Astros
Batting Average: César Salazar (.318)
Hits: Jose Altuve (126)
Home Runs: Yordan Alvarez (20)
RBI: Yordan Alvarez (54)
Stolen Bases: Jose Altuve (15)
Wins: Ronel Blanco (9)
Saves: Josh Hader (20)
ERA: Dylan Coleman (0.00)
Managers:
Los Angeles Dodgers: Dave Roberts (9th season)
Houston Astros: Joe Espada (1st season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
