What To Bet On As Paul Skenes Faces The Dodgers

• Paul Skenes has recorded eight strikeouts in each of his two career starts against the Dodgers and has a line of 6.5 strikeouts tonight
• The Dodgers have a 10-2 record at home this season, the third best in the MLB

LOS ANGELES – The Pittsburgh Pirates travel to LA to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first game of their season series on Friday night. Paul Skenes will be on the mound for the Pirates, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto will pitch for the Dodgers.

Pirates vs Dodgers Game Odds

The Dodgers are slight favorites according to legal sports betting sites with -220 odds to win the game outright.

The Dodgers currently sit at fourth in the National League with a 16-9 record, two games back of the top seeded Mets, while the Pirates are second to last in the NL with a 10-16 record, 8.5 games out of first place.

Neither team has been particularly great as of late, as both teams have gone 5-5 in their last ten games.

Bet On Paul Skenes Strikeouts

Skenes instantly solidified himself as one of the best pitchers in major league baseball during his rookie season and has had a solid start to his second season, allowing a 2.87 ERA through five starts.

Last season, Skenes ranked fifth in the MLB in strikeouts per game, averaging 7.39 strikeouts through 23 starts.

He has somewhat struggled in two career starts against the Dodgers, allowing six hits and three earned runs through five innings in one game, and six hits along with four earned runs through six innings in the next.

However, he recorded eight strikeouts in each appearance. Bovada has set his line for total strikeouts at 6.5 with even odds to go over and -125 odds to go under.

Expect Skenes to top 6.5 strikeouts for the third time in six games this season against a Dodgers team who he has a history of striking out a decent amount.

Expect The Dodgers To Win

Despite losing consecutive games to the Cubs, the Dodgers remain the favorites over a middling Pirates team.

Los Angeles has been especially dominant at home, winning 10 of 12 games at Dodger Stadium, while Pittsburgh is just 4-9 on the road this season. The Dodgers also won their last three home games before going on a five game road trip.

Additionally, the Dodgers have won their last four games against the Pirates dating back to last season. Three of those four games were decided by more than one run.

Bet on the Dodgers to cover the spread of 1.5 runs (+110) at legal MLB betting sites.

News tags: Baseball | California | Chicago Cubs | Los Angeles Dodgers | MLB | Paul Skenes | Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh Pirates | Yoshinobu Yamamoto