MLB Betting Picks July 12 – Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox

A rematch of last year’s World Series is on tap this weekend when the Los Angeles Dodgers pay a visit to the Boston Red Sox. Boston won the Fall Classic in five games for their fourth title since 2007, and they were pegged as a preseason favorite to repeat.

However, the hangover has been thick and the Sox are wallowing in the middle of the AL pack. The Dodgers, meanwhile, entered the All-Star break with the best record in the Majors and are poised for a third straight World Series appearance.

The middle game of the three-game set has Ross Stripling taking the bump for LA. Chris Sale has fond memories of his last appearance against the Dodgers when he struck out the side to give his team the title. It’s been a rough season for Sale in 2019 and the Dodgers will attempt to become the latest team to rake against him. The game can be seen on FOX with betting options available at BookMaker.eu.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox

Date and Time: Saturday, July 13, 2019, 7:15 p.m. ET

Location: Fenway Park, Boston, MA

Probable Pitchers: Ross Stripling vs. Chris Sale

Opening MLB Odds: Red Sox -103, Now Red Sox -113/Dodgers +105

Dodgers at Red Sox TV Coverage: FOX

Odds Analysis

Even though they lost three in a row ahead of the break, the Dodgers continue to have MLB’s best record. And they are getting even stronger for a second half run with the return of Corey Seager and David Freese from the injured list. Dropping three to San Diego might have been a wakeup call the Dodgers need. They cruised through the first half and hold a huge lead in the NL West. Dave Roberts has to be tired of losing to Alex Cora. There was that five-game World Series loss and Roberts faded again in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

The Sox have the entire AL right where they want them. They closed the first half winning four straight to climb a season-high eight games over .500. “I think we’ve done a really good job of giving ourselves a chance for the second half and putting ourselves in a position where we can make the playoffs,” J.D. Martinez said. They will need better pitching to help out an offense that leads the Majors in average and ranks third in runs scored per game.

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Probable Pitchers

The Dodgers will give Stripling ( 3-3, 3.79 ERA ) another chance, but those could be running out if things don’t improve. The righty is making his fourth start in place of injured Rich Hill and his 10th overall this season. He strung a few decent starts together at the beginning of the year, but he hasn’t completed five innings in any of the previous three and he was slapped with four runs in each of his last two outings.

Stripling isn’t overpowering and he needs to command all his pitches to have success. He was hit hard his last two starts giving up 13 hits over 9.0 total innings and the Sox will make him pay for his mistakes. Roberts would like to get a few more innings out of his starter, but he won’t hesitate to make a change if Stripling falters.

It’s been a crappy season so far for Sale ( 3-8, 4.04 ERA ) and he knows it. He ended the first half by allowing five runs in each of his two starts. And he wasn’t facing the most imposing offenses in MLB. Sale took the loss on July 3 by giving up nine hits, three homers and five earned to the Blue Jays to equal his Sox season high in losses. And we’re only through the break.

“I’m 3-8. That’s absolutely embarrassing,” Sale said after his last loss. “That’s not what I need to be and that’s not who I need to be for this team.” In an effort to snap out of his season-long slump, Sale started to mix his pitches, using more changeups and curves to complement his fastball and slider. That hasn’t worked so we may see him go back to his bread and butter on Saturday. The Dodgers will be waiting.

Key Stats

Left-handed hitters typically don’t want to face Sale with his side-arm delivery and nasty stuff. Some of the Dodgers may not have a choice, but they are likely relishing the opportunity. That’s because lefties have hit Sale unusually well this season. It’s a small sample size, but lefties own a .258 average against Sale compared to a .215 mark by righties. Sale hasn’t allowed a home run to a left-handed hitter this year, but Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy, Corey Seager and Joc Pederson will get a chance to become the first.

Bet Dodgers at Red Sox at BookMaker.eu

After watching the Blue Jays and White Sox rake on Sale before the break, I doubt the Dodgers sluggers are going to be intimidated. We could see some fireworks on Saturday in a rematch of last year’s World Series, and the Dodgers would like to get some sort revenge. This is their last shot before the postseason and they will take advantage of a slumping Sale to post a victory.

MLB Score Prediction: Dodgers 6, Red Sox 4

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- Phil Simon, Special Contributor to Gambling911.com (Article Courtesy of Bookmaker.eu)