Henry Roldán
For the second time in less than a week, the Dodgers vs Diamondbacks will face off in a four-game series in the 2023 Major League action, but this time around, it’ll take place in Arizona, starting on Thursday.
The Los Angeles team is coming off a two-game sweep of the Rockies, positioning themselves as the leaders of the West Division. Meanwhile, Arizona split their two-game series against the Padres as visitors.
It’s worth noting that during their first matchup of the season on Opening Day, both teams won twice. So without further ado, JefeBet brings you the best preview of the first game of the series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Predictions and Betting Preview for the Dodgers vs Diamondbacks MLB Regular Season Game on April 6, 2023
- Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona
- When: Thursday, April 6, 2023, 10:10 PM ET
Betting on the Los Angeles Dodgers
- Regular Season Record: 4-2
In their first two home series, the Dodgers didn’t disappoint, coming out with a positive record and showing off some impressive offensive and defensive skills.
Even though it’s too soon to jump into conclusions, the Los Angeles team showed why they’re the favorites to win the National League championship this season, with a rock-solid pitching staff and a fearsome attack.
On the mound, Manager Dave Roberts’ pitchers have a collective ERA of 2.17, the fourth-best in the Major Leagues, allowing only one game of four runs and five games of two runs or fewer against the Diamondbacks and Rockies.
With a performance like this, a decent offense would be enough. However, the Dodgers have more than an average attack and lead all of baseball with 38 runs scored, thanks to already recording two games of at least 10 runs.
Moreover, no team has hit more home runs at the beginning of this season than the Angels, who have connected for 13 so far, three of them by catcher Will Smith. They are also the leaders in walks, with 33.
For their first road trip, the Dodgers will send Dustin May to the mound, who already faced Arizona in the first series and dominated them without any problems. Although he left without a decision, the right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings in which he only gave up three hits, with one walk and four strikeouts.
This performance doesn’t align with his lifetime numbers against the D-Backs. In four appearances, three of them as a starter, including this season’s, he has an ERA of 5.84, while at Chase Field, he only pitched 1.1 innings and gave up three runs.
Starting Pitcher: Dustin May (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Betting on the Arizona Diamondbacks
- Regular Season Record: 3-3
The Diamondbacks’ season start can be considered positive given that they came out with a split record from their visits to the Dodgers and Padres, both contenders for the West Division title.
Although Arizona’s offense left a lot to be desired, they managed to hold the powerful Los Angeles offense to just one run on two occasions to take a couple of wins at Dodger Stadium.
Collectively, the D-Backs’ pitching boasts a high ERA of 5.29, allowing at least five runs in four of their first six games. However, those two impressive performances against their opponents were more than enough to achieve their goal.
On the offensive side, the numbers were not much more impressive. Excluding the great comeback on Tuesday in San Diego, where they scored three runs in the sixth inning and four in the eighth, Arizona’s bats failed to score more than four runs in any of their first five games.
They’re heading into this game with the seventh-worst batting average at .224, and they’re the third team with the lowest OBP in the league at .269.
To kick off their home game on the right foot, manager Torey Lovullo will send experienced pitcher Merrill Kelly to the mound. However, Kelly didn’t have a solid outing in his first game of the year against the Dodgers. He pitched 3.1 scoreless innings but was pulled from the game after giving up four walks in that span.
Throughout his career, Kelly has been dominated by the Los Angeles offense. In 13 starts, he’s 0-9 with a sky-high ERA of 5.64. He’s given up 13 home runs in 67.0 innings, and his WHIP is 1.627. Opponents are hitting .303 against him.
Starting Pitcher: Merrill Kelly (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
JefeBet Prediction
The recent history of these two teams playing in Arizona shows two important stats: the Under has happened in 10 of the last 11 matches and the Dodgers have won 20 of the last 27 games at Chase Center.
While the latter stat is likely to happen again, it would be a shocker if Thursday’s game ends with a low-scoring outcome.
Although the Diamondbacks’ offense didn’t show much in the first few games, there’s still doubt about whether Dustin May can repeat his performance from last weekend, considering he’s historically had many struggles against Arizona.
As for Kelly, facing the Dodgers must be a nightmare for him, and even his good historical records at Chase Center aren’t a guarantee that he won’t be hit by this red-hot offense.
Prediction: Over (LAD 6 – ARI 3)
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