The Los Angeles Dodgers (69-55) maintained their spot atop the National League West division standings Monday with an 18-9 drubbing of the Cincinnati Reds.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers will open a key three-game home series with the San Francisco Giants (68-56) and go for their third straight win, as the division lead will be on the line and both teams are listed at -110 (bet $110 to win $100) at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.
The Giants will be going for their third consecutive victory in the series after winning the last two games between the teams at home in the middle of June. They are 6-4 in 10 meetings so far this season and will be looking to snap a two-game skid overall with ace Madison Bumgarner (12-7, 2.25 ERA) on the mound.
Bumgarner has won two in a row following a stretch in which he went five starts without a win, going 0-3 with four of them coming on the road. He is 5-4 away from home with a 2.85 ERA, more than a run higher than his ERA at AT&T Park this year, and 0-1 in two outings versus Los Angeles with a 4.09 ERA.
The Dodgers will counter with Kenta Maeda (12-7, 3.29) and have won in each of the past five games he has started. Maeda has earned victories in four of them, allowing two runs four times and walking just three batters while striking out 26 in 28.2 innings.
Maeda has a losing record at home, though, at 4-5 despite a solid 3.33 ERA but beat San Francisco on April 17, giving up one run and four hits in seven innings of a 3-1 win.
Those bettors looking for a totals play in the series opener might want to look at the under, which has cashed in four of the previous five meetings along with eight of 12, according to the Odds Shark MLB Database.
There have been five runs or less scored in three of the last four games, including a 3-1 victory for Los Angeles in the most recent one at Chavez Ravine on April 17. The under is also 4-1 in the past five meetings played at Dodger Stadium dating back to last year.
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