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The Colorado Rockies led the NL West for a while, but they are starting to fade and the Los Angeles Dodgers starting to roll. The teams meet to open a three-game weekend series at Dodger Stadium on Friday with L.A. a heavy MLB betting favorite behind Walker Buehler.

How to Bet Rockies at Dodgers MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Friday, 9:40 PM ET
Where: Dodger Stadium
Probable pitchers (away/home): Jon Gray/Walker Buehler
TV: MLB Extra Innings, MLB Network (out of market only)
Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
Opening MLB Lines: Dodgers -220, Rockies +200 (total 8.5)

Why Bet on Colorado?

The Rockies were 11-3 at one point and leading the NL West but have fallen off a cliff since. The team has activated catcher Elias Diaz from the restricted list and placed INF/OF Chris Owings on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain. Diaz spent a little time in detention after breaking protocol when the Rockies traveled to Houston on Sunday. He’s the No. 2 catcher. Owings has slashed .268/.318/.439 over 44 plate appearances this season while appearing defensively at five positions.

Earlier this week, the Rockies placed outfielder David Dahl, a first-time all-star last season, on the injured list with a lower-back injury. Dahl is off to a woeful start this season with a .481 OPS and was in the middle of a career-worst hitless streak that’s now reached. To replace him, the Rox called up former top prospect and infielder Brendan Rodgers.

It’s Jon Gray (1-2, 5.74) on the mound here. Gray earned his first win of the season Sunday after allowing three earned runs over seven innings against the Rangers. Gray struck out seven Rangers and surrendered only three hits, though two of them were home runs.

Gray looked like he was in for a tough outing as he surrendered two home runs and three earned runs through four innings. However, he retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced to salvage a strong outing, particularly given that it was at Coors Field. It was a bounce-back effort for Gray, as he was hit around for eight earned runs in his previous outing. Gray had been concerned that his velocity was in the 94-95 range. But vs. Texas he played the fastball well off his secondary pitches.

Gray is 5-5 with a 4.36 ERA (74.1 IP, 36 ER) in 14 career starts against the Dodgers, including a 1-4 record with a 6.35 ERA (22.2 IP, 16 ER) at Dodger Stadium. He made three starts vs. the Dodgers in 2019, all at Coors Field, going 2-1 with a 3.48 ERA (20.2 IP, 8 ER). In his last start vs. Los Angeles on July 29, tossed eight innings and allowed one run on three hits.

Why Bet on LA Dodgers?

The Dodgers were heavy favorites before the season to win another NL West title and now it appears that’s a formality with the team starting to hit on all cylinders. How deep is the L.A. pitching staff? The team has optioned RHP Tony Gonsolin to their alternate training site. Gonsolin has worked 14 2/3 scoreless innings across three starts this season for the Dodgers, but they have the luxury of immense pitching depth. The Dodger bullpen has amassed an MLB-best 1.57 ERA and a .189 batting average against.

Since returning to the lineup on August 7 from a sore middle finger, Mookie Betts batting .320 with seven homers, 12 runs scored and 15 RBI. All Betts’ homers this season have been against right-handed pitchers and he is batting .371 against righties. He leads the National League in several categories against right-handed pitchers, including total bases, slugging and OPS.

The issue for the Dodgers overall has been vs. lefties this year. They are hitting.213/.295/.351, 24th in MLB in OPS (.646) and 21st in wRC+ (82).

“The average and the surface numbers certainly don’t look good. But the expected slug, I think, is a lot better. With the quality of contact and the unluckiness, I think that there’s something to that,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. “These guys have got to continue to take those at bats against the lefties.”

Young ace Walker Buehler (0-0, 5.21) takes the mound. Buehler allowed five runs — four earned — while throwing 4 2/3 innings in his start against the Angels last Saturday while not factoring into the decision. Buehler allowed six hits with a walk, and he struck out five. The right-hander ran into trouble immediately and allowed a two-run homer to Mike Trout in the first, and he gave up another run in the third with two more scoring in the fifth before he exited.

Buehler has not been the same dominant pitcher he was in 2019, when he posted a 3.26 ERA in 30 starts. Buehler has pitched four straight no-decisions, is yet to reach the sixth inning in any of his outings, and has allowed at least two earned runs in every one of his four appearances. Roberts said Buehler looks close to his normal self, but the 5.21 ERA doesn’t.

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