Premiere Sports Betting, Sportsbook Sign Up Bonus

It’s time we take a look at our MLB Betting update for the latest Major League Baseball news out there so you can continue betting against the MLB odds.

2021 MLB Betting News & Rumors September 8th Edition

The Los Angeles Dodgers remain the World Series betting favorites on the MLB odds, but they are still battling the San Francisco Giants for the NL West title. Whichever team finishes second would have to play in the Wild-Card Game. Thus, it’s vital to capture the division.

If there’s no distance between these two teams atop the NL West come the end of play on Oct. 3, they’ll play again — for the division crown — on Oct. 4 at Oracle Park. Game 163. The Giants would get to host because they won the season series 10-9.

The Dodgers are a bit thin in their rotation right now with Trevor Bauer likely out of the season due to legal issues and three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw having missed several weeks, but the lefty could be close to returning as he began a rehab assignment on Tuesday at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

While it is not confirmed what role he will be used in once joining the club, it is unlikely that Kershaw’s workload will resemble anything close to what it was early this season as the postseason looms. Kershaw could be targeting a September 13-15 return at home against the Diamondbacks if no setbacks from Tuesday’s outing.

Kershaw last pitched for the Dodgers on July 3, and has been sidelined since with inflammation in his left elbow/forearm. Briefly shut down by arm soreness during his rehab, Kershaw has been pain free of late. Before going on the injured list, Kershaw was having another excellent season, throwing 106 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.39 and excellent strikeout and walk rates of 30.1% and 4.5%, respectively.

Another pitcher, Tony Gonsolin, could be back much sooner. Gonsolin has been sidelined since July 31 with right shoulder inflammation but had no problems over the weekend in a rehab start with High-A Rancho Cucamonga. Gonsolin allowed a run on three hits for the Quakes, throwing 41 pitches in his first game action in five weeks. Gonsolin could pitch as soon as Thursday in St. Louis.

Meanwhile, the future isn’t as clear for two-time NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom as the New York Mets try for a playoff push. On Tuesday, the Mets finally told the world what was wrong with their ace: Team president Sandy Alderson said deGrom has been sidelined with a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, but that injury has healed and the ligament is “perfectly intact, based on the MRIs and our clinical evaluations through our doctors.”

Alderson seemed unsure if deGrom will return before the 2021 campaign ends. “I don’t expect he is going to get ramped up higher than 75 percent before we have an idea where this is going,” he said. In terms of him pitching the rest of the season, I think that is still very much up in the air.”

For months, the Mets had indicated deGrom wasn’t being shut down due to structural damage in his arm. Even a UCL sprain can be a precursor to Tommy John surgery, which would knock out deGrom for the rest of the 2021 season and most if not all of the 2022 season.

The Mets first placed him on the injured list on July 18 (retroactive to July 15) with tightness in his forearm. However, he continued to deal with elbow inflammation and was shut down for two-week stints on both July 30 and Aug. 13. Because he’s on the 60-day injured list, the earliest deGrom could return is Sept. 13, but that’s not happening.

DeGrom has a 1.08 ERA with 146 strikeouts in 92 innings across 15 starts. He was in consideration for not just a third Cy Young Award, but the NL MVP.

It’s possible, but not all that likely, that the Mets and Dodgers could meet in the NL Wild-Card Game.

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?