Prior to the start of every MLB season, every fan of the game of baseball makes bold predictions about all sorts of different things, from who will win individual divisions to which two teams will be going head to head in the World Series. Every year, many of those predictions go up in smoke, with some teams failing to live up to expectations, while dark horse teams come out of nowhere to make a serious run at the playoffs. Still, there are probably a lot of folks who picked the New York Yankees and the LA Dodgers to be the teams squaring off in the World Series.

If you had that as your pick, then things are looking good, although things very often have a tendency to go a little pear-shaped once the postseason begins. These two teams are definitely going to be playing beyond the end of the regular season, but whether they do meet in the World Series remains to be seen. This is a still a chance to get a preview of what could be a future classic. It is the Dodgers who are favored by 1 ½ at home, with the run total set at 8 ½.

Yankees vs Dodgers MLB Odds & Pick for Friday Night

• When: Friday, August 23 at 10:10 PM EST
• Where: Dodger Stadium, LA
• Starting Pitchers: Paxton vs. Ryu
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Radio: AM 570
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Odds: Los Angeles Dodgers -140 (Total 8.5)

Nationals vs Cubs MLB Odds, Game Info & Prediction

Weather Forecast

• Sunny: 23°C/74°F
• Humidity: 68%
• Precipitation: 1%
• Cloud Cover: 2%
• Wind: 5 mph SSW
• Stadium Type: Open

Why bet on the New York Yankees?

The New York Yankees have picked the worst possible time to go off the boil, heading into LA to face the best team in baseball on the heels of a 4-game losing skid. The slide started with a rare home loss at the hands of the Cleveland Indians, and it carried on over onto the road, with the Yankees getting swept in 3 games by the A’s in Oakland.

The problem that the Yankees now face is that their skid is allowing the Houston Astros to creep up on them in search of the #1 seed in the American League. While they have been better at home, the Yankees also have a solid 34-26 record on the road, although they are just 7-7 ATS as a road dog. The Yankees boast a 10-7 record in interleague play. They will have James Paxton (9-6, 4.53 ERA) starting this one.

Team Stats

• Runs: 5.88
• Hits: 9.37
• Walks: 3.60
• Strike Outs: 8.66

Defense

• Runs: 4.77
• Hits: 8.70
• Walks: 3.09
• Strike Outs: 9.13

Why bet on the LA Dodgers?

The Dodgers received a little bit of a wake-up call last week in losing 2 of 3 to the Atlanta Braves, a sure sign that they are probably not going to just coast through the playoffs. Upon returning home, the Dodgers got back to the business of winning, sweeping the Blue Jays in 3 games. While that result was not totally unexpected, it should be seen as a sign that this team is not ready to take their foot off the gas anytime soon.

With that 3-game sweep, the Dodgers are now a truly remarkable 51-16 in their own ballpark. In interleague play, though, they have been very much middle of the road, going 6-6 SU in 12 games. They will hand the ball to Hyun-Jin Ryu (12-3, 1.64 ERA) for this one.

Team Stats

• Runs: 5.55
• Hits: 8.88
• Walks: 3.92
• Strike Outs: 8.18

Defense

• Runs: 3.80
• Hits: 7.54
• Walks: 2.33
• Strike Outs: 9.12

Yankees vs Dodgers MLB Week 21 Betting Trends

• Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games against an opponent in the National League
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees’ last 6 games on the road
• Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers’ last 5 games played in August
• Dodgers are 51-16 against the money line in home games this season
• Yankees are 83-46 against the money line in all games this season
• Paxton is 0-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 7.11 and a WHIP of 1.264
• Ryu is 0-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.167

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Yankees vs Dodgers

I think we are in for a bit of a treat in this series, but I also think the Yankees might be in trouble on Friday night. The combination of the Dodgers at home and Ryu on the mound usually means a win for LA.

Score: New York Yankees 2 – LA Dodgers 3