Dodgers vs Brewers Picks and Odds – Urias vs Bettinger (May 2)
- The Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon hoping to avoid a four-game sweep (May 2, 2:10 pm EST)
- Julio Urias (3-0, 3.23 ERA) will start for the Dodgers, while the Brewers will counter with debutant Alec Bettinger (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
- Read below for a preview and betting prediction for the game
After an 11-inning loss Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be looking to avoid a four-game series sweep on Sunday when they play the Brewers in Milwaukee once again. The reigning World Series winners have now lost three straight games and six of their last seven, while the decimated Brewers – with 16 players currently on the injured list – have the National League’s best record at 17-10.
Dodgers vs Brewers Odds
Team | Moneyline | Runline at FanDuel | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Dodgers | -186 | -1.5 (-104) | Over 8.5 (-106) |
Milwaukee Brewers | +156 | +1.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-114) |
Odds taken May 2nd
Given the pitching matchup, the Dodgers are an understandable -186 favorite in the Dodgers vs Brewers odds. But a combination of efficient pitching by the Brewers and a mostly inept offense from the Dodgers has resulted in Milwaukee taking the first three games. Can the Dodgers bats break out here?
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Untouchable Urias
The Dodgers left-hander has been almost unstoppable for the Dodgers this season, going 3-0 with a 3.23 ERA in five starts so far in 2021. Los Angeles has gone 4-1 in games in which the Mexican pitcher has started.
Julio Urias has made a habit of walking off the mound anticipating the strikeout before the ball touches the catchers glove. The confidence is off the charts right now, and it should be pic.twitter.com/1206AdOTrI
— David Rosenthal (@_therealdrose) April 27, 2021
But then fans and bettors should have gotten used to Urias’s dominance by now. He was 3-0 with a 3.27 ERA in 10 starts last season, and hasn’t suffered a loss since Aug. 9, 2019, against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Including the 2020 postseason, Urias is unbeaten his last 22 games (17 starts), going 10-0 with a 2.82 ERA since July 26, 2020.
Julio Urías with a few takeaways from his outing and the #Dodgers bullpen. pic.twitter.com/G4vhlZhH7E
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 27, 2021
If there’s a sliver of hope for the Brewers, it’s that Urias arguably had his worst outing in his most recent start, April 26 against the Cincinnati Reds. In his shortest start of the year, he was pulled after just five innings, having been on the hook for three earned runs in what eventually turned out to be a 5-3 home loss.
Urias has been productive against Milwaukee throughout his career though, owning a 2-1 record with a 2.86 ERA in four starts against the NL Central franchise.
Brewers Career Stats vs Urias
Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jackie Bradley Jr. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mario Feliciano | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Avisail Garcia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Keston Hiura | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Luke Maile | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Billy McKinney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pablo Reyes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Travis Shaw | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Tyrone Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Luis Urias | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Daniel Vogelbach | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kolten Wong | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bettinger Makes MLB Debut
It’s never easy making your major-league debut. It doesn’t get any easier when it involves taking the mound against the defending world champions, who will be stung after losing on Saturday night after twice taking the lead in extra innings, before falling 6-5.
A baptism of fire for Bettinger tonight as he takes the mound. Activated from Nashville, he hasn’t played above AA level and brings a 5-7 record and 3.44 ERA from his 2019 season with Biloxi. Good luck mate. @brewers #ThisIsMyCrew
— BrummieBrewer (@BrumBrewer) May 2, 2021
Add to that the fact that Los Angeles has now lost three straight, and eight of its last 10, means that the Dodgers will present 25-year-old Alec Bettinger with a desperate opponent. Obviously the right-hander has the benefit of being an unknown quantity on the mound, and is up against a team that is batting just .205 over its last 10 games, and had mustered just two runs in the first two games of this series.
Dodgers Offensively Challenged
Considering how much of a juggernaut Los Angeles was in 2020, the drop-off has been alarming. Last year, the Dodgers led the majors in home runs (118) and slugging (.483). This season, they have dropped into a tie for 13th in homers (32) and a tie for 11th in slugging (.397).
After tonight's extra-inning loss to the Brewers, the Dodgers are 3-10 since April 18.
That's the worst record in the National League over that span and only the Tigers (2-11) have been worse in all of MLB.@travis_shaw21 can't believe it either… pic.twitter.com/3J2P6ww0hE
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 2, 2021
Brewers Far From Special
Despite owning the second-best record in MLB, it is certainly a surprise to see the Brewers riding this high. The team is a patchwork collection of walking wounded, with 16 players currently on the IL, and its offense is anything but spectacular.
Travis Shaw Walks It Off🔥🔥🔥
Brewers have now taken 3 straight from the World Series Champion Dodgers #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/62HzqiA7GU
— IKE Brewers Podcast (@IKE_Brewers) May 2, 2021
The team’s batting average of .214 is good enough for last overall in the NL, while its OBP of .301 is tied for last in the league with Colorado. On top of that, the team is just 8-7 at home, a record that has only just crept above .500 owing to the three consecutive wins in this series.
Brewers are tied with the Royals for best record in baseball. Small market magic pic.twitter.com/4GQG0zVCXs
— IKE Brewers Podcast (@IKE_Brewers) May 2, 2021
However, they have played the Dodgers well over the past few season, with the two teams splitting their last 12 games, with six apiece.
Pick: Over 8.5 (-106)