LA Dodgers vs Oakland Athletics Pick

Time: 10:05 PM ET
Where: Oakland Coliseum. Oakland, California.
Listed Pitchers: Rich Hill (LAD) & Sean Manaea (OAK)
TV: NBC-California
Moneyline: LAD (-117) / OAK (+107)
Over/Under: 8

After a day off on Monday, the Los Angeles Dodgers head north to the Bay area to face-off with the red-hot Oakland A’s in an interleague battle. Tuesday night’s game will be the first of a two-game set at Oakland Coliseum, and the third time these two clubs clash this season. The series is tied at one a piece, despite Oakland outscoring LA 16-10. Wednesday will mark the fourth and final Regular Season meeting between these in-state foes. Clayton Kershaw is slated to get the ball for the visitors, while Brett Anderson will toe the rubber for the A’s.

Despite losing their most recent series (2-1), the Dodgers stole one from the Reigning World Series Champion Houston Astros 3-2 Sunday night to avoid a three-game losing streak. Since the All-Star Break, Los Angeles is 9-8 (.529) which hasn’t caused them to lose any ground in the National League West Division. At 62-51 (.549), the Dodgers are tied for first place in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Having scored 537 runs, LA owns the second-best offense in the NL. On the flip side, the Dodgers have the best arms in the National League. They’ve allowed just 442 runs thus far, which is ranked the fewest of all NL squads. Los Angeles’s +95 run differential is second-best in the NL. On the road, the Dodgers are 31-23 (.574) this season.

Tuesday night’s game will be the seventh of an eight-game homestand for the surging Oakland A’s. It couldn’t have gone any better thus far. The A’s have won six consecutive games at Oakland Coliseum, outscoring opponents 33-7. Consequently, the A’s own a 2.5 game lead over Seattle for the second and final Wild Card spot in the American League. Since the All-Star break, Oakland’s accrued a 12-4 (.750) record.

Overall, the A’s are 67-46 (.593) which puts them in second place in the American League West Division. They’re just four games behind the Houston Astros. Oakland has scored 538 runs (5th AL) and allowed 479 (6th AL), giving them a +59 (5th AL) run differential this year. The A’s are the best team in MLB in one-run games this year, going 21-9 (.700) in such instances. Not to mention, Oakland has the best record in MLB since June 16th: 33-10 (.767). At home, the A’s are 32-22 (.593) on the season.

Veteran lefty Rich Hill (4-4, 3.63 ERA & 1.29 WHIP) gets the start for the Dodgers in this one. Hill’s been showing top notch form lately, going 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in his last three starts. On the road, Hill is 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in seven starts this season. The savvy vet has only posted one career start at Oakland Coliseum and it wasn’t pretty. Hill’s 0-1 with a 135.00 ERA and 25.00 WHIP at Oakland in his career.

Sean Manaea (10-7, 3.38 ERA & 1.01 WHIP) will start for the sizzling hot A’s Tuesday night. The young lefty hasn’t allowed more than three runs in his last 11 starts. On May 30th, Manaea allowed four runs in five innings in a loss versus Tampa Bay. Manaea faced the Dodgers earlier in the year on April 10th. He allowed two runs over five frames, earning the loss in what was eventually a 4-0 Los Angeles victory. Consequently, Manaea’s 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in his career versus the Dodgers. In his last ten games, Manaea’s gone 5-1 with a 3.10 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. At home, Manaea’s 4-4 with a 3.25 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 11 starts this season.

Initially, I suspected the under (8) may be the play in this one because both pitchers have been sensational for quite some time now. After prudent analysis, it seems like that’s a crapshoot and not the most optimal bet offered in this one. Oakland’s been the best team in baseball since mid-June, yet somehow they’re the underdog at home here? They’re also riding a six-game home winning streak and will be sending arguably their best pitcher to the mound Tuesday night. Right now, we can get Oakland at +107 on the money line. This means the A’s need to win this game 48.3% of the time to make betting on them profitable. Oakland’s 12-4 (.750) since returning from the All-Star break, and they’ve won 33 of their last 43 (.767). According to my calculations, the A’s have a 69.4% chance to win this game. Consequently, we have a monumental 21.1% edge against the number with Oakland. In terms of value on Tuesday’s MLB card, there isn’t a better bang for your buck than taking the A’s on the money line in this one. Give us your take in our MLB discussion board.