After a short regular season and a fun postseason thus far, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays are ready to start the 2020 World Series on Tuesday. These teams were the best during the regular season, as the Dodgers finished with a 43-17 mark, six games better than second-place San Diego.
The Rays went 40-20 and beat the Yankees by seven games in the AL East. Looking at the MLB betting odds for Game 1, the Dodgers are -175, with a total set at 7.5 runs.
Kershaw Gets The Ball For Los Angeles
Dave Roberts has gone to his 32-year-old lefthander from Dallas, Clayton Kershaw, who has been long criticized for his postseason past. Kershaw is 1-2 in the World Series.
After winning a game in the 2017 Series, the lefthander lost twice in 2018 to the Astros. The last start Kershaw made was against the Braves in the NLCS. Kershaw allowed seven hits and four runs in five innings.
The Dodgers’ lineup for the Dodgers is loaded. It was loaded before this season, and then they added Mookie Betts, making MLB news. Betts was one of the best players in the American League and is now a stud for the Dodgers.
The 28-year-old is on a three-game hitting streak, including two hits in the Game 7 win in the NLCS. He has set the table well for Corey Seager, who bats behind him.
Seager was named the NLCS MVP. While he did not pick up a hit in Game 7, he finished the series with nine hits, including five home runs.
Cody Bellinger had the big hit in the Game 7 win with a late home run. The left-handed slugger struggled during the regular season with a .239 batting average.
His power was still there, though, with 12 home runs. In the postseason, Bellinger has 11 hits in 44 at-bats, including three home runs.
The Dodgers are 9-3 in the postseason. After sweeping the Brewers in two games and the Padres in three, they had to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NLCS.
Rays Getting It Done
Manager Kevin Cash has pulled all the right strings so far for the Rays. The Rays have been great in the postseason, going 9-5 so far. The Rays swept Toronto in two games, then went to a full five-game series against the Yankees. Tampa Bay led 3-0 over the Astros in the ALCS before needing a Game 7 win to take the series.
Offensively, the Rays have been middle of the road. But the pitching staff has been incredible, compiling the third-best ERA at 3.56.
Tyler Glasnow will start Game 1. The 27-year-old threw six innings and allowed eight hits in his most recent start against the Astros.
The Rays offense has seen Randy Arozarena guide the way. The outfielder saw just 76 plate appearances during the regular season. In the postseason, he has been an everyday player and dominated in every series.
He went 4-for-8 in the sweep over Toronto, then followed that up with three home runs in the series against the Yankees. In the American League Championship Series, he was named the Most Valuable Player after hitting four home runs in the seven games.
Betting Pick and Prediction
Kershaw has plenty of postseason demons, but it’s time for the big lefthander to erase that. Kershaw is ready to blow it by the tough and pesky Rays lineup. Look for Kershaw to be sharp in this game, and the stingy Dodgers bullpen takes care of the rest.
The Dodgers win this game. Our MLB betting picks for wagers to make for Game 1 include the Dodgers -170, the Dodgers -1.5 (+115), and the under 7.5. Los Angeles takes the series lead 1-0 over the Rays.
