Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers – MLB, June 14, 2021

MLB fans get a fun one at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, as the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Philadelphia Phillies in the final game of the night.

There isn’t elite pitching to be seen here, which could demand the bats to come out to play. Spencer Howard (0-1, 4.61 ERA) hopes to contain the Dodgers, of course, while Tony Gonsolin (0-0, 5.40 ERA) aims to silence the Phillies, as well.

Could baseball fans be in for an explosive affair? That’s certainly the way this game is leaning, but bettors will want to take a closer look before placing their bets.

To help you make the best bet possible, I’ll break this contest down in my Phillies vs. Dodgers betting pick and prediction for June 14th.

The pricing at BetOnline understandably favors the Dodgers here. L.A. comes in at a healthy 39-26, and they’re in good form with a 7-3 run over their last 10 games.

The Dodgers are known for their stellar play at home, and they’ve continued that narrative with a strong 21-11 mark at Dodger Stadium in 2021. They also continue to fight for first place in the NL West (1 game back), so one of the most talented teams in baseball has every reason to fight to win.

Neither the Dodgers nor Phillies have been better than average ATS, though, so things could get tricky if you play the run line.

As for the game total, it’s a healthy nine runs. The Dodgers are second in the majors in runs scored and have one of the deadliest offenses as a whole. They alone could hit the Over here, and it’s worth noting the Over is 35-28-2 (7th best in MLB) for them this season.

At first glance, the bets that make the most sense are Dodgers (-1.5), Dodgers to win, and the Over. However, let’s take a closer look to see which bet is the preferred option to target tonight.

The pitching is far from elite here. Spencer Howard is a top prospect for Philly, but he hasn’t exactly pitched like it.

The sample size has admittedly been small for Howard this year, but he’s struggled on the road so far. Unfortunately, his 2020 production wasn’t any better, and he has historically had issues against lefties.

High walk rates, high fly ball rates, and low ground ball rates make him vulnerable against a stacked Dodgers offense. The only question here is whether or not he’ll be facing a healthy L.A. lineup.

It doesn’t get that much better with Tony Gonsolin on the other side. He was totally fine in his only appearance this year, and he flashed nice ability in 2020.

That said, Gonsolin walked a whopping five batters in his first stint of 2021, which isn’t very encouraging.

 If his control isn’t better against the Phillies, he could be in for a tough one.

Los Angeles probably still has the slight edge on the mound here, and if they’re close to full strength, they’d definitely hold the advantage at the plate, as well.

I really like the Dodgers here, which should surprise nobody. They play well at home, they’re loaded offensively, and Howard isn’t yet an arm to fear.

L.A. at -159 remains a steal, and I think you can bet on them to cover the -1.5 run line pretty comfortably, too. My favorite bet, however, is the Over. 

I honestly like all three bets and think you can hammer them together, but it’s going to be warm (82 degrees) with a light wind blowing out. Add in two very explosive offenses and average pitching, and I’ll be shocked if this one is a snoozer.

You can bet on the Dodgers any way you want, but the Over is what stands out for me here.