Dodgers Win Total Prediction
Will the Los Angeles Dodgers be the team to beat in the National League in 2017? Here’s our pick for their win total this season.
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Dodgers over/under for wins in 2017 has been set at 94. The over has odds of +100 while the under sits at -130. Their odds to win the 2017 World Series are listed at 7/1 currently, while their odds to win the NLCS are at 7/2.
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The Dodgers are coming off a NL West championship in 2016. They went 91-71 last season to win the division by 4 games. Los Angeles eventually reached the NLCS before losing to the Chicago Cubs in six games. Dave Roberts returns for his second season as manager after leading the team to the division title a year ago. Coming into 2017, L.A. has won at least 91 games in for straight seasons, including a 94-68 record in 2014.
Pitching was a big strength for the Dodgers last season, as they allowed just 638 runs in 2016, which ranked fifth-fewest in the majors. Clayton Kershaw was only able to start 21 games last season because of a back injury. He still went 12-4 with a 1.69 ERA and 172 strikeouts in only 149 innings of work. He was able to pitch in the postseason and should be ready to go this year. Kenta Maeda was 16-11 last season to lead the team in wins. He had a 3.48 ERA with 179 strikeouts. Rich Hill signed with the team in the offseason after closing out the season with them in a trade. He was 3-2 in six starts with a 1.83 ERA. In the bullpen, Kenley Jansen is back after picking up 47 saves with a 1.83 ERA last season. The team also signed former Giants closer Sergio Romo in the offseason. He had a 2.64 ERA in 30.2 innings of work last season. He has a 2.58 ERA for his career over 439.2 innings.
When it comes to the plate, the Dodgers scored 725 runs in 2016. Certainly that isn’t bad, but it was just seventh in the NL. The team didn’t have a single 100-RBI hitter as Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner each had 90 RBI to lead the team. One thing the Dodgers had was some balance in power, as four players had at least 25 home runs and at least six had 26 doubles or more. Gonzalez and Turner are both back to lead the offense while Corey Seager is also back after having a .308 average with 72 RBI and 40 doubles. The team also has Yasiel Puig, but he had just a .263 average with only 11 home runs and 45 RBI in 2016.
The Dodgers have some great arms to work with and a bullpen that should be very tough to get past. That will take them pretty far. I do have concerns about the lineup, though, as they Dodgers don’t have a lineup I expect to consistently come through. The pitching won’t always be there and I don’t think their hitters can pick them up on those days. Getting to 94 wins is a tall task and I don’t see the Dodgers having the makeup to get there.
2017 MLB SEASON WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES DODGERS UNDER 94