Sportsbook Handicappers Note Dodgers Loss of Best Hitter. A major injury to the Los Angeles Dodgers has gotten the attention from handicappers at the sportsbook. The Dodgers have lost outfielder Andre Ethier who was leading the National League in hitting, home runs and RBIs. It is a huge loss for the Dodgers and could affect their success vs. the odds at the online sportsbook.
Sportsbook odds may not be adjusted much but the Dodgers may not have as much success without their leading hitter. Ethier broke a bone in his right pinkie on Saturday and he could be out for a while. “I was just in the cage hitting, taking regular swings,” Ethier said, “This is something I have done quite a few times before, but it’s usually a sprain or a bruise. This time, it finally gave way, I think. I swung three or four more times afterward, thinking it was just a sprain. But then I sat around for an hour, and it started throbbing a little bit.”
The Dodgers have not decided whether or not to place Ethier on the DL. Regardless of whether or not he goes on the DL, Ethier is going to miss some playing time. Backups Reed Johnson and Garret Anderson will have to hold the fort until he returns. It will not be easy since Ethier was hitting .392 with 11 doubles, 11 homers and 38 RBIs. He was also leading the league with a .744 slugging percentage and he was second in the National League with a .457 on-base percentage.
Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp may get all of the attention for the Dodgers in terms of offense, but it has been Ethier who has carried the load this season. It will be interesting to see how the Dodgers do without him in the lineup. The sportsbook odds probably won’t change much and going against the Dodgers may not be the best course of action. A better choice might be to start betting Los Angeles games under the online sportsbook total. The Dodgers are starting to get better pitching and with Ethier out of the lineup they are likely to score fewer runs and that means lower scoring game vs. the odds at the sportsbook. Early in the season the Dodgers were a great team to bet over the total at the sportsbook but that may now change with Ethier out of the lineup.