The Phillies are surging. The Dodgers are not. The Phillies just swept the best team in the National League on the road. The Dodgers just stumbled through a three-game series in Colorado, losing the last two.

The Phillies are hot and staying on the West Coast. The Dodgers return home, and instead of the Los Angeles Dodgers we are used to seeing we have the Manny-less Dodgers as Manny Ramirez was sent to the White Sox on Sunday.

The Phillies send ace Roy Halladay to the mound tonight at 10:15 p.m. ET in Los Angeles to face a Dodgers team it beat four games to one in the NLCS last year.

Everything seems to be going right for the Phillies and wrong for the Dodgers.

On paper it’s a mismatch, but a closer look shows this game is by no means a layup for the Phillies.

This is the second series between the two teams in the past three weeks. Earlier this month the Phillies took two of three from Los Angeles even though the Dodgers outscored them 24-21 over the three games.

MLB Predictions: Pitching Matchup
Roy Halladay (RHP, 16-9, 2.22 ERA) vs. Hiroki Kuroda (RHP, 9-11, 3.56 ERA)

Halladay has been the most consistent pitcher in the league this year. He is a favorite to win the
Cy Young award. Halladay has owned Los Angeles in his career. He has a 3-0 record with a 1.50 ERA, but all those starts have come while he was in Toronto and before 2007.

Kuroda and Halladay are both inning eaters so bullpens should play limited roles in this one. Kuroda is 2-6 in his last 10 starts. Last season he was the main culprit in the Dodgers 11-0 shutout loss to Philadelphia in Game 3 of the NLCS. He was tagged for six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings.

In the regular season, though, Kuroda is 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA against Philadelphia and, more importantly, he has dominated the heart of a Philadelphia lineup that is struggling immensely already right now. Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard are a combined 0-for-21 against Kuroda.

On the flip side of that a handful of Dodgers have given Halladay fits over the years, mostly with other teams. Casey Blake is 5-for-10 against Halladay with a home run and five RBI. Andre Ethier is 3-for-4 against the Phillies’ ace with a home run. Reed Johnson hit a home run off Halladay in one of his three at bats. Scott Podsednik is 5-for-12 against Halladay.

Phillies vs. Dodgers Baseball Betting Odds
The Phillies are road favorites at -145 with the Dodgers listed at 6.5 The total is 6.5 with an ‘over’ priced at -105. Lines are courtesy of Sportsbook.com.

The odds might be the most interesting aspect of this game. These are the odds that a bettor would have had to lay to wager on Halladay over his last eight starts, -340, -330, -205, -210, -185, -265 and -205. Now against the Dodgers all of a sudden Halladay is priced at -145.

Phillies vs. Dodgers Betting Trends
Phillies are 5-0 in their last five road games
Phillies are 1-4 in their last five games as a favorite
Phillies are 6-1 in Halladay’s last seven starts
Dodgers are 38-16 in their last 54 home games vs. a right-handed starter
Dodgers are 1-5 in their last six games as a home underdog
Phillies are 5-1 in the last six meetings between these two teams

Phillies vs. Dodgers Baseball Betting Picks and Predictions
There are plenty of justifiable reasons to jump on the low price of -145 and take the Phillies in this situation, but this scenario just does not pass the smell test. The Dodgers are home and with a lineup of players who historically present a problem for Halladay. Kuroda’s record is not an indication of the stellar season he has had.

From a distance this matchup overwhelmingly favors the Phillies, but in terms of individual matchups, the advantage goes to the Dodgers. The pick is the underdog, Manny-less Dodgers.

Jason Sharpe is the newest member of Doc’s Sports Advisory Board, but he is not new to the sports betting scene, as he has made a living in Las Vegas for several years betting sports as a Wise Guy. For his baseball picks, he has hit three straight Game of the Week picks and has a 6-Unit MLB Game of the Month coming for Tuesday. If you are interested in baseball betting, this is one guy you don’t want to miss. Also, check Doc’s Sports homepage each day for exclusive baseball betting articles, current baseball lines and matchup reports to boot!