Sports Spotlight On Scherzer Versus Kershaw Tonight in Los Angeles

With two potential Hall of Fame pitchers, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw, facing off against first-place MLB clubs tonight, Dodger Stadium will be the focus of much of the sports attention as the NFL begins its preseason.

Over 3000 Strikeouts

The 41-year-old Scherzer, who currently pitches for the Toronto Blue Jays, faces Kershaw of the Dodgers in their fourth meeting in their respective illustrious careers, which began in 2008 when Kershaw was a rookie with the Dodgers at the age of 20 and Scherzer was 24 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

10:10 p.m. EST is the game time.  This article claims that Scherzer and Kershaw are the first two pitchers in Major League Baseball history to start against one another as rookies and record more than 3,000 strikeouts over their careers.

The Blue Jays are winning.

With a record of 68-48, the Blue Jays lead the American League East by four games over the Boston Red Sox, who are in second place. They just defeated the Rockies in three games in Colorado, scoring 45 runs on 63 hits.

After losing a three-game series at home (1-2) to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers are still in first place in the National League West at 66-49.  Since July 1, the Dodgers have a 13–17 record.

The Dodgers Are Holding Fast

The Dodgers are two games ahead of the San Diego Padres, who may have done the most to bolster their lineup during the trade deadline.

But first, let's talk about Scherzer and Kershaw, who will be facing battle on the mound tonight.  Last off-season, Scherzer agreed to a $15 million one-year contract with the Jays, but he missed the opening few months of the season due to a persistent thumb injury.

His success with the Jays has increased recently; in 8 starts, he has struck out 44 batters in 41.0 innings pitched, with a 4.39 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.  In 65.2 innings pitched, Kershaw has a 3.29 ERA, 42 strikeouts, and a 1.25 WHIP.  Kershaw has been sidelined by persistent injury problems, including during the Dodgers' World Series run last season, in which they defeated the New York Yankees.

The Hall of Famers

The highlights of their career are nearly encyclopedic.  Scherzer is an eight-time all-star, a member of the 3K strikeout club, a three-time Cy Young Award winner (2013, 2016, 2017), a two-hitter, a tie for the most strikeouts in a 9-inning game (20), a World Series champion in 2019 and 2023, and a pitcher with a 3.18 career ERA.

Next up is Kershaw, who won the 2020 World Series, won three Cy Young Awards in 2011 and 2014, pitched a no-hitter, won the NL MVP award in 204 games, was named an 11-time all-star, reached the 3K strikeout club, and had a 2.52 career ERA.

It's just two titans facing forth.

The hype is being picked up by sportsbooks.  Tonight is the "3,000-K Club Showdown," according to ESPN Bet.

Second-Most Bet Prop Strikeouts by Scherzer

A representative for the team told Casino.org that Scherzer's 5+ strikeouts (-220) rank fourth in terms of total bets in the game, behind the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani's home run, the Jays' Bo Bichette's 1.5 hits, and Freeman's 0.5 hits.

After Ohtani, Scherzer is the second most-bet player prop in the game by total handle with 9+ strikeouts (+900).

Seventy-three percent of bets and sixty-six percent of handle are on the over on Scherzer's most balanced line of 5.5 strikeouts (O +105, U –140).  On Kershaw's most evenly distributed line of 2.5 strikeouts (O –175, U +125), 98.1% of handle and 84.6% of bets are on the over.

The majority of wagers on Jays

Tonight's Initial Thought:  The chances for Scherzer and Kershaw both recording a strikeout in the first inning have been increased from Even to +135 at ESPN BET.

Regarding the actual game, 62.4% of bets and 81.1% of handle are on Over 8.5, while 53.2% of bets and 71.2% of handle are on Blue Jays ML.

At BetMGM, 72% of bets are placed on the spread bet Jays +1.5, and 73% are placed on the Over/Under 9 (Over is -105).  At 73%, moneyline wagers are also largely on the Blue Jays (+115).

Additionally, about 80% of wagers at FanDuel are on the Blue Jays to win this evening.  Ohtani's "To Hit a Home Run," Bichette's "To Hit a Home Run," and Max Muncy's "To Hit a Home Run" are the three most wagered player props for the game.