Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks might not have one of the longest running rivalries in Major League Baseball, but it is quickly turning into one of the best. The Dodgers and Diamondbacks have been battling since the 1998 season when Arizona came into the National League as an expansion team.

Both Arizona and Los Angeles are members of the National League West Division, and that division is traditionally one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. It is hard to make a prediction when the Dodgers and Diamondbacks take the field, but the odds are that it will be a terrific baseball game. As the rivalry continues to grow between the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks, expect the bad blood between both the players and the fans to increase.

History of Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks Rivalry

The Los Angeles Dodgers ignited this rivalry with a little postgame celebration back in 2013. The Dodgers players celebrated a NL West Division Championship in 2013 by jumping in the pool at Chase Field, and the Diamondbacks organization was not happy about it. Things heated up even more when the two teams met up for a best-of-five NLDS series in 2017 that the Dodgers ultimately ended up winning. These two rivals have been playing each other for just over 20 seasons, but this rivalry continuing to grow is one of the easiest predictions about Major League Baseball to make.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been one of the most successful teams in the Major Leagues since joining the NL in 1998. The Diamondbacks have played in the same ballpark since their expansion season, and the ballpark was formerly known as Bank One Ballpark. Left-handed pitcher Randy Johnson is the most famous player to wear a Diamondbacks uniform and has a D-Backs logo on his Hall of Fame plaque. Outfielder Luis Gonzalez leads the team in several offensive categories and is a member of the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. The Diamondbacks have a large budget and plenty of fan support, and they will continue to be a force in the National League West.

While the Diamondbacks are still extremely young as a Major League Baseball franchise, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been around for a long time. The Dodgers got their start in Brooklyn in 1883 and moved to Los Angeles and the National League West before the 1958 season. The Dodgers played four seasons in the Los Angeles Coliseum before moving to iconic Dodger Stadium in 1962. Many consider the Dodgers as the gold standard in the National League, and they are one of the most iconic sports franchises in North America. The Dodgers are usually a solid prediction to be one of the top teams in the National League each season.

Head to Head Comparison of Dodgers and Diamondbacks

The Dodgers franchise has obviously been around a lot longer than the Diamondbacks, and they have a much more storied past. The Dodgers have won the National League pennant a total of 23 times and have six World Series Championships. Los Angeles has won the National League in back to back seasons, but they haven’t won a World Series title since 1988.

The Diamondbacks wasted little time in winning their first World Series title, getting the job done in 2001. It was just their fourth season since their expansion in 1998, making them the fastest team to ever win a title. Since the D-Backs began play in 1998, they have won five National League West titles but haven’t been back to the Fall Classic since that 2001 season.

Not only have the Dodgers had great teams throughout the years, but their franchise has also been littered with terrific players. A Dodgers player has won the National League MVP Award 13 different times, and they have also recorded 12 Cy Young Awards. The Dodgers have produced 18 Rookie of the Year winners, including Jackie Robinson, who beat the odds and broke the color barrier. The Diamondbacks have never had an MVP winner in franchise history but have had five Cy Young Awards, with Randy Johnson winning the award four times.

Glance at Dodgers and Diamondbacks Past 20 Games

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks have been extremely competitive in the previous three seasons, and there is an even slimmer margin in the previous 20 games. Arizona has won 11 of the last 20 games against the Dodgers, including five straight wins to begin the 2018 regular season.

The Dodgers were able to win seven out of nine games during a crucial stretch in 2018 that helped them beat the odds and get back into the NL West race. Arizona went 7-4 at home against the Dodgers in the previous 20 games, but were just 4-5 on the road at Dodger Stadium.

In Depth Look at Series Splits in the Rivalry

It is always hard to make predictions or place bets on rivalry games, and history shows us that these two teams are extremely competitive. Looking more closely at last season’s results should give us a better idea of how each team performed in relation to the betting odds.

Looking at the over/under for the 2018 season doesn’t really give us a better picture of how to bet. The Dodgers and Diamondbacks went under 9 games, went over 10 times, and pushed once in the last 20 games. Based on these numbers, it is hard to make any predictions on how the 2019 season is going to go between these two teams.

The overall 2018 season for both the Dodgers and Diamondbacks give bettors a little more clarity. The Dodgers went 92-71 against the moneyline a season ago, while the Diamondbacks were just 82-80. Los Angeles went over 81 times, while going under the run total 89 times a season ago. The Arizona Diamondbacks went over the run total just 74 times while going under 82 times. Both the Diamondbacks and Dodgers feature terrific pitching staffs that played a huge role in the over/under betting.