Astros vs. Dodgers prediction and odds for Friday, June 23

The Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers are set to begin a weekend series that could provide a sneak preview of a potential World Series matchup.

Both teams are in similar situations heading into their series. They were both preseason favorites to win their respective divisions, but both are behind surprisingly hot teams in the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers.

Let's dive into the betting odds for Friday night's series opener.

Astros vs. Dodgers odds, run line, and total

Astros vs. Dodgers prediction and pick

Let's be honest, until the Dodgers bullpen gets healthier, we should either avoid betting on the Dodgers or we should find a way to take advantage of the poor performance by their relievers. One way we can do that without betting against Los Angeles is by taking the OVER instead.

Over the last 30 days, the Dodgers' bullpen has an ERA of 5.59. Yikes. At least if we bet the OVER and the Dodgers' bullpen collapses late in the game, we can still win our bet.

On the bright side, the Dodgers offense remains elite. They rank inside the top 10 in both batting average and OPS over the last 30 days. Now, they get to face a pitcher in J.P. France who is due for some regression. France's ERA of 3.42 looks impressive, but he has a FIP (Field Independent Pitching) of 4.94. That usually means regression is on the horizon for a pitcher.

Let's sit back and root for runs on Friday night.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.