The Philadelphia Phillies (55-44) will attempt to even their series with the Los Angeles D

odgers (56-44) on Tuesday in a pick'em matchup between two National League division leaders. The Dodgers won the series opener 7-6 on Monday behind solo home runs by Max Muncy http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey , Yasmani Grandal, Chris Taylor and Joc Pederson to help them keep a 1.5-game lead in the NL West.MLB betting line: The Phillies opened as -125 favorites (wager $125 to win $100); the total is at 7.5 runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 3.6-2.6, Phillies (MLB picks on every game)Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.Why the Dodgers can pay on the MLB linesLos Angeles continues to look like the NL's best team following the acquisition of Manny Machado, who went 1-for-5 with a run scored against the Phillies after coming over in a trade from the Baltimore Orioles.Next up for the Dodgers in their rotation is Kenta Maeda (7-5, 3.12 ERA), who has pitched well in his past five outings. Maeda has given up a total of four earned runs during that stretch of 18.2 innings, including a brief relief appearance last time out in which he earned a victory after coming in for Clayton Kershaw right before the MLB All-Star break. He is 3-1 with a 3.54 ERA on the road.Why the Phillies can pay on the MLB linesWhile Maeda has been solid lately Yuli Gurriel Jersey , Philadelphia ace Aaron Nola (12-3, 2.30) has been even better. Despite seeing his personal six-game winning streak end in his last start, the 25-year-old first-time NL All-Star did not get run one run of support in that outing, allowing two runs and four hits in six innings of a 2-0 defeat to the Miami Marlins on July 14.Before that, Nola surrendered two runs in his previous three starts combined totaling 21.2 innings with just five walks and 27 strikeouts. He also began his recent winning streak at Los Angeles, giving up only one run and two hits in seven innings on May 31.Smart betting pickThe Phillies have alternated wins and losses in their five meetings with the Dodgers this year, according to the OddsShark MLB Database, which means they are due for a victory here, right? That trend aside, Philadelphia is positioned perfectly to bounce back with a win in this spot because the team has the superior starting pitcher on the mound. MLB betting trendsLos Angeles is 6-2 in its last eight games.Philadelphia is 12-6 in its last 18 games.The total has gone under in 16 of Philadelphia's last 23 games. All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner Jake Marisnick Jersey , OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app. SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — As a rule five draft selection, Brad Keller was a surprising success with Kansas City last season.The rebuilding Royals are hoping to do it again with Chris Ellis and Sam McWilliams.Kansas City plucked Keller from the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the right-hander rewarded them with a stellar rookie season, going 9-6 with a 3.08 ERA while making 20 starts. He was named the organization’s pitcher of the year, and he’s going into 2019 as the team’s No. 2 starter behind Danny Duffy.Ellis and McWilliams are hoping to join them on that pitching staff. Rule five picks rarely make the kind of impact Keller did in 2018, but if the Royals can hit big in the draft once, their newest rule-five righties are hoping it may happen again.“It would be great if I could have a season like that,” Ellis said of Keller. “I was at the Royals’ FanFest when he got the award for pitcher of year for last year. It was pretty cool seeing that. I’m happy to see that worked out for him. I hope it works out for me and Sam both.”The 26-year-old Ellis was a third-round pick by the Angels in 2014 but has since been traded twice. St. Louis left him off its 40-man roster last fall, making him eligible for the rule five draft Joe Jimenez Jersey , and Kansas City traded up to select him with the seventh pick.The 23-year-old McWilliams has a similar story. He was drafted in 2014 in the eighth round by Philadelphia, and a year later, the Phillies shipped him to the Arizona, where he played with Keller in the minor leagues. Last May, McWilliams was sent to Tampa Bay as a player-to-be-named to complete a three-team deal for outfielder Steven Souza Jr. The Rays left him exposed in the rule five draft, and he was selected second overall.“I’m definitely used to being the new guy,” McWilliams said. “I definitely never expected getting traded twice. The first one, I was 19 at the time and had just gotten out of rookie ball. That was definitely a shocker.”Reunited with Keller, McWilliams is eager to follow a similar path.“I’m definitely picking his brain every day, kind of seeing where he’s at http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-jimenez-jersey , what he’d do, kind of like follow him and do the same thing,” McWilliams said. “Obviously, he had a great year, and so try to mimic that.”McWilliams and Ellis must remain on the Royals’ 25-man roster all year or be offered back to the teams they were drafted from for $50,000, half the drafting price, after clearing waivers.