Sports Spotlight On Scherzer Versus Kershaw Tonight in Los Angeles
Posted on: August 8, 2025, 06:32h.
Last updated on: August 9, 2025, 07:37h.
- Most bets on Blue Jays for tonight’s game against Dodgers
- Future Hall of Famers Scherzer and Kershaw meet for 4th time in their careers
- “3,000-K Club” showdown tonight at Dodger Stadium
The NFL is into its pre-season, but a good chunk of the sports spotlight will be on Dodger Stadium tonight, as two future Hall of Fame pitchers, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw, go head-to-head in a showdown between first place MLB clubs.
3000+ Strikeouts
Scherzer, 41, pitching now for the Toronto Blue Jays, goes against the Dodgers’ Kershaw in the fourth head-to-head over their respective storied careers since their first showdown in 2008, when Scherzer was a 24-year-old with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kershaw was a 20-year-old rookie with the Dodgers.
Game time is 10:10 p.m. EST. According to this post, Scherzer and Kershaw are the first duo in MLB history to start against each other as rookies and accumulate 3,000+ strikeouts in their career.
Blue Jays on a Roll
The Blue Jays are first in the American League East, at 68-48, four games up on the second place Boston Red Sox and coming off a three-game sweep in Colorado against the Rockies where they scored 45 runs on 63 hits.
The Dodgers are hanging onto first place in the National League West, at 66-49, having just dropped a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at home (1-2). The Dodgers have a record of 13-17 since July 1.
Dodgers Hanging On
The San Diego Padres, which arguably did the most at the trade deadline to beef up their lineup, sit two games back of the Dodgers.
But back to Scherzer and Kershaw, who face off on the pitching mound tonight. Scherzer signed a one-year $15 million deal with the Jays last off-season but missed the first few months of the season with a lingering thumb issue.
Lately he has seen more success for the Jays – 44 strikeouts over 41.0 innings of work in 8 starts, with a 4.39 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Kershaw has a 3.29 ERA in 65.2 innings of work, with 42 strikeouts, and a 1.25 WHIP. Lingering injury issues have kept Kershaw out of the lineup, including during last season’s Dodgers’ World Series run, where they defeated the New York Yankees.
Hall of Famers
A look at their career highlights is almost encyclopedic. Scherzer – a World Series champion in 2019, and 2023, three Cy Young Awards (2013, 2016, 2017), two no-hitters, tied for most strikeouts in a 9-inning game (20), most consecutive seasons with 230 or more strikeouts (8), 8-time all-star, 3K strikeout club, 3.18 career ERA.
Then there’s Kershaw – World Series champ in 2020, three Cy Young Awards (2011, 2013, 2014), one no-hitter, NL MVP (204), pitching triple crown (2011), 11-time all-star, 3K strikeout club, 2.52 career ERA.
Just two titans going head to head.
Sportsbooks are in on the buzz. ESPN Bet is calling tonight the “3,000-K Club Showdown.”
Scherzer Strikeouts Second-Most Bet Prop
According to a spokesperson there who reached out to Casino.org, Scherzer 5+ strikeouts (-220) is the fourth most-bet prop in the game by total bets, behind the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani to homer, the Jays’ Bo Bichette over 1.5 hits, and Freeman over 0.5 hits.
By total handle, Scherzer 9+ strikeouts (+900) is the second most-bet player prop in the game behind Ohtani to hit a HR.
On Scherzer’s most balanced line of 5.5 strikeouts (O +105, U –140), 73.9% of bets and 66.4% of handle are on the over. On Kershaw’s most balanced line of 2.5 strikeouts (O –175, U +125), 84.6% of bets and 98.1% of handle are on the over.
Most Bets on Jays
Tonight’s First Take: First Inning odds boost at ESPN BET is Scherzer & Kershaw each to record a strikeout in the first inning, boosted from Even to +135.
In terms of the game itself, 53.2% of bets and 71.2% of handle are on Blue Jays ML, 62.4% of bets and 81.1% of handle is on Over 8.5.
Over at BetMGM, the spread bet Jays +1.5 is seeing 72% of bets, and the Over/Under 9 (Over is -105) is seeing 73% of bets. Moneyline bets are also heavily on the Blue Jays +115), at 73%.
And at FanDuel, nearly 80% of bets are on the Blue Jays to win tonight. Top 3 most bet player props for the game are Ohtani “To Hit a Home Run”, Bichette “To Hit a Home Run”, and Max Muncy “To Hit a Home Run”.
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