Dylan Rockford locked in the Dodgers team-total over, projecting at least six runs. He argued that rookie opener Sean Burke has shown little swing-and-miss stuff and will be backed by a White Sox bullpen he called "whatever they trot out there," a unit that already ranks bottom-five in MLB ERA. With the full-game total sitting at 9, Rockford expects the Dodgers’ number to open around 5.5 and believes their top-three wRC+ offense clears it comfortably. He sees no realistic path for Chicago’s arms to suppress Los Angeles for nine innings and prefers isolating the Dodgers’ bats instead of laying the heavy money line.

Bamford advised a "little ladder" on the Dodgers’ team total, starting at 6.5/7.0 and adding alternate overs. L.A. has scored 6.5 runs per game while winning Clayton Kershaw’s last five starts and averages 6.18 runs per game at Dodger Stadium overall. Spot starter Sean Burke owns a 5.82 road ERA and now hands the ball to MLB’s 29th-ranked bullpen by FIP. Bamford expects Kershaw to keep Chicago’s anemic lineup quiet, creating maximum plate appearances for a Dodgers offense that already posts 7.2 runs per game against sub-.500 clubs. He projected double-digit runs for L.A. if Burke exits early.

Eric Lindquist bet the Dodgers –1.5 runs at any number shorter than –150 and will escalate to –2.5 if the alternate line reaches +105 or better. His case: Chicago ranks fourth-worst in MLB with just an 85 wRC+ and 143 team ISO against left-handed pitching, making Clayton Kershaw’s diminished velocity less of a concern. Lindquist cited Kershaw’s still-elite 26.6% strikeout rate versus lefty bats and noted that the White Sox strikeout-prone core remains intact. On the other side, rookie Sean Burke brings an 11% barrel rate and shaky command (10.3% walk rate) into Dodger Stadium, a nightmare spot versus a lineup that already tagged him for loud contact earlier this year. Lindquist believes L.A.’s offensive ceiling plus the bullpen edge justifies stacking run-line exposure rather than laying the steep money-line price.