Member » Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

The New York Mets can't seem to catch a break Kenny Lofton Jersey , with outfielder Brandon Nimmo being the latest victim of the apparent curse haunting the franchise.Mets manager Mickey Callaway announced the 25-year-old came down with an illness after eating chicken he undercooked:Tim Healey timbhealeyFull quote from Mickey Callaway on Brandon Nimmos apparent food sickness: quot;I guess he cooked some chicken and didn know how to cook or something. He was throwing up all night. So we going to have to teach him how to cook so he doesn miss any more games.quot;ESPN.com's Keith Law had some fun at the Mets' expense:keithlaw keithlawi just received a copy of the Mets?new player development manual WdV1DxIiZKUnusual illnesses are becoming a common occurrence for the Mets. Noah Syndergaard was placed on the injury list last July with hand, foot and mouth disease after working at a kids camp during the All-Star break.If that's not bad enough, New York has already lost infielders Todd Frazier and Jed Lowrie for the time being to injuries.Fans taking an optimistic perspective could say the Mets are just getting all of their injuries out of the way early in 2019.If nothing else, at least Nimmo, who had an .886 OPS in 140 games for the Mets last season, will likely come out of this whole thing as a much better cook than he was when this week started. A surprisingly lopsided interleague series between two California teams will continue on Wednesday when the Oakland Athletics (67-47) host the Los Angeles Dodgers (63-51) as solid home underdogs at the sportsbooks.Before Tuesday's series opener http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , the A's had won 18 of the previous 24 meetings dating back to 1999, including eight in a row at home, according to the OddsShark MLB Database. MLB betting line: The Dodgers opened as -155 favorites (wager $155 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: 5.1-0.4, Dodgers (MLB picks on every game)Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news. Why the Dodgers can pay on the MLB linesMore recently, Los Angeles had dropped seven of nine meetings with Oakland before winning 4-2 on Tuesday to end that eight-game series road skid. Now the Dodgers will have ace Clayton Kershaw (5-5, 2.55 ERA) going to the mound looking for his third consecutive victory.In winning his last two starts, Kershaw has allowed a combined three runs and 11 hits in 13.2 innings with two walks and 15 strikeouts. In addition, Los Angeles has outscored the opposition 25-6 in those two games, which also helps. Why the Athletics can pay on the MLB linesThe A's probably will not win their division Danny Salazar Jersey , but they have a good shot at earning one of the two American League Wild Card spots if they can just continue playing like they have lately. Even though they saw their six-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday, they still have a better record than their opponent and will have an underrated pitcher opposing Kershaw in Brett Anderson (2-3, 4.64 ERA).While Anderson's overall numbers are not impressive, he went 0-2 with a 7.63 ERA in four July starts and has gone 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA in his past five outings since then for a big improvement.Smart betting pickIt is tough to go against Kershaw in this spot, especially since Anderson is 0-1 in two home starts with a 6.30 ERA. Kershaw has been good on the road with a 2-2 mark and 1.94 ERA in seven outings, and both of his wins away from home were decided by three runs or more. With that stat in mind http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , take a shot with the Dodgers on the runline. MLB betting trendsLos Angeles is 4-2 in its last six games.Los Angeles is 4-1 in its last five games on the road.The total has gone under in five of Oakland's last six games.All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, 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.