The Los Angeles Dodgers immediately put their high-priced roster to work during the beginning 2014 Major League Baseball season. Los Angeles started the year by winning nine of its first 14 matchups and producing excellent betting numbers on both the moneyline and runline. Savvy baseball bettors have probably been salivating at how well the Dodgers have been playing recently and will continue to ride the team until those numbers show signs of turning.

The Dodgers are currently the favorite to win this fall's World Series title and have one of the top pitchers in the National League-Clayton Kershaw-on their roster. The ball club may be one of the most high-profile teams in baseball, but that has not stopped Los Angeles from being profitable through the early part of the season. Let's take a closer look at the Dodgers betting trends and go over a few things bettors need to know before wagering on the team.

Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Trends

Los Angeles started the season 7-1 on the road, with its lone loss being against San Diego during the third game of the season. The team has since won five straight road games and is set to visit San Francisco for a three-game series this week. Los Angeles was outscored 17-12 during its first three-game series against the Giants to open up the month of April and may be looking for a measure of revenge after losing two of the three home games during the matchups.

Los Angeles is currently up $416 on the moneyline (for $100 bettors) and a whopping +726 on the runline while also winning its last three games by multiple runs. The team is ranked eighth in runs scored and relies on a high-powered offense with the ninth-best, on-base percentage. Los Angeles also has two of its starters batting .358 or better.

The most intriguing part of Los Angeles' hot betting start has been that the team is doing it without its ace pitcher, Kershaw, who has been on the disabled list for most of the season due to an inflamed back muscle. The pitcher has been throwing over the last few days and is not expected to miss significant time.

Los Angeles Dodgers Schedule

After Los Angeles' road trip to San Francisco this week, the team will play 10 straight home games against Arizona, Philadelphia and Colorado-all squads that are sitting on under-.500 records at the moment. The Dodgers are also 2-3 at home and will probably head into that extended homestand looking to building an above-.500 record and extend its NL West division lead.

Los Angeles' excellent pitching squad has given up an average of 3.7 runs per games, while the offense has averaged 4.7. The Dodgers' best betting situation has been as a runline favorite, where they are currently 7-3 over its first 10 games.

The team started the year on a great pace for bettors, and with a huge homestand coming up later this week, Los Angeles looks to continue that trend. Taking a shot on the team to cover the runline when it is a favorite might be a solid wager to make over the next few games in order to catch some of Los Angeles' current value. Remember to bet wisely, and may the runline be with you.

Read more articles by George Monroy