The Los Angeles Dodgers welcome right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto back to the rotation to face the Chicago Cubs and left-hander Shota Imanaga in a matchup of Japanese rookies.

According to our best predictions for the Cubs vs. Dodgers game, Imanaga will have a tough time with Los Angeles’ lineup tonight.

Below I’ll dive deeper into tonight’s game with tonight’s MLB predictions.

Cubs vs Dodgers Prediction

My best chance
Shota Imanaga Recorded Under 17.5 Outs (+146 at Pinnacle)

Best odds available in your area

My analysis

The Los Angeles Dodgers are packing a punch against lefties with a third-ranked .332 wOBA and .334 on-base percentage, and Chicago Cubs starter Shota Imanaga has thrown at least 95 pitches in each of his last four starts. By comparison, the Chicago left-hander averaged 88.2 in his previous five.

Imanaga has also benefited from good fortune all season. His 3.70 xFIP is well above his 2.99 ERA, and there’s potential for his .263 BABIP to rise and 77.3% strand rate to fall, especially given his respective 3.55, 2.16, .131, and 96.8% marks in his last four starts.

Of course, Los Angeles has also been a force in hitter-friendly Dodger Stadium, posting a league-best .197 ISO, bolstered by a fourth-place .335 wOBA and a 4.96 runs-per-game average. I also like Los Angeles’ ability to field seven right-handed batters to maintain a platoon advantage against Imanaga, while also allowing its two remaining left-handed hitters to perform above average against lefties. The Dodgers’ one-two left-handed punch of Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman have .344 and .331 wOBAs against right-sided arms, respectively.

It’s notable because Imanaga has limited left-handed batters to a minuscule .205 batting average and .239 wOBA, while righties have .265 and .284 marks, respectively. I also appreciate that the Chicago left-hander has better underlying stats at home than away. Imanaga has a 4.22 xFIP and 3.75 K/BB on the highway, compared to 3.26 and 10.56 at Wrigley Field.

Finally, this is also a five-star recommendation from our MLB player prop projections.

Shohei Ohtani Pick: TEASER

My best chance
Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 H + R + RBI (-130 at bet365)

My analysis

As mentioned, Ohtani has continued to be incredibly effective against left-handed pitchers this season. He has made the Over in this market in nine of his last 13 games, hitting 16 of those 54 games with 15 runs and seven RBIs while posting a monstrous .403 wOBA and .333 ISO.

Additionally, if Imanaga leaves early, Ohtani could find himself playing against right-handed relievers. The Dodger superstar has a league-high .390 ISO and a third-ranked .449 wOBA vs. RHP for the season.

Cubs vs Dodgers parlay for the same game (SGP)

Shota Imanaga Less than 17.5 outs

Shota Imanaga More than 1.5 walks

Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 H+R+RBI

The Dodgers are seventh in baseball with an 8.9 BB%, and Imanaga has a 5.6% mark on the road, while his BB/9 jumps from 0.98 at Wrigley Field to 2.05 on the road. Imanaga has also allowed two or more hits in two of his last three starts, and I also estimate Los Angeles has the fifth-lowest 19.6 K% against lefties for the season. This leg of the same-game parlay also correlates with the Under 17.5 outs.

Learn how to bet on a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Cubs vs Dodgers Odds

Cubs vs Dodgers live odds

Cubs vs Dodgers opening odds

• Moneyline: Chicago +140 | Los Angeles -165
• Running line: Chicago +1.5 (-165) | Los Angeles -1.5 (+140)
• Over/Under: More than 7.5 (-110) | Less than 7.5 (-110)

Cubs vs Dodgers moneyline and Over/Under analysis

• This was a small move to the Los Angeles side of this moneyline at Pinnacle. The Dodgers opened at -149 and are trading at -156 as of Tuesday morning.
• The moneyline has not changed at bet365, with Los Angeles as favourites (-165).
• It’s a different story with the total. Both Pinnacle and bet365 opened at 7.5, and both shops have seen action on the Over, hanging a total of 8.0 on Tuesday morning.
• Pinnacle has paired the higher vig with the under, while bet365 has an even price of -110 on both sides.

Trend Cubs vs Dodgers

Shota Imanaga has thrown at least 95 pitches in each of his last four starts, while averaging just 88.2 in his previous five outings. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Dodgers.

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