The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Chicago Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball in a primetime rubber match.
The pregame narrative: Chicago posted a 16-spot last night, further establishing itself as one of the best offences in the early stages of the season. I’m fading a pair of Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani) and looking for Michael Busch to record a hit.
Check out my Cubs vs. Dodgers prop bets for Sunday Night Baseball on April 13.
Cubs vs. Dodgers prop bets
Best Bet: Glasnow under 17.5 outs (-130)
Glasnow has had his share of arm injuries in his 10-year career. And then some.
He was at his best for most of the 2024 season with the Dodgers, but suffered an elbow injury in August that held him out the rest of the campaign (including the entire World Series run).
Glasnow is back now, fortunately, but I’m not sold on his ability — or the Dodgers’ willingness — to push deep into games right now.
He completed 5.0 innings (i.e., 15 outs) on 79 pitches in his season debut. After that, Glasnow got roughed up by the Phillies in two-plus innings, allowing five runs on 60 pitches.
Now, he faces one of the hottest offences in the sport. Best of luck.
The Cubs rank No. 2 in the majors in wRC+ (125) while scoring 6.6 runs per game. Individually, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki and Busch all have a 160 wRC+ or better.
Even if my assessment is wrong about Glasnow’s ability to work deep into games right now, the Cubs have the firepower to chase him prematurely.
Thanks to a 16-0 blowout win for Chicago yesterday, L.A. has all of its leverage relievers available. Don’t expect Glasnow to get too comfortable.
Key stat: Opposing starters/bulk relievers have gone under 17.5 outs in seven of the Cubs’ past nine games.
Best MLB picks
Busch over 0.5 hits (-112): Hopefully Busch still has some base knocks in his bat after yesterday’s hit parade.
The corner infielder went 4-for-4 with a home run and two doubles on Saturday, bringing his batting average up to a cool .300 for the year.
Glasnow is typically a tough guy to face, but odds like this for a hitter who’s off to such a nice start are worth it to me.
Busch ranks in the 70th percentile or better in xBA, xSLG, hard-hit rate and average exit velocity, per Baseball Savant.
Ohtani under 0.5 RBI (-154): It’s not like I want to fade Ohtani, I just think this is a very playable price to bet an under for the reigning NL MVP.
Ohtani bats leadoff for the Dodgers, which means he’s typically in a prime spot to score rather than drive someone in.
So far this season, he has 15 runs and five RBI through 16 games. Ohtani has gone under 0.5 RBI in 12 of 16.
The Dodgers should be able to score against Colin Rea, who’s making his 2025 starting debut after posting a 4.29 ERA in 167.2 IP a year ago.
I just expect Ohtani to be crossing the plate — not bringing others around.
Cubs vs. Dodgers prop picks made at 3:50 p.m. ET on 04/13/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.