The 2025 MLB season opens on the international stage as the Los Angeles Dodgers face the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series.
The pregame narrative: Coming off a World Series title, the Dodgers are favoured to run it back. In the season opener, I’m backing L.A.’s Freddie Freeman while fading Chicago starter Shota Imanaga.
Check out these Dodgers vs. Cubs prop picks for the Tokyo Series matchup on Tuesday, March 18.
Dodgers vs. Cubs prop picks
Best Bet: Freeman 1+ RBI (+150)
Freeman enters his age-35 season with plenty of gas left in the tank.
The reigning World Series MVP had 12 RBI in the five-game Fall Classic last year after driving in 89 runs in 147 regular season games.
The excess of star power in L.A. has been a boon to Freeman’s RBI production since he arrived as a free agent.
In three years with the Dodgers, he has 291 RBI. In that span, he also ranks third in the majors in plate appearances with runners in scoring position (562).
I’m not one to put much stock in spring training results, but I figure it doesn’t hurt to mention that Freeman has enjoyed a powerful preseason.
- 9 games
- .720 SLG
- 1.028 OPS
- 5 extra-base hits (3 HRs)
I’ll keep a close eye on Freeman’s RBI prop all season, and this is a price I’m happy to buy in on for the season opener.
Key stat: With runners in scoring position, Freeman is batting .314 with a 153 wRC+ in three seasons as a Dodger.
Quick pick
Imanaga under 4.5 strikeouts (-106): This is a full strikeout below what Imanaga’s typical line will likely be this season. But I still think the under is the right play.
- In 11.0 innings against the Dodgers last year, Imanaga totalled seven Ks. He went under this prop both times.
- The Dodgers had MLB’s third-lowest K rate against lefties last year (19.8%).
Early-season pitcher workloads are tricky to predict, but I believe most teams err on the side of caution. Especially since this is a shorter spring training than usual for Imanaga.
In three spring training starts, Imanaga maxed out at 4.1 innings.
Note: A previous version of this article included a prop bet on Mookie Betts. The Dodgers announced that Betts will miss Tuesday’s game due to illness.
Dodgers vs. Cubs prop picks made at 3:40 p.m. ET on 03/16/2025.
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.