The moment we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. Regular-season baseball is officially back — the 2025 MLB season opens with the Tokyo Series as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs face off overseas this week.
These teams squared off in two exhibition games to begin the week, but Tuesday’s contest officially rings in the beginning of meaningful matchups as an appetizer before Opening Day later this month. There’s a big difference between time zones, so first pitch is slated for 6 a.m. EST on March 17.
Best Shohei Ohtani prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Shohei Ohtani enters the Tokyo Series with L.A. coming off a fantastic 2024 in which he won NL MVP and led the league in home runs as well as RBI. In a limited sample of 18 Spring Training at-bats ahead of this series, he tallied six hits, one home run, and two runs batted in.
Shota Imanaga is on the bump for the Cubs early Tuesday morning. The lefty started 29 games last season and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting with a 2.91 ERA and 1.021 WHIP, so this isn’t an easy matchup for Dodgers batters by any means. Ohtani himself tallied five plate appearances against Imanaga in two games last year, but failed to record a hit while striking out once in those chances.
However, Ohtani is one of the best baseball players to ever walk the planet. As a top-tier hitter, he’s bound to figure out Imanaga’s game at some point. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll likely still have a chance to produce in this contest against the Cubs’ relievers, so bettors shouldn’t shy away from Ohtani’s prop market in this one.
The 30-year-old is listed at -260 odds to record a hit, so in the interest of finding better value, it’s best to look at other lines. Bettors can take over 1.5 total bases at -120 odds, which is solid value for the batter who led the MLB in the stat last season. Taking Ohtani to record over 0.5 RBI is also an attractive option at +125 odds given the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup and that Ohtani led the league in the category last season, too.
There are probably the safer options available, but as a bonus, it’s also fun to imagine a scenario in which Ohtani has a storybook opening to his season in his home nation of Japan. For those with a higher risk tolerance, consider taking Ohtani to hit a home run at +240 odds and start the 2025 campaign with a bang.
The Dodgers are the reigning World Series champions, and it’s no surprise they’re +290 favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook to repeat as winners this year.
