The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs rang in the start of the 2025 MLB regular season with the first contest of the Tokyo Series. While the Dodgers won that one 4-1, the Cubs look to get even in a rematch less than 24 hours later.
Game two starts in the evening overseas in Japan, but the first pitch of game two is slated for 6 a.m. EST on Wednesday morning for those watching from the United States. Here’s a top prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook for Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani in the contest.
Best Shohei Ohtani prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Game one of the Tokyo series was a both solid showing for Ohtani in front of the fans in his home nation, and a nice start to the season for Los Angeles overall. Shohei tallied two hits in his five plate appearances, racking up three total bases on a double and a single. He also scored two runs and struck out just once.
For game two, lefty Justin Steele is in line to start for the Cubs. Ohtani hasn’t ever faced the former All-Star, but he’s got a career .260 batting average against left-handed pitchers. While the lefty-on-lefty matchup isn’t ideal, the Dodgers superstar is one of the best hitters the game has ever seen. I certainly wouldn’t be too nervous since after all, Shohei is essentially matchup-proof.
When looking at prop bets for Ohtani in this one, over 1.5 total bases at -125 odds feels like one of the top options. This was one of my picks for game one, and I’m happily following it again for game two. Ohtani led the league in total bases last season and there’s a variety of ways for him to exceed this line. It’s also tempting to up this with an alt line and target 3+ total bases at +145 odds, but the safer option is probably the better one against a left-handed starter.
As mentioned in my game one article, a world in which Ohtani homers in Tokyo is a world I want to live in. It might not happen against Steele, but once a righty reliever comes in, the chances of it happening skyrocket. Moreover, a Tokyo Series homer for the Japanese native would create a really cool moment for baseball overall, but especially for the overseas fans who support the multi-time MVP. At +280 odds, sprinkling a bit on Shohei to homer just feels right.
