The Dodgers as a team are rolling right now, off to a 4-0 start after Mookie Betts’s walk-off homer. But not all are along for the ride yet, namely, Freddie Freeman.
In their 4 wins this year, the Dodgers have a total of 29 hits. Freeman has only recorded one of those hits and missed their two-game series in Tokyo. He seems to be feeling the effects of his ankle injury that bothered him all postseason, one that required offseason surgery. Can he bounce back tonight, or will he continue to ride the struggle bus?
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Los Angeles is the home favorite at -205, and the run total is set at 7.5. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bet centered around Yamamoto.
Best Freddie Freeman Prop Bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
Under 0.5 Hits Recorded (+170)
The 1-for-8 start at the plate is plenty of reason for concern. Though he’s making contact, it’s not finding any grass. Freeman will continue to fight his way through it and will find his form sooner or later. But for tonight’s game, I’m betting on later.
I wrote about the struggles of batters vs. pitchers in interleague matchups yesterday about Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Freeman is one of the few Dodgers that has faced Detroit starter Reese Olson, but to no results in three plate appearances. Whether you view that sample size as relevant or not hardly matters in this context. If he’s seen enough of Olson to form a gameplan, and it’s not working, that bodes poorly. If he hasn’t seen enough, that also bodes poorly.
I think Olson will pitch well enough to keep Freeman down tonight and prolong his rough start to the season, and there’s some nice value on his hits under. The Dodgers may roll yet again but Freeman won’t be along for the ride just yet.
