Yoshinobu Yamamoto will continue his Cy Young battle with Paul Skenes when he and the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the desert tonight.
Unsurprisingly, my Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks predictions highlight a player prop for the emerging star pitcher.
Check out my MLB picks, plus a same-game parlay for this NL West showdown, slated for 9:40 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 8.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks prediction
My Dodgers vs Diamondbacks best bet: Yoshinobu Yamamoto Under 4.5 hits allowed (+110 at bet365)
This is exactly what everyone was expecting when the Los Angeles Dodgers gave Yoshinobu Yamamoto a huge contract to come over from the NPB.
Although last year's transition to the big leagues wasn’t initially easy for the 25-year-old right-hander, Yamamoto has allowed just four earned runs on 24 hits over his first seven starts of the 2025 season. His expected ERA sits in the 91st percentile, while his strikeout rate is 92nd.
The Dodgers' ace is currently a +240 co-favorite alongside Paul Skenes in the Cy Young odds, and I like him to continue to build a strong case for himself when he takes the ball against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight.
Led by Corbin Carroll, the D-backs have been a solid offensive team this season, but the bats have cooled off a bit of late. Arizona ranks 19th in OPS and 21st in wRC+ over the last nine games, where it has scored four runs or fewer seven times.
That’s not great considering Yamamoto faced the D-backs twice last season and held current batters to a .199 expected batting average and a .308 expected slugging.
Yamamoto has a hits allowed prop sitting at 4.5 for this matchup, with the Under coming with enticing plus money. He’s held opponents below that number in four of his seven starts and has never allowed more than five hits in a game this season.
I’m betting the Japanese phenom continues to deal in this matchup tonight.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks same-game parlay (SGP)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Under 4.5 hits allowed
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Under 0.5 hits
Freddie Freeman 2+ hits + runs + RBI
One of the Diamondbacks' hitters who has struggled the most against Yamamoto is Lourdes Gurriel Jr. The Arizona outfielder is 0-for-6 in his career against the Dodgers’ right-hander, which works out to a .115 xBA and a .118 xSLG.
Gurriel has also struggled with his rhythm at the plate this season. He enters this game with a .212 batting average and has gone hitless in three of his last four games overall.
Let’s close this SGP with Freddie Freeman to stay red-hot. The eight-time All-Star is in the middle of a 12-game hitting streak where he’s hitting .478 with a 1.395 OPS with eight extra base hits and 18 RBIs.
He’s also had success against D-backs starter Brandon Pfaadt. Freeman is 4-for-13 with a double and a dinger against the Arizona right-hander. That’s good for a .330 xBA and a .749 xSLG.
Add 2+ hits, runs, and RBI for Freeman, something he has accomplished in 10 of the 12 games during this run.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks odds
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks live odds
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks opening odds
- Moneyline: Los Angeles -160 | Arizona +135
- Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+110) | Arizona +1.5 (-130)
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks trend
Arizona has hit the game total Under in five of its last six games (+4.00 Units / 65% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks.
How to watch Dodgers vs Diamondbacks and game info
| Location | Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ |
| Date | Thursday, 5-8-2025 |
| First pitch | 9:40 p.m. ET |
| TV | SNLA, ARID |
| Dodgers starting pitcher | Yoshinobu Yamamoto (4-2, 0.90 ERA) |
| Diamondbacks starting pitcher | Brandon Pfaadt (5-2, 3.79 ERA) |
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks latest injuries
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks weather
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