The Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians start a three-game set at Progressive Field on Monday, May 26, and righties Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Gavin Williams will toe the rubber in the series opener.
Los Angeles star Shohei Ohtani continues to show off at the dish, and he headlines my Dodgers vs. Guardians predictions and MLB picks for tonight.
Dodgers vs Guardians prediction
My Dodgers vs Guardians best bet: Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 total bases (-103 at Caesars)
It’s been business as usual for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, and he’s heating up with 19 extra-base hits and a 1.133 OPS across his past 24 games. He’s also posted a monster .456 wOBA and .397 ISO against right-handed pitchers since joining the Dodgers last year.
The Cleveland Guardians will send Gavin Williams to the hill, and the 25-year-old righty has been solid to start the year with a respectable 3.94 ERA and 3.65 xFIP after posting respective 4.86 and 4.12 marks across 16 starts in 2024.
Ohtani has proven to be matchup proof, but there are also shortcomings in the underlying numbers for Williams.
The righty has surrendered a healthy 11.1 barrel percentage and 42.1 hard-hit rate, and opposing hitters have a .257 batting average and .336 BABIP against him. Additionally, Williams has thrown his fastball on 50.7% of his offerings, and it has a -5.8 pitch value, per FanGraphs.
Simply put, Williams has been able to pitch his way around a lot of base runners (1.52 WHIP) while being squared up frequently. I expect Ohtani to have a multi-hit game or go good for extra bases tonight.
Caesars QuickPick: Our Dodgers vs Guardians same-game parlay (SGP)
Dodgers -1.5
Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 total bases
Freddie Freeman Over 1.5 total bases
Los Angeles is sending righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound, and he’s been dealing to the tune of a 1.86 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 2.64 xFIP.
I give the Dodgers a sizable pitching advantage with the highlighted Williams shortcomings, and Los Angeles also sends a superior lineup to the dish. The Dodgers rank second in wOBA against RHP, while the Guardians are 22nd.
Turning to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, his numbers are right below Ohtani’s, with Freeman sporting an elite .407 wOBA and .229 ISO against right-handed hurlers dating back to the beginning of 2024.
Freeman’s also sporting a .311 batting average across his past 12 games, but he’s only registered four extra-base hits — all doubles — during the stretch for an unsustainably low .089 ISO.
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Dodgers vs Guardians odds
Dodgers vs Guardians live odds
Dodgers vs Guardians opening odds
- Moneyline: Los Angeles -180 | Cleveland +150
- Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+110) | Cleveland +1.5 (-125)
- Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Odds courtesy of Caesars.
Dodgers vs Guardians trend
The Dodgers have covered the run line in three of their last six away games (+1.20 Units / 20% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Guardians.
How to watch Dodgers vs Guardians and game info
| Location | Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH |
| Date | Monday, 5-26-2025 |
| First pitch | 6:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | SportsNet LA, CLEG |
| Dodgers starting pitcher | Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-3, 1.86 ERA) |
| Guardians starting pitcher | Gavin Williams (4-2, 3.94 ERA) |
Dodgers vs Guardians latest injuries
Dodgers vs Guardians weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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