MLB Player Props (Wed. 3/19): Best Bets & Predictions for Dodgers vs. Cubs
What kind of performances can we expect on Wednesday from Kyle Tucker, Freddie Freeman, and Roki Sasaki? Follow along as our MLB betting analyst, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite MLB prop bets for Game 2 of the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more MLB plays, by subscribing to the RotoGrinders Props & Pick’em package.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will wrap up the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series, before heading back to the United States to get ready for Domestic Opening Day. Rookie phenom Roki Sasaki will take the hill for the Dodgers, with Justin Steele opposing him for the Cubs.
As always, be sure to monitor our MLB starting lineups page throughout the day, as unexpected changes in the batting order can result in value opportunities in the betting and DFS markets. Another great resource is our MLB weather page that is curated by Chief Meteorologist, Kevin Roth. There are countless edges to be found if we make the right reads on possible rain delays and great hitting weather, just to name a few. Of course, these first 2 games overseas will be played in the Tokyo Dome, so weather won’t have an impact just yet.
Since the beginning of the 2023 season, we are +47.62u on regular season MLB player props in this article. Let’s try to find some more winners!
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Best MLB Player Props for Dodgers vs. Cubs
Here are my top player prop bets for the Dodgers vs. Cubs in Game 2 of the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:10 AM ET on Wednesday, March 18th:
- Kyle Tucker Over/Under 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs
- Freddie Freeman Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases
- Roki Sasaki Over/Under 13.5 Outs Recorded
Kyle Tucker OVER 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+100, bet365)
Tucker went 0-for-4 in today’s game, but he had a hard-hit ball in a tough left-on-left matchup in the 9th inning against Tanner Scott, which was an encouraging sign. In his first 2 plate appearances against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tucker saw only a single fastball in the zone, with everything else being a splitter or breaking ball. Both of those trips to the plate ended with Tucker making an out against the splitter — an offering that held lefties to an anemic .121 batting average last season.
On Wednesday, Tucker will have to deal with Roki Sasaki out of the gate, but there is a decent chance that he sees the much more hittable Landon Knack after that. Tucker should also avoid the Dodgers’ high-leverage arms, with it being unlikely that manager Dave Roberts will use those guys on consecutive days this early in the season. That should mean more favorable matchups for Tucker, especially late in the game. This is a good price for one of the best hitters in baseball to accrue a couple of counting statistics.
Freddie Freeman UNDER 1.5 Total Bases (-145, bet365)
Freeman was a late scratch from the lineup in today’s game after feeling discomfort in his rib area during batting practice. It’s worth noting that Freeman was “trying to hit home runs” during the team’s live on-field practice on Monday, which is a deviation from his typical pregame routine. It’s also notable that it’s the same area of his ribs that he hurt during last season’s playoffs.
Freeman is one of the best pure hitters in recent memory, but he’s now 35 years old and his patented line drive % finally saw some sharp regression last season, especially against LHP. Freeman ended last season with only a 113 wRC+, .762 OPS, and .177 ISO against LHP, which are all indicators that he struggled to generate much power in those same-sided matchups.
On Wednesday, he will have to contend with Justin Steele early in the game, who is a master of inducing weak contact. The Cubs also have all of their high-leverage options available after using none of them in today’s game. Simply, this is a tough spot for Freeman, who clearly isn’t feeling 100% healthy and has a tough matchup against one of the better starting pitchers in the National League.
Roki Sasaki UNDER 13.5 Outs Recorded (-105, DraftKings)
During Spring Training, all of the coach-speak from Dodgers camp was about limiting expectations for Sasaki and making sure not to overwhelm him in his first tour of the big leagues. They delayed his Spring Training debut until March 4th, and even then, he was used in relief, facing a collection of mostly lower-level Cincinnati hitters. On March 11th, he went 4 innings against a B-lineup for the Guardians but was still kept around the 40-pitch mark.
The Dodgers have 10 relievers on their Tokyo Series roster, including long-relief options Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski. This feels like a situation in which Sasaki goes a maximum of 4 innings, with an even shorter leash being a reasonable expectation. This is tremendous value.
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