Dodgers vs. Cubs Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks Today: Tokyo Series Game 1 Preview

We're offering our best Dodgers vs. Cubs prediction for Game 1 of the Tokyo Series.

Andrew Brennan

Last Updated: March 17, 2025 1:35 PM EDT • 5 minute read

Dodgers vs. Cubs Prediction & Tokyo Series Picks: Best MLB Odds for March 18 — Pictured: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) pitches. Photo by Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs kick off the 2025 MLB regular season roughly one week before Opening Day with their two-game series at the Tokyo Dome.

Game 1 is set to go down on Tuesday morning at 6:10 a.m. ET (FOX), and our Dodgers vs. Cubs Tokyo Series prediction looks at whether Mookie Betts' absence (illness) will lead to Los Angeles starting its highly anticipated campaign with a loss.

With MV3 missing one of its members, can Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman do enough to get the Dodgers the win to begin the season, or will Cubs offseason addition Kyle Tucker endear himself to Chicago fans right away?

💰 Best Dodgers vs. Cubs predictions: Tokyo Series

Here are my best Dodgers vs. Cubs Tokyo Series predictions for today's MLB matchup with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our MLB picks along with our guide on how to bet on the MLB.

🔢 Dodgers vs. Cubs odds & betting lines

Here are the latest Dodgers vs. Cubs odds and betting lines from our best live betting sites.

📊 Who will win today's Tokyo Series matchup?

As of Monday morning, the Dodgers are favored to beat the Cubs in Tuesday's MLB matchup at 6:10 a.m ET from Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It should be a tightly contested affair, but I'm predicting the Dodgers will beat the Cubs as -146 moneyline favorites.

🎯 Dodgers vs. Cubs score prediction: Dodgers 5, Cubs 4

Last year's Tokyo Series was a tale of two games: Game 1 ended 5-2 for the Dodgers, while Game 2 finished 15-11 for the San Diego Padres. Based on the fact that this game's total is trading at either 7.5 or 8 and there's been slightly sharp movement toward the Over, I'll go with a slightly higher total of 9 runs for this contest.

I'll work off that total to then handicap the spread. Most sharp action has come in on Cubs +1.5, so I have a tough time predicting the Dodgers will blow out their opponents. Therefore, I predict Los Angeles will beat Chicago by a final score of Dodgers 5, Cubs 4.

Best bet: Dodgers moneyline (-146 via FanDuel)

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1️⃣ Tokyo Series first-inning prediction: NRFI (-135 via BetMGM)

Of course, these teams feature two outstanding lineups, but I like there to be no runs scored in the first inning for two reasons.

First, we have two NL Cy Young odds contenders doing battle to open the 2025 MLB campaign. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga finished their 2024 seasons with impressive stats for veteran MLB pitchers, let alone rookie ones. Based on their season-long projections (Steamer projects both to finish with an ERA hovering around a very respectable 3.60), they should shine once again this year. I think they both get through clean first innings in this one.

The second reason I like this bet is because Betts is out. Of course, the Dodgers' lineup is incredible even without him, but his role as the No. 2 hitter between Ohtani and Freeman can't be understated.

I do think these offenses will heat up in either Game 2 or later in this first contest, but I expect Yamamoto and Imanaga to stifle the opposing top of the order in the first inning. The public agrees, too, as this is the second-most popular prop bet at BetMGM based on tickets.

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🚑 Dodgers vs. Cubs injuries

Here are the latest injuries for today's Dodgers vs. Cubs matchup, which will update in real time.

🧠 MLB expert picks today

📺 How to watch the Tokyo Series

⚔️ Matchup: Dodgers vs. Cubs
📅 Date: Tuesday, March 18
🕗 Time: 6:10 a.m. ET
📍 Location: Tokyo Dome (Tokyo, Japan)
📺 TV: FOX
💻 Streaming: MLB TV

❓ Tokyo Series FAQs

Who is favored to win Dodgers vs. Cubs?

The Dodgers are favored to beat the Cubs on Tuesday morning with moneyline odds as short as -155, which come with an implied probability of 60.78% that they'll win.

What are the odds for Dodgers vs. Cubs?

The odds for today's game are Dodgers -1.5 (+110), Cubs +1.5 (-130) at bet365, and the total is set at 7.5 or 8 runs.

What time is Dodgers vs. Cubs tonight?

First pitch for Dodgers vs. Cubs is expected for 6:10 a.m. ET.

How to watch Dodgers vs. Cubs

You can watch Dodgers vs. Cubs on FOX or stream it on MLB TV.

🏆 MLB betting odds pages

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Written by:
Andrew Brennan

Andrew Brennan is a publishing editor for Sportsbook Review. He also heads the website’s MLB coverage, from the various futures markets to daily picks. Andrew believes a math-based approach is the best way to enjoy long-term success in sports betting, and he’s spent the better part of the last year fine-tuning his own process for MLB, NBA, and NFL picks. Andrew uses eight different sportsbooks to find the best odds available and various projection models to gather as much information as he can. His most used sportsbooks are bet365, FanDuel, and theScore Bet. When it comes to daily projection models, he regularly references NumberFire across all sports, as it’s one of the best free tools available. In terms of which daily markets Andrew attacks, he almost exclusively bets on pitcher strikeouts for baseball. When the winter rolls around, you’ll see him providing more variety when it comes to the NBA (points, assists, rebounds) and NFL (almost any offensive-based player prop). He used these tools to go +150 units in 2023. Andrew is also a passionate fantasy sports player. He’s played fantasy football, fantasy Premier League, and fantasy baseball for the last decade. He graduated from Durham College with his diploma in journalism after earning his degree in law from Carleton University. He’s worked in sports media since early 2017, first contributing at FanSided before moving to theScore. He joined SBR in 2022.