Giants vs. Dodgers Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks: MLB Best Bets for Tonight Sept. 18

Our Giants vs. Dodgers prediction expects the Dodgers to pick up right where they left off against the Giants last weekend, with a win.
Giants vs. Dodgers Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks: MLB Best Bets for Sept. 18
Pictured: San Francisco Giants right fielder Drew Gilbert slides safely into second base ahead of the tag by Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim. Photo by D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

After recording a series win over the San Francisco Giants last weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers will face their division rival again tonight at 10:10 p.m. ET tonight at Dodger Stadium. I expect a similar result from where they left off with my Giants vs. Dodgers prediction.

Los Angeles is a -160 moneyline betting favorite in the series opener, which my MLB picks suggest taking in this NL West showdown. I also like the Over on Shohei Ohtani’s hits, runs, and RBIs prop for this game.


⚾ Giants vs. Dodgers prediction

MLB expert picks for Thursday; odds subject to change.

  • Moneyline pick: Dodgers ML (-160 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Run line pick: Dodgers -1.5 (+140 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐
  • Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-106 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐

📝 Giants vs. Dodgers preview & best bet

Track the latest MLB scores for line movement and matchup info.

🔵  Dodgers ML (-160 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐

Giants vs. Dodgers Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks: MLB Best Bets for Sept. 18
Pictured: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) reacts after a pitch is called a ball against the San Francisco Giants. Photo by Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

I wouldn’t blame anyone for preferring the Dodgers’ First 5 innings moneyline price tag of -155 instead. There is only so much one can trust a bet when Blake Treinen or someone else in this Los Angeles bullpen is attempting to maintain a lead in the ninth inning.

However, Ballpark Pal’s model projects a 66.6% chance of victory for the Dodgers. That means we are getting nearly 40 cents of value on the moneyline to back the better team at home with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the bump.

Yamamoto has a 2.66 ERA in 28 starts this season, allowing one run in each of his past three outings. He’s whiffed 10 batters in all three starts, which included a seven-inning gem against the Giants last time out.

This is a reasonable price to back the defending champs.


💰 Best Giants vs. Dodgers player prop bet

Our MLB player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.

⬆️  Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 hits, runs, and RBIs (-146 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

Giants vs. Dodgers Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks: MLB Best Bets for Sept. 18
Pictured: Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) flips his bat after hitting his 50th home run of the season. Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is on his way to repeating as the National League MVP. He has 51 home runs and 95 RBIs in 149 games, generating a 6.5 WAR as a hitter while remaining instrumental to the Dodgers’ success.

DraftKings -146 price tag on this prop is a bit of a value, as this line is as high as -170 at some of our other best sports betting sites. Ohtani has cleared this prop in eight of his past 10 games, including two of his three matchups against the Giants.


📊 Giants vs. Dodgers odds: Sept. 18

MLB odds update live in real time.

📈 Giants vs. Dodgers betting odds analysis

There’s been slight movement since the Dodgers opened as -165 favorites, with the market opting to back the visitors. The total has remained at 7.5, though the Over has gone from -115 to -110 to indicate that the Under has taken some money.


🔢 Giants vs. Dodgers stats

Season stats courtesy of baseball-reference.com.

Giants (76-76) Statistic (per game) Dodgers (85-67)
4.36 Runs 5.12
7.8 Hits 8.6
.236 AVG .254
.387 SLG .440
.698 OPS .770
3.84 ERA 4.05
8.5 K/9 9.2
3.2 BB/9 3.5
0.9 HR/9 1.1

🚑 Giants vs. Dodgers injury report


📺 Giants vs. Dodgers game info

  • When: Thursday, Sept. 18
  • First pitch: 10:10 p.m. ET
  • Where: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
  • How to watch: MLB Network

❓ Giants vs. Dodgers FAQs

Who is favored to win Giants vs. Dodgers?

The Dodgers are -160 favorites to defeat the Giants in Thursday’s series opener.

What is the run line for Giants vs. Dodgers?

Los Angeles is a -1.5 run line favorite against San Francisco.

What is the Over/Under for Giants vs. Dodgers?

The total for Giants vs. Dodgers is 7.5.

What are the best bets for Giants vs. Dodgers?

My best bets for Giants vs. Dodgers are Los Angeles ML and Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 hits, runs, and RBIs.

When is the Giants vs. Dodgers game?

First pitch for Giants vs. Dodgers is 10:10 p.m. ET on Thursday.

How do baseball odds work?

When betting on MLB, the run line shows how many runs the favorite needs to win by in order to cash the bet. For example, a favorite of -1.5 must win by two or more runs to cover the run line, while an underdog at +1.5 must win outright or lose by one run to cover the run line.

Moneyline odds represent the payout for picking the outright winner (+200 means a $100 bet wins $200, while -200 means a $200 bet wins $100). Over/Unders let you wager on whether the combined total of runs will be higher or lower than the set number.

You can determine the payouts and implied probabilities for any wager - or convert odds to different formats - with our odds converter.

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