The Los Angeles Dodgers (11-4) will try to clinch a series victory when they host the Chicago Cubs (9-7) on Saturday night. Los Angeles opened the series with a 3-0 win on Friday night, as Chicago was only able to generate two hits. Despite the Dodgers hot start to the season, they find themselves in third place behind San Diego and San Francisco in the National League West. Chicago is tied with Milwaukee atop the NL Central after losing three of its last five games.
First pitch from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles is set for 9:10 p.m. ET. Los Angeles is a -170 favorite on the money line (risk $170 to win $100) in the latest Dodgers vs. Cubs odds from SportsLine consensus, while the total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 9. Before making any Cubs vs. Dodgers picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It enters Week 3 of the 2025 MLB season on a 34-19 roll on top-rated run-line betting picks (+629) that dates back to 2023. Anybody following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
Now, here are the model’s three best bets for Dodgers vs. Cubs on Saturday:
Cubs +1.5 to cover the run line (-125)
Los Angeles has yet to score more than eight runs in a game this season, and it has not scored more than six runs in a victory since March 29. The Dodgers have been held to four runs or fewer in six of their last nine games, including their 3-0 win over the Cubs on Friday. Chicago leads the majors in runs (96) by a wide margin. Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki has failed to pitch more than four innings in any of his three appearances this season, which is another reason the model has the Cubs covering the run line in almost 70% of simulations. BetMGM has the best price on the Cubs covering at -125.
Over 9 total runs (-110)
While Chicago leads the MLB in runs, Los Angeles is not far behind in fifth with 72 runs. Additionally, both teams are inside the top five in home runs, so there is potential for lopsided innings on Saturday night. Sasaki’s inability to go deep in his starts has put pressure on the Los Angeles bullpen, as he has walked 11 batters in 8.2 innings. Cubs starter Ben Brown allowed five earned runs across 4.0 innings against San Diego in his last start. The model is projecting 9.8 combined runs, as the over hits in more than 60% of simulations.
Ben Brown Over 4.5 strikeouts (-158)
Brown burst onto the scene last year with 64 strikeouts in 55.1 innings, and he has maintained a consistent whiff rate so far this year. The 25-year-old has struck out five batters in each of his first three starts of the campaign, despite pitching five innings or less in all of those outings. He is facing a Dodgers lineup that has the third-most strikeouts (134) of any team in baseball. The model has Brown finishing with six strikeouts across 5.2 innings in its latest simulations, creating value on this prop. FanDuel Sportsbook has the best price at -158.
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Top MLB expert Matt Severance is heating up. Get his best bets for Saturday here, all from the expert who is 44-20 on his last 64 MLB picks (+1264).
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