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The Los Angeles Dodgers (2-0) welcome the Detroit Tigers (0-0) to Dodger Stadium Thursday for the opener of a 3-game series. First pitch to help commence Opening Day is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s MLB odds around the Tigers vs. Dodgers odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting; Tigers won 2-1 in 2024
The Dodgers, the defending World Series champions, kicked off their 2025 campaign with a 2-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo March 18-19. Los Angeles won 4-1 as a -138 favorite in the opener and 6-3 as a -137 fave the next night. The Over/Under total, which was 7.5 both games, split. The Dodgers took 2 of 3 against the Los Angeles Angels Sunday through Tuesday to close out spring training.
The Tigers have assembled a solid young core of players but are only ranked 18th in ESPN’s preseason power rankings. They struggled to close out spring training, going 0-5-1 in the final 6 games. They lost their final 3, capped by a 4-3 defeat at the San Francisco Giants in Oracle Park Tuesday. The Tigers had a terrific late run to make the 2024 playoffs where they upset the No. 3 seed Houston Astros 2-0 in a best-of-3 Wild Card Series.
Tigers at Dodgers projected starters
LHP Tarik Skubal vs. LHP Blake Snell
Skubal won the AL Cy Young Award last season after going 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 1.6 BB/9 and 10.7 K/9 through 192 innings. He led the majors with 288 K’s and tied with NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves for the most MLB wins. Skubal’s ERA led the AL — just behind Sale’s MLB-best 2.38 ERA.
- Won AL pitching Triple Crown and made first All-Star appearance in 2024
- Career vs. Dodgers: 1 start, no-decision, 6 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 8 K in 4-3 home loss July 12, 2024
- 2024 home splits: 10-1, 1.99 ERA (104 IP, 23 ER), 0.83 WHIP, 10.1 K/9 in 16 starts
Snell signed a 6-year deal with Dodgers in the offseason. He went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 games last year for the Giants, finishing with a 1.05 WHIP, 3.8 BB/9 and 12.5 K/9 through 104 innings.
- On DL most of last June with groin injury
- Pitched no-hitter at Cincinnati Reds with 11 K, 3 BB Aug. 2, 2024
- Career vs. Tigers: 0-2, 6.06 ERA (16 1/3 IP, 11 ER) in 3 starts, last facing them in 2019
- 2024 road splits: 4-1, 3.40 ERA (50 1/3 IP, 19 ER), 0.99 WHIP, 12.2 K/9 in 9 starts
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Tigers at Dodgers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of MLB odds. Lines last updated at 2:52 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Tigers +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Dodgers -175 (bet $175 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Tigers +1.5 (-150) | Dodgers -1.5 (+125)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Tigers at Dodgers picks and predictions
Prediction
Tigers 4, Dodgers 3
Moneyline
BET TIGERS (+145).
The spread (run line) is just too expensive for Detroit here, so the preferred play is on the moneyline. The Tigers were 12-4 at home with Skubal on the mound and won 4 of his last 5 starts to end the 2024 season. Detroit was 43-38 at home last season.
The Dodgers (-175) topped 4 runs just twice in their last 5 games (3 spring training and 2 regular season). Expect them to struggle against a quality pitcher like Skubal.
Take TIGERS (+145) to come out on top.
Run line/Against the spread
PASS.
There’s no great play on the spread. The Dodgers are worth a look but have an inferior pitcher on the mound and may struggle to separate themselves by a sizable margin.
AVOID a spread wager.
Over/Under
BET OVER 6.5 (-115).
The Dodgers played 15 spring training games in March and scored 4 or more runs in all but one. They averaged 5.0 runs per game in the Japan series, so there’s no question that they can score.
The Tigers, behind OF Riley Greene and many other young hitters, have a solid core. They should be able to have success against the 32-year-old Snell.
Back OVER 6.5 (-115).
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