Angels vs Dodgers: Game 1, prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Freeway Series begins on Monday, as the LA Angels face off against the LA Dodgers for the first of three games taking place in Anaheim. Coming into this fixture, the hosts are fourth in the AL West with a 56-62 record, while the visitors, currently 68-50, are top of the NL West.

Let's take a look at the odds to get an idea of how the action might play out on the field.

Angels vs Dodgers prediction

Taking the mound for the Angels is Jose Soriano, who has been solid, with a 7-9 record, along with a 4.01 ERA and 119 total strikeouts.

Jose Soriano in action against the Tampa Bay Rays - Source: Getty

Offensively, the likes of Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, Jo Adell and Taylor Ward are enjoying strong seasons for the hosts.

For the visitors, All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the mound. The 26-year-old has been excellent this season, boasting a 10-7 record, along with a 2.51 ERA and 139 total strikeouts.

At the plate, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Andy Pages are the key players for the visitors.

With the pitching matchup leaning in their favor and their offense firing on all cylinders at the moment, the 2024 World Series champions should secure an important win to begin this series.

Prediction: Los Angeles Angels 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 5

Odds

Money Line: Los Angeles Angels +147, Los Angeles Dodgers -182

Run Line: Angels +1.5 (-115), Dodgers -1.5 (106)

Total Runs: Over 7.5 (-135), Under 7.5 (+110)

Injury report

LAA injuries:

Jorge Soler: 10-day IL (Back)
Chris Taylor: 10-day IL (Hand)
Anthony Rendón: 60-day IL (Hip)
Robert Stephenson: 60-day IL (Biceps)
Ben Joyce: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Hunter Strickland: 60-day IL (Shoulder)

LAD injuries:

Tommy Edman: 10-day IL (Ankle)
Kiké Hernández: 10-day IL (Elbow)
Hyeseong Kim: 10-day IL (Shoulder)
Tanner Scott: 15-day IL (Elbow)
Kirby Yates: 15-day IL (Back)
Gavin Stone: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
River Ryan: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Brusdar Graterol: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Roki Sasaki: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Kyle Hurt: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Michael Grove: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Michael Kopech: 60-day IL (Knee)
Tony Gonsolin: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Evan Phillips: 60-day IL (Forearm)
Michael Conforto: day-to-day (Knee)

Expert's picks

The visitors' offense comes into this game swinging red-hot bats, and with their ace on the mound, they should be able to navigate their way to victory on Monday.

Money Line: Los Angeles Dodgers -182

Run Line: Angels +1.5 (106)

Total Runs: Over 7.5 (-135)

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

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Edited by Krutik Jain

Angels vs Dodgers: Game 1, prediction, odds, injuries and picks - August 11, MLB 2025