The Chicago Cubs (9-7) and Los Angeles Dodgers (11-4) continue their series on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. First pitch is expected for 9:10 p.m. ET; the game will be broadcast on Marquee Sports Network and SportsNet LA. It can also be streamed via MLB.TV.
L.A. will be looking to lock up another series win over Chicago and a fifth win in five games, but it may have a bit to worry about Roki Sasaki going up against one of the most tantalizing pitching prospects in the National League.
Can the Cubs finally notch a win over the Dodgers on Saturday night? Find out below, where I have my Cubs vs Dodgers prediction and same-game parlay picks.
Cubs vs Dodgers Prediction
- Cubs vs Dodgers pick:Cubs Moneyline (+162) | Play to +150
My Cubs vs Dodgers best bet is on the Cubs moneyline. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Cubs vs Dodgers Same-Game Parlay
- Cubs ML
- Kyle Tucker 2+ Total Bases
- Roki Sasaki 2+ Walks Allowed
Parlay odds: +500 (DraftKings)
Judging by the early numbers, we can be confident Sasaki will do two things — throw fastballs and walk batters.
He's leaned on the four-seamer 56.8% of the time, and there is no better fastball masher on this team — and perhaps none better in the NL — than Kyle Tucker. He ran up a +19 run value against fastballs a year ago, hitting .324 next to a .695 slugging percentage, and against fly-ball pitchers this season, he's hit over .300 in the early going.
Sasaki doesn't necessarily give up a ton of fly balls relative to the league norm, but a whopping 60.9% of his contact has come in the air.
The Cubs, as we've covered above, have been one of the league's most patient teams with a 12% walk rate through 16 games — and their chase rate ranks sixth-best in baseball.
Sasaki may not have been a wildly generous arm in terms of walks in Japan, but that's quickly flipped in the opposite direction with at least two walks in every start this year.
Given the harsh matchup, we have to expect that to persist.
Cubs vs Dodgers Odds
| Cubs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -125 | 9 +100o / -120u | +155 |
| Dodgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +105 | 9 +100o / -120u | -185 |
- Cubs vs Dodgers Moneyline: Cubs +155, Dodgers -185
- Cubs vs Dodgers Total: 9 (+100o / -120u)
- Cubs vs Dodgers Spread: Cubs +1.5 (-125), Dodgers -1.5 (+105)
Cubs-Dodgers Probable Pitchers
| RHP Ben Brown (CHC) | Stat | RHP Roki Sasaki (LAD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | W-L | 0-0 |
| 0.0 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.1 |
| 7.71 / 5.48 | ERA /xERA | 4.15 / 3.91 |
| 5.21 / 4.10 | FIP / xFIP | 4.71 / 5.88 |
| 2.23 | WHIP | 2.08 |
| 9.7% | K-BB% | -4.7% |
| 41.7% | GB% | 39.1% |
| 92 | Stuff+ | 91 |
| 90 | Location+ | 76 |
Cubs vs Dodgers Preview & Predictions
Cubs Betting Preview: Don't Write Off Big Ben
It hasn't been the dream start to 2025 for Ben Brown, who won the fifth and final spot in the Cubs' rotation out of camp.
He put together a strong rookie year after blazing through the minor leagues with two devastating pitches — the four-seamer and the knuckle-curve — but to this point, he's had control issues and has continued to give up some solid contact just as he did a year ago.
Brown was able to pitch around it with a meaty 28.8% strikeout rate and unassuming 8.6% walk rate last year, but both numbers have gone in the opposite direction.
He's always going to be vulnerable to giving up home runs with his style, but if there's any consolation, it's that his ground-ball rate has jumped up to 45.9% in 2025.
Brown has also pitched just three times — one of which was out of the bullpen against the Dodgers in Tokyo — and since then, he has had an encouraging start against the Athletics and an outing against the Padres that started off on a sour note before he settled in.
This is an excellent talent who is just getting his feet wet in the big leagues, and it's silly to write him off after just 11 2/3 innings.
Dodgers Betting Preview: Growing Pains for Sasaki
Roki Sasaki is another arm who's just now getting going at this level, making his fourth start since coming over from Japan over the offseason.
It's been a mixed bag for the right-hander, who has worked just 8 2/3 innings, but already we can see he's struggling somewhat to adjust.
Sasaki ran a solid enough 7.1% walk rate in Japan last year in 18 starts, but that number jumped to 11.1% in spring training and sits at 25.6% in the early going of the regular season.
To put it in perspective, he's walked 11 batters in those 8 2/3 frames, and with a number like that, a measly 20.9% strikeout rate is simply not going to cut it.
We normally see players struggle to immediately translate their strikeout numbers to this level when first making the leap, which is why I have my doubts about Sasaki — at least early on.
Pitchers who hunt strikeouts generally allow a good number of walks and homers, and while Sasaki has yet to allow the latter, he's pitched to a very low 39.1% ground-ball rate, which should put him in some jeopardy here against a team that is very capable of hitting gappers and home runs.
Cubs vs Dodgers Prediction, Betting Analysis
Sasaki's debut came against this Cubs team in the Toko Series, and in three innings, the Japanese import totaled three strikeouts and five walks in three frames. He did escape with just one run against him, but given the Cubs have continued to excel in the strikeout and walk columns — something they did better than anyone this spring — I wouldn't expect a drastic improvement.
This one probably comes down to which arm you trust more to keep the ball in the zone, given both teams have historically been patient at the plate, and I think you've got to give the nod to Brown, who does technically have more big-league experience and who ran roughly a league-average walk rate a year ago.
The Dodgers have struck out in a surprising 24.4% of plate appearances, too, which is far above Chicago's mark of 20% — and while they are levels above in the power department I'm not sure it will make a big enough difference with Brown beginning to learn how to earn outs on contact.
Chicago is too good to come away without a win in six games versus the Dodgers, and it should pick one up here.
Brown has the potential to turn into an ace with his stuff, and last season he shut down some of the most powerful offenses in baseball.
Sasaki has that potential, too, but I think he's going to experience further growing pains before he works his way toward reaching that ceiling.
Pick: Cubs ML (+162)
Cubs vs Dodgers Betting Trends
How to Watch Cubs vs Dodgers; Game Information
| Location: | Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Date: | Saturday, April 12 |
| Time: | 9:10 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming Options: | SportsNet LA; Marquee Sports Network; MLB.TV |
Cubs vs Dodgers Latest Injuries
Cubs Injuries
| Player | Status |
|---|---|
| LHP Justin Steele | Left elbow tendinitis (15-day IL) |
| INF Vidal Brujan | Right elbow sprain (10-day IL) |
| RHP Ryan Brasier | Left groin strain (15-day IL) |
| RHP Tyson Miller | Left hip (15-day IL) |
Dodgers Injuries
| Player | Status |
|---|---|
| RHP Evan Phillips | Right rotator cuff (15-day IL) |
| RHP Michael Kopech | Right shoulder (15-day IL) |
| LHP Blake Snell | Left shoulder (15-day IL) |
| LHP Clayton Kershaw | Left toe/knee (60-day IL) |
