Los Angeles Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction – 5/18/2025

On May 18, 2025, the Los Angeles Dodgers will host the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in a highly anticipated Interleague matchup. The Dodgers are enjoying a strong season with a record of 29-17, while the Angels are struggling at 19-25. In their last game, the Dodgers took a second straight loss to their cross-town rivals and they will look to rebound today.

Tony Gonsolin is projected to start for the Dodgers, bringing a solid 2-0 record and an impressive ERA of 2.81 this season. Gonsolin's high strikeout rate of 33.3% could be a significant advantage against the Angels, who rank 2nd in the league for strikeouts. However, he has been prone to allowing fly balls, which could be a concern against a powerful Angels offense that has hit 61 home runs this season, ranking 5th in MLB.

On the other hand, Yusei Kikuchi will take the mound for the Angels. Kikuchi has struggled this year, with a 0-4 record and a 3.72 ERA. His high walk rate of 10.4% could play into the hands of the patient Dodgers lineup, which ranks 4th in the league for walks. The projections suggest that Kikuchi's control issues may lead to significant trouble against a Dodgers offense that ranks 1st in MLB overall and 1st in batting average.

The Dodgers are favored in this matchup, with a moneyline of -245, indicating a strong likelihood of victory. The Game Total is set at 9.0 runs, reflecting expectations for a competitive game. With their potent offense and a solid pitcher on the mound, the Dodgers are well-positioned to capitalize on the Angels' struggles and extend their winning streak.

Quick Takes Los Angeles Angels:

Despite conventional wisdom, fastballs are generally a pitcher's least effective pitch. Yusei Kikuchi has gone to his secondary offerings 7.5% more often this year (60.6%) than he did last season (53.1%).

• A pitcher who limits has fastball usage will instead heavily use change-ups, curveballs, sliders, etc. These are far more effective pitches at preventing runs and generating strikeouts.

Zach Neto has seen a big gain in his exit velocity on flyballs this year; just compare his 98.6-mph average to last year's 94.5-mph mark.

• Most home runs are flyballs, and the harder those flyballs are hit, the more often they turn into home runs. This is a strong indicator of power.

The Los Angeles Angels have 3 batters in their projected offense today with a high (i.e. over 27%) underlying K% (per the leading projection system, THE BAT X) (Jo Adell, Logan O'Hoppe, Matthew Lugo).

• Teams that have multiple high-strikeout hitters will make it much easier for the opposing pitcher to record strikeouts

Quick Takes Los Angeles Dodgers:

Tony Gonsolin has posted a staggering 21 strikeouts over his previous 3 starts.

• A pitcher who has been strong in his recent outings may be sharp once again in his next outing.

Extreme groundball hitters like Miguel Rojas tend to be less successful against extreme groundball pitchers like Yusei Kikuchi.

• This mostly has to do with the way the hitter's swing plane interacts with the pitch trajectory, and it can create diminished performance across all categories and hidden value few are considering.

According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen profiles as the 6th-best out of all teams in Major League Baseball.

• Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a strong bullpen sneakily creates a tougher matchup for the opposing offense and suppresses a game's runs.

Game Trends

• The Los Angeles Dodgers have hit the Game Total Over in 9 of their last 10 games at home (+7.90 Units / 71% ROI)
• The Los Angeles Angels have hit the Moneyline in 3 of their last 5 games (+4.45 Units / 89% ROI)
• Mookie Betts has hit the Hits Runs and RBIs Over in 14 of his last 20 games (+6.45 Units / 23% ROI)

Los Angeles Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction

Predicted Final Score: Los Angeles Angels 4.67, Los Angeles Dodgers 5.89

• Date: May 18, 2025
• Venue: Dodger Stadium
• Starting Pitchers:
  • Yusei Kikuchi - Angels
  • Tony Gonsolin - Dodgers

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