Los Angeles Dodgers vs Tampa Bay Rays Pick – 8/2/2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers will play the second game of their weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon. Game 1 saw the Dodgers blank Tampa Bay 5‑0 behind a strong start from Clayton Kershaw. Both teams are in playoff races and will look for a key win in this contest. Continue reading to get my Dodgers vs Rays prediction before this early afternoon game.
Our Dodgers vs Rays Pick
- Pick: Dodgers moneyline
- Confidence: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Get Your Bonus Bets: Click the Claim Bonus button and use our Legendz Sportsbook promo code to get a 50% purchase bonus when betting on this game!
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Date & Time: Saturday, August 2, 2025, 1:10 PM ET
- Starting Pitchers: Blake Snell (1‑0, 2.00 ERA) vs Drew Rasmussen (8‑5, 2.96 ERA)
- Stadium: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, FL
- Broadcast: FDSSUN and SportsNet LA
Key Storylines
Pitching matchup
This game marks the return of Blake Snell from the 60‑day injured list for his first start in four months. Snell won the NL Cy Young award in 2023 and is looking to start the path back to that level in this game. Tampa Bay counters with Drew Rasmussen. Rasmussen is one of MLB’s most underappreciated pitchers. He enters this game at 8-5 for the season with a 2.96 ERA and will look to outperform Snell on the bump.
Key Players
- Shohei Ohtani: Ohtani leads the Dodgers with 38 home runs and 73 RBI.
- Will Smith: Smith has a team-high batting average of .325.
- Freddie Freeman: Freeman is coming off back‑to‑back games with a home run.
- Junior Caminero (TB): Caminero has 27 home runs and 71 RBI to lead the Rays.
- Jonathan Aranda (TB): Aranda leads the Rays with a .316 average in 2025.
Recent team streaks
- The Dodgers have won three of their last four games.
- Tampa has lost three straight games coming into Saturday’s action.
Best Player Props
| Player | Stat | Prop |
|---|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani | Home runs | Over 0.5 |
| Blake Snell | Strikeouts | Under 4.5 |
| Freddie Freeman | Total bases | Over 1.5 |
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Dodgers are 1-0 against the Rays this season after Friday’s series opener.
- The Dodgers are 20-14 in interleague play this season. The Rays are 19-14 in interleague games.
- Los Angeles is 20-14 in day games this year. Tampa is 23-23 in the daytime.
Dodgers vs Rays Model Projection
Score Projection: Dodgers 4 – Rays 2
Win Probability: Dodgers 55%, Rays 45%
Final Thoughts
Blake Snell’s return to the mound could go well or it could go incredibly poorly. I don’t think Snell will pitch for long in this game and he won’t get roughed up badly during his time out there. The Dodgers have the advantage everywhere else in this game. I’ll take Los Angeles to welcome Snell back with a win to take a 2-0 lead in this series against the Rays.
