Los Angeles Dodgers vs Texas Rangers Pick – 4/18/2025

Los Angeles Dodgers vs Texas Rangers Betting Preview

As the Texas Rangers prepare to host the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 18, 2025, both teams bring impressive records to the field. The Rangers sit at 12-7, while the Dodgers boast a 14-6 record, each showcasing strong starts to their seasons. This Interleague matchup marks the first game of the series, and the stakes are high as both teams aim to maintain their momentum.

In their last outing, the Dodgers enjoyed a solid win against their opponents, which further highlights their current form. They will be relying on the elite arm of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who enters the game with a stellar 1.23 ERA this season and a solid 2.22 xFIP. He has been impressive, striking out 6.4 batters per game on average, and will look to continue that trend against a Rangers offense that ranks 23rd in MLB.

On the other side, Jacob deGrom is projected to take the mound for the Rangers. Despite his #18 ranking among starting pitchers, deGrom has faced challenges this season, with a 4.30 ERA and a concerning 6.23 FIP suggesting that he could be due for a regression. His ability to limit walks could be tested against a Dodgers lineup that excels in drawing them, ranking 5th in MLB.

The projections favor the Dodgers significantly, who have a high implied team total of 4.27 runs, compared to the Rangers' low 3.73. With the Rangers' struggles at the plate and deGrom's recent performance, the Dodgers appear poised to capitalize on any mistakes. However, baseball is unpredictable, making this matchup one to watch closely.

Quick Takes Los Angeles Dodgers:

When estimating his strikeout ability, Yoshinobu Yamamoto projects as the 16th-best SP in MLB currently, per the leading projection system (THE BAT).

• THE BAT X is a highly sophisticated projection system that accounts for a multitude of factors and regularly tests among the most accurate systems available.

Typically, bats like Max Muncy who hit a lot of groundballs tend to be less successful when facing pitchers who also induce a lot of groundballs such as Jacob deGrom.

• 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.

Will Smith hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (39.7% — 95th percentile) and will have to hit them out towards baseball's 7th-deepest CF fences in today's matchup.

• This player's skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he's in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Quick Takes Texas Rangers:

Among all starting pitchers, Jacob deGrom's fastball velocity of 95.9 mph grades out in the 89th percentile this year.

• Velocity is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs.

Over the past 7 days, Jonah Heim's Barrel% has experienced a negative regression, plummeting from his seasonal rate of 13.8% down to 0%.

• Barrel% measures how often a player hits the ball at the optimal exit velocity and launch angle and is a terrific measure of underlying power.

It may be wise to expect improved performance for the Texas Rangers offense the rest of the season, considering that the leading projection system (THE BAT X) believes they are the 3rd-unluckiest offense in baseball this year.

• When teams underperform their projected talent level, markets may undervalue them even while they are likely to perform better in the near future.

Game Trends

• The Texas Rangers have hit the Moneyline in 12 of their last 18 games (+6.25 Units / 28% ROI)
• The Los Angeles Dodgers have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Over in 96 of their last 174 games (+9.06 Units / 4% ROI)
• Marcus Semien has hit the Total Bases Under in 13 of his last 15 games (+10.65 Units / 46% ROI)

Los Angeles Dodgers vs Texas Rangers Prediction

Predicted Final Score: Los Angeles Dodgers 4.92, Texas Rangers 3.72

• Date: April 18, 2025
• Venue: Globe Life Field
• Starting Pitchers:
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto - Dodgers
  • Jacob deGrom - Rangers

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