Opening Day is finally here, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are set to kick off the 2025 season in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs. There’s a ton of hype around this one, and for good reason, the Dodgers are rolling out one of the most stacked rosters in baseball, and they have their newest superstar on the mound, looking to make a statement in his home country.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his MLB debut, and if you haven’t been paying attention, this guy is the real deal. He dominated in Japan, won three straight MVP awards, and the Dodgers paid him $325 million for a reason. He’s got electric stuff, and he’s about to put on a show in front of his home crowd. Across the diamond, the Cubs are countering with Shota Imanaga, who’s solid but doesn’t have the same overpowering arsenal that makes Yamamoto such a special talent. Huge pitching edge to L.A. here.

Offensively, the Dodgers’ lineup is dangerous from top to bottom. They’ll be without Mookie Betts (illness), but with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Max Muncy in the lineup, they still have more than enough firepower to do damage. The Cubs made some nice additions in the offseason, but their offense just doesn’t stack up against this L.A. powerhouse.

The only concern for L.A. is their pitching depth, with Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, and Michael Grove all starting the season on the IL. But that’s why they spent big on Yamamoto, and with their bullpen still solid, they should have no problem shutting the door late.

At the end of the day, the Dodgers have the stronger lineup, the better pitcher, and the momentum of a team built to win now. Yamamoto is going to put on a show in Tokyo, and this offense will do what they do best... score runs and handle business.

Dodgers start the season with a W! Lock in the moneyline and cash out!