The Dodgers’ road trip continues this week with a brief detour to Anaheim, where they’ll face the Angels for two games at Angel Stadium. While this may be an away series for the Dodgers, it holds particular significance for one of their star players, Shohei Ohtani, who returns to the stadium he called home for six seasons. After joining the Dodgers, Ohtani’s first official games back at Angel Stadium will undoubtedly be an emotional homecoming, as he was greeted with a standing ovation during the exhibition Freeway Series back in March. The stakes are real this time, and Ohtani’s performance against his former team will be highly anticipated.
Ohtani 50/50 Odds
Shohei Ohtani’s historical pursuit of joining the exclusive 50/50 club—50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season—has also garnered significant attention. Ohtani’s dual-threat capability as both a hitter and pitcher makes him one of the most dynamic players in baseball, and the odds for him to reach this milestone are tempting for bettors. According to online casino and sportsbook Casino-Utan-Svensk-Licens.com, odds are around +1000 to +1200 for Ohtani to achieve the 50/50 feat, a wager that offers a mix of excitement and long-term potential.
Freeway Series
This series marks an exciting phase in the Dodgers’ interleague matchups as they complete their interleague schedule against the Angels and then return home to host the Cleveland Guardians. Over the past few weeks, the Dodgers have played extensively against American League teams, competing in 14 of their last 18 games against AL opponents. Impressively, their 27-14 interleague record ranks among the best in baseball, behind only the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers.
One of the key storylines for this series is the performance of the starting pitchers, all looking to rebound from challenging seasons. The two-game stint in Anaheim will feature a pair of former Louisville teammates and 2020 first-round picks, Bobby Miller for the Dodgers and Reid Detmers for the Angels, though they won’t face each other. Detmers takes the mound for the Angels on Tuesday, while Miller starts for the Dodgers on Wednesday. Both have struggled this season, with Detmers spending three months in Triple-A and Miller fighting command issues. However, Detmers’ recent Triple-A outings show promise, having struck out 29 batters over his last three starts while allowing just three runs in 21 innings. Miller, while still struggling with homer-prone tendencies, has shown signs of improvement in his previous two starts, striking out 12 over 11 innings.
Tuesday’s series opener will feature Walker Buehler for the Dodgers, who is still trying to regain his form following a two-month absence due to hip inflammation. With a 5.88 ERA in 11 starts, Buehler’s return has been rocky, but his recent outing against the Orioles left him optimistic. Conversely, Griffin Canning, who leads the American League in earned runs allowed, will start for the Angels on Wednesday. His 5.19 ERA is the best among the four starters in this series, though that says more about the collective struggles of these pitchers than anything else. The Dodgers and Angels previously split a pair of games at Dodger Stadium in June, setting the stage for another competitive matchup.
World Series Odds
As the Dodgers look to close out interleague play on a solid note, they also have their sights set on loftier goals, notably the 2024 World Series. Currently, the Dodgers have some of the top odds to win the championship, with sportsbooks placing their chances around +300 to +350. This places them among the top contenders, though they still trail favorites like the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros. For fans and bettors alike, this season’s unpredictable nature adds to the intrigue of placing wagers on whether the Dodgers can go all the way.
As the Dodgers continue their march toward October, the drama, both on and off the field, unfolds. Between Ohtani’s remarkable season, the uncertain form of their pitching staff, and their ambitions for a World Series title, the final stretch of the regular season promises to be anything but dull. For fans of both the Dodgers and the Angels, this week’s series offers a perfect blend of nostalgia, rivalry, and high-stakes baseball.
