Game 1 had the elements of an all-time game, with extra innings, heroic home runs, and stolen bases generating scoring.
Tonight's game will also come down to the wire, and my Yankees vs. Dodgers predictions explain how neither starting pitcher will record a win.
Read on for my MLB picks for Saturday, October 26, and check out our Yankees vs. Dodgers prop picks!
Yankees vs Dodgers prediction
Who will win Yankees vs Dodgers Game 2?
I'll say the New York Yankees. They'll see a rookie pitcher starting a World Series game with a barrel and hard-hit rate in the Bottom 20% of the league. That fact alone makes it hard to say anyone beats them.
Carlos Rodon hasn't had a great season, but he's still a veteran pitcher who has pitched two of his best games in the postseason.
My Yankees vs Dodgers best bet
Neither starting pitcher to record a win
(-120 at bet365)
My analysis
My strongest opinion about this game is there are various reasons not to trust either starting pitcher. Naturally, that would lead you to the Over. However, it's priced at 8.5, which aligns with my projections of 8.3 runs. With that in mind, I've had to get creative.
There are a lot of hoops to jump through for Rodon to even be in a position to record a win. As we saw last night when Aaron Boone pulled Gerrit Cole at just 80 pitches, the leash is short. It will even be shorter for a pitcher who hasn't inspired confidence this season.
Rodon has gone over five innings just once in his three starts. It's significantly challenging to trust him in this road environment to be both successful enough and economical enough with his pitch count to last five frames. Even if he does, it's equally challenging to trust he'll leave the game with a lead.
The other part of this is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He was brilliant against the Yankees in the dead heat of the summer, but that was a completely different New York team.
It was swinging freely, and Yamamoto took full advantage of that with 13 swings and misses. That won't be the case here.
As I noted above, the Yanks capitalize on pitchers who have such a big, hard-hit issue. Even when New York wasn't running well and it faced him, it still got some pretty strong contact.
Aaron Judge and Jose Trevino both made contact on pitches for over a 100 mph exit velocity. Trevino won't be in the lineup, but there are plenty of others who can exploit this issue amongst Yankees — as we all know.
The second part of this is, yet again, the length. Is Dave Roberts going to trust his rookie pitcher in high-leverage spots even to complete five innings? He's pulled Yamamoto twice this postseason with less than 60 pitches, and he's completed five innings just once in his three starts. I'm very dubious, and that makes this a great bet.
Shohei Ohtani pick: Ohtani shines on big stage
My best bet
Over 1.5 total bases (+105 at bet365)
My analysis
Shohei Ohtani exceeded this number last night against one of the Yankees' bullpen arms. This is a good matchup for him, and you're only getting plus money because of Ohtani's slight dip in numbers against lefties.
However, he still makes very hard contact, with just 11% of his hits against southpaws this season being labeled "soft." That's an issue with Rodon on the mound, as the lefty ranks well below the league average in hard-hit rate.
Yankees vs Dodgers same-game parlay (SGP)
Neither starting pitcher to record a win
Aaron Judge to hit a home run
This is simply a play on positive regression. Judge is too talented to go completely ghost from a power standpoint in this World Series. Tonight is one of the best matchups he can get.
In so many ways, this is a dream matchup for the Yankees star. It's a rookie pitcher on a big stage, leaving him mistake-prone. In addition, it's also a pitcher who throws a ton of high-velocity stuff and has had a barrel issue all year. You can't ask for much more.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Yankees vs Dodgers odds
Yankees vs Dodgers live odds
Yankees vs Dodgers opening odds
- Moneyline: New York +120 | Los Angeles -140
- Run line: New York +1.5 (-190) | Los Angeles -1.5 (+155)
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Yankees vs Dodgers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- New York has been particularly dominant in these playoffs, with an 8-2 record over the last 10 games.
- This has been a competitive series in recent meetings, as the two teams have split the last 10 games.
- The Dodgers have been a fantastic Over team, as nine of their last ten games have gone Over the total.
Yankees vs Dodgers trend
The New York Yankees have covered the run line in 52 of their last 86 away games (+20.75 Units / 19% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Dodgers.
Yankees vs Dodgers Game 2 info
| Location: | Stadium, City, State/Province |
| Date: | Saturday, 10-26-2024 |
| First pitch: | 8:08 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FOX |
| Yankees starting pitcher: | Carlos Rodon (2024 postseason: 1-1, 4.40 ERA) |
| Dodgers starting pitcher: | Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2024 postseason: 1-0, 5.11 ERA) |
Yankees vs Dodgers latest injuries
Yankees vs Dodgers weather
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