Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 5/4/26, 5:00 PM  by Carlos Zabala | Modified on 5/18/26 at 4:01 PM in MLB Picks

We'll have a rematch in 2026 of the 2017 World Series, when the Astros faced the Dodgers. At Daikin Park, the Astros' bats, with a 14-21 record, will be facing off against Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has already lowered his ERA to 2.87, has 32 strikeouts compared to his 9 walks, and a 2-2 record.

On Sunday, the Dodgers were in St. Louis and took the final game of a series they lost against the Cardinals; pitching is not a frequent weakness for Dave Roberts' team, and with timely hitting once again, the reigning two-time MLB champions, with their 21-13 record, have taken control of the National League West division.

The Dodgers collected 10 hits on Sunday at Busch Stadium; the thing is, none of them were by Ohtani. The Japanese star recently had a streak of over 50 games reaching base, but he reached his peak and unexpectedly went 0-for-12 in his series in St. Louis; he's now hitless in four games, a slump comparable only to a similar one he experienced in 2022. But even though he wasn't on the field, the reliable Freddie Freeman stepped up to drive in a key run and go 2-for-5; the Dodgers' regular first baseman has a .266 batting average at the moment. The Dodgers only struck out five times in the final game of the series against the Cardinals.