The Dodgers and Angels renew the Freeway Series under the Angel Stadium lights, with the Angels owning a 78-73 edge in the all-time regular-season series and even sweeping a May visit to Dodger Stadium. In Monday’s opener, Yoshinobu Yamamoto meets Jose Soriano, a clash the odds favor Dodgers -1.5 and a 8.5 total. Yamamoto brings a chance to pile up strikeouts against a line-up that has whiffed more than usual since the All-Star break.

Angels have been dialing up strikeouts (26.7% since the break), a perfect setup for Yamamoto’s 6.5 K prop, while Soriano must navigate a red-hot Dodgers lineup that is trending toward top-10 OPS since play resumed. Angels’ bullpen has been leaky (4.81 ERA, 26th), giving Los Angeles ample late-run insurance to push this one out.

Bottom line: Dodgers are the smart play to win and cover, leveraging a surge in offense and an Angels’ bullpen stumble. Yamamoto’s strikeout ceiling makes the 6.5 line appealing, and the overall series feels ripe for a Dodgers win by margin.