Dodgers vs Rockies Head-to-Head Preview and Score Prediction – Wednesday August 20, 2025

Los Angeles Dodgers

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Colorado Rockies

As the Colorado Rockies prepare to face the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 20, 2025, in a crucial National League West matchup, the stakes are high for both teams. The Rockies, currently sitting at 36-90, are enduring a dismal season, while the Dodgers boast a strong 72-54 record. In their last game, the Dodgers showcased their prowess by securing a commanding victory over the Rockies, further widening the gap in the standings.

Projected starters for the matchup are Tanner Gordon for the Rockies and Shohei Ohtani for the Dodgers. Gordon, ranked as the 281st best starting pitcher in MLB according to advanced metrics, has struggled this year with a 7.98 ERA and a troubling projection of 3.8 earned runs over 4.2 innings. Conversely, Ohtani, an elite pitcher ranked 4th, enters the game with a solid 3.47 ERA and projects to allow just 2.7 earned runs in 5.6 innings. This stark contrast presents a significant advantage for the Dodgers.

Offensively, the Rockies rank 25th in MLB, struggling to generate runs, while the Dodgers are firing on all cylinders, ranking 3rd overall. With an implied team total of 7.20 runs for the Dodgers compared to the Rockies’ 4.30, oddsmakers clearly favor the visiting team.

The Rockies’ strength lies in their low-walk approach, but against a patient Dodgers lineup that draws the 2nd most walks in MLB, Gordon’s control may not be enough to keep them at bay. Meanwhile, Ohtani’s ability to pile up strikeouts will be crucial against a Rockies offense that ranks 2nd in strikeouts. With the Dodgers’ strong lineup and pitching advantage, this game shapes up to be another uphill battle for Colorado.

Los Angeles Dodgers Insights

• Shohei Ohtani – Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-170/+130)
  Shohei Ohtani’s fastball spin rate over his last 3 games started (2517 rpm) has been significantly better than than his seasonal rate (2435 rpm).
  Explain: Spin rate is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs, so a pitcher whose spin rate worsens will likely see worsened results as well.
• Shohei Ohtani – Over/Under 3.5 Total Bases (-110/-120)
  Shohei Ohtani has made substantial improvements with his Barrel% in recent games, improving his 23% seasonal rate to 29.6% in the past 14 days.
  Explain: Barrel% measures how often a player hits the ball at the optimal exit velocity and launch angle and is a terrific measure of underlying power.
• Los Angeles Dodgers – Moneyline (-290)
  The 4th-best projected lineup of all teams on the slate in terms of overall hitting skill belongs to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  Explain: A pitcher who faces a strong opposing offense will be more likely to underperform his usual performance, particularly in terms of hits and runs, in that game.

Colorado Rockies Insights

• Tanner Gordon – Over/Under 14.5 Pitching Outs (-105/-125)
  Compared to the average pitcher, Tanner Gordon has been given less leash than the typical pitcher this year, throwing an -7.2 fewer adjusted pitches each start.
  Explain: Pitchers with a shorter leash are more likely to get pulled earlier in games and record fewer outs.
• Hunter Goodman – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+110/-140)
  Hunter Goodman has seen a big gain in his exit velocity recently; just compare his 98.2-mph average in the past week’s worth of games to his seasonal 90.6-mph average.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
• Colorado’s 88.8-mph average exit velocity this year ranks among the worst in the majors: #23 overall.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.

Betting Trends

• Colorado Rockies – Over/Under 1.5 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total (-150/+120)
  The Colorado Rockies have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 66 of their last 117 games (+9.00 Units / 6% ROI)
• Over/Under 11.5 Game Total (-110/-110)
  The Los Angeles Dodgers have hit the Game Total Under in 25 of their last 42 games (+8.90 Units / 19% ROI)
• Freddie Freeman – Over/Under 1.5 Hits (+110/-140)
  Freddie Freeman has hit the Hits Over in 18 of his last 25 games (+12.55 Units / 29% ROI)