Dodgers vs. Angels Wednesday MLB probable pitchers, odds, props: Shohei Ohtani on mound, now not expected to be traded with Halos in playoff contention

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won seven straight Freeway Series games against the Angels after a 2-0 victory in Anaheim on Tuesday night. The Angels, though, are -155 tonight at Caesars Sportsbook for the finale with ace Shohei Ohtani on the mound. It might be the last time Ohtani ever faces the Dodgers, as many believe he will sign with the team as a free agent this winter. The clubs do play another two-game set from July 7-8. But the Angels aren't trading Ohtani this season, says their general manager, because they are in playoff contention.

The Angels have made the postseason just once since Mike Trout reached the Show, which resulted in a three-game ALDS sweep loss to Kansas City in 2014. The Angels are 41-34 this season and currently hold the AL's final wild card spot while sitting five games behind first-place Texas in the AL West. To make the playoffs in any fashion, the Angels are +140 underdogs at DraftKings with No at -165.

GM Perry Minasian said Tuesday that Ohtani is highly unlikely to be dealt with the team contending: "I think anybody who has watched us play or looked where we're at in the standings, I've said it before and I'll say it again, we like him and we hope he's here a long time. It's pretty self-explanatory with where we're at."

The team would get a compensatory draft pick if Ohtani leaves in free agency – and he's expected to get at least $500 million on the open market. The Dodgers covet him, but so do the Mets and Yankees and they all can afford him. The Angels probably can too, but he wants to win. 

Ohtani had a two-game homer streak end Monday in the 2-0 loss to the Dodgers after he was 0-for-4 against Clayton Kershaw and Dodgers bullpen. His streak of seven consecutive games with an extra-base hit also ended. That was tied for the longest streak in team history. Ohtani is still hitting .295 while leading the majors with a 1.002 OPS, 24 home runs and 58 RBI (tied for most with the Rangers' Adolis Garcia).

On the mound, Ohtani is 6-2 with a 3.29 ERA, and his 105 strikeouts are the sixth-most in the majors. His opponents' .178 average leads the league. He won at Texas last time out, allowing two runs over six innings against the league's top offense. Ohtani, who was named AL Player of the Week on Monday for the fifth time in his career, has allowed one or fewer earned runs in seven of 14 starts this year. Since the start of 2022, he leads the majors with 14 games of at least 10 strikeouts.

Ohtani is set at O/U 7.5 strikeouts tonight in his first career start against the Dodgers. He is +295 to go yard as a hitter and has never faced Dodgers starter Michael Grove (0-2, 8.10 ERA). It's Grove's first career start against the Angels. 

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