Zach Thompson gives you a preview, prediction and pick for tonight’s game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a strong start to their 2026 season, with back-to-back wins to open the year against their division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks. The two NL West foes go toe-to-toe again on Saturday night at the newly christened UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers will look to stay on pace for their 162-0 season, while the Diamondbacks will turn to a national hero to try and get their first win of the season.

Eduardo Rodriguez helped Venezuela claim the World Baseball Classic this spring, pitching two big games, including the championship game against Team USA. He’ll go up against Tyler Glasnow on Saturday, as both teams turn to veterans with plenty of proven success in Game 3 of this four-game, season-opening set. The 9:10 p.m. ET first pitch is the second-to-last game on the scoreboard this Saturday night.

The Dodgers are heavy home favorites at -252 on the moneyline while they are also slight favorites at -118 on the run line at -1.5. The over/under is nine runs, after 10 and nine runs were scored in the first two games between these teams in this series. Let’s break down this matchup with some odds and lines at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Diamondbacks at Dodgers prediction, preview

Rodriguez is the player I’m most fascinated to watch in this matchup. He came to spring training lighter with some new pitch grips and has looked very solid from the jump. The 32-year-old went 9-9 in 29 starts in 2025 after making only 10 starts in 2024 in his first year with Arizona. He had some strong outings but finished with a 5.02 ERA and 4.57 FIP in a very inconsistent season.

He threw two shutout innings in the Cactus League before going to the WBC, and then he spun 4 1/3 shutout, one-hit innings against the stacked Team USA lineup to help Venezuela claim the title. Can he carry that momentum into the season? He did look strong in his only start against the Dodgers last season, twirling six shutout innings in Chavez Ravine, and the lefty will look to duplicate that performance in his first start of the season.

He’ll face a slightly less stacked lineup against the Dodgers than he did from Team USA, but the Dodgers’ offense looks ready to crush everything in 2026. They’ve scored 13 runs on 14 hits, including four homers in their first two games against Arizona. They scored four runs early off Ryne Nelson in Friday’s game, but they didn’t get the go-ahead run in their 5-4 win until the eighth inning on a Kyle Tucker single. Edwin Diaz came in and slammed the door for his first save with the Dodgers.

The Diamondbacks scored their four runs on Saturday on a home run from Ketel Marte and three RBIs from Alek Thomas, who had a pair of doubles in that game. After tying the game, 4-4, they were unable to score after the fourth inning. On Opening Day, both their runs came from a home run off the bat of Geraldo Perdomo.

Perdomo, Marte and the rest of the Snakes will take on Tyler Glasnow on Saturday. Glasnow only made 18 regular-season starts last season, posting a 3.19 ERA and 3.75 FIP in 90 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate dipped a little bit, but he was still very effective when healthy. He had 26 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings this spring, though, so he still has plenty of punchout potential.

Diamondbacks at Dodgers pick, best bet

Best Bet: Run Total u4.5 in the 1st 5 Innings (+100)

Rodriguez should be better than many people realize and has a chance to keep the mighty Dodgers in check early in this contest. Glasnow is in a great spot for a strong start as well, and I think the two veterans keep the run total under 4.5 through the first five innings. The bullpens and late-inning heroics make me more confident in this prop rather than the full game total at under nine.

Strong Lean: Teoscar Hernandez O 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI (-125)

I highlighted Hernandez and his good history against Rodriguez in my home run props linked above. He tore up spring training, going 22-for-49 (.449) with four doubles, five homers, 13 runs scored and 21 RBIs. While he’s only 1-for-7 with a run in the first two games of the season, he has a strong enough history to offer good upside while taking on the lefty Saturday night.