Only 11 pitchers in MLB history — and two in the last 35 years — have won the MVP and Cy Young Awards in the same season. This season, two-time defending NL MVP Shohei Ohtani is trying to join that selective group. In the process, he’d become the first Japanese-born pitcher ever to win the Cy Young.

Ohtani is off to a tremendous start as a pitcher; through four starts, he’s given up just two runs (one earned), and he’s accumulated more WAR as a pitcher than a hitter despite also contributing an .898 OPS at the plate. He’ll make his fifth start of the season at 10:10 p.m. ET tonight when the Dodgers host the Miami Marlins in the middle game of a three-game set in Los Angeles. For the second straight pitching start, he won’t be in the lineup as a batter, with Dalton Rushing serving as the designated hitter instead.

Facing down the gargantuan task of opposing Ohtani for Miami will be Janson Junk.

Let’s break down this matchup with some odds and lines at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Miami Marlins at Los Angeles Dodgers prediction, preview

The Marlins have continued to make strides in the right direction after narrowly missing out on the postseason in 2025. Though Miami is just 13-16 with the run differential of a 14-15 team, it sits second in the NL East because of the Philadelphia Phillies’ and New York Mets’ nightmarish starts to the 2026 season. The Marlins have taken a step forward offensively, sitting 12th in OPS after finishing 17th in that stat in 2025, and their bullpen has also improved significantly despite free agent closer Pete Fairbanks suffering through by far the worst season of his career. Assuming Fairbanks’ ERA will converge with his FIP at some point and much-ballyhooed prospect Owen Caissie starts hitting well, Miami has the tools to make a playoff push.

Despite the occasional sluggish performance — including last night’s win, in which reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up a three-run homer in the fifth inning to put the Marlins ahead — the Dodgers are still the cream of the crop. Los Angeles is merely tied for the best record in the National League because of the Atlanta Braves’ hot start, but at 20-9, it’s on pace to finish 112-50, the best mark of its dynastic era. While their bullpen has struggled much like it did last season, the Dodgers’ offense has been even better than it was in 2025, and their rotation has been so dominant that Yamamoto, a Cy Young Award finalist last season, has arguably been their fourth-best starter this season. They’ve also gotten slightly unlucky, as their run differential suggests that they should be 21-8.

Junk isn’t an Ohtani-level pitcher (and, obviously, not an Ohtani-level hitter), but he’s good enough to provide a serviceable five innings of work before turning it over to Miami’s bullpen. His confidence should be particularly high, given that he gave up just one hit across five innings of work in his most recent outing. Junk’s advanced profile backs up his solid surface-level stats: while he struggles to record whiffs or strikeouts, he’s done a good job avoiding walks and barrels and an excellent job inducing ground balls. His 24th-percentile average exit velocity could be a problem against a Los Angeles team that wallops the ball and plays in a fairly homer-friendly park, but his stellar control is a plus against the Dodgers, given that they’ve finished in the top two in walks in each of the past five full seasons. As long as the Marlins convert contact into outs — a big if, given that they rank fourth-to-last in fielding runs above average this season — Junk has just enough to give them a chance. The splits are in his favor; he has been much better on the road in his career, and Los Angeles hasn’t been as good at home this season.

Still, Ohtani should have a significant edge in the starting pitching matchup. His 0.38 ERA is almost guaranteed to rise at some point — his xERA is a still-elite 2.01 — but it’s unlikely that he gives up more than two earned runs, given that he’s only done so twice in 18 starts as a Dodger. His advanced statistical profile is nearly unparalleled, as he ranks in the 67th percentile or higher in every single Statcast category. Miami could’ve gotten to prior iterations of Ohtani, as he struggled to induce chases for most of his career and it operates one of the most patient plate approaches, but he’s done an excellent job fooling hitters so far. His occasional tendency to give up fly balls should also be mitigated some by a Marlins lineup that pounds the ball into the ground. Plus, Ohtani has been significantly better at home in his career, with a 2.13 ERA, and Miami has been much worse on the road, though it has been better against right-handed pitchers.

Miami Marlins at Los Angeles Dodgers pick, best bet

Best Bet: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 1st 5 Innings (+100)

What happens once Ohtani leaves the game and turns control over to Los Angeles’ bullpen is anyone’s guess (though Edwin Díaz is the major negative standout, and he’s on the Injured List), but Ohtani should take care of business against a Marlins team that isn’t equipped to do damage against him. Los Angeles should be able to put it in play against Junk, and Miami’s mediocre fielding should do the rest.

Strong Lean: Dalton Rushing Hits + Runs + RBI’s (-128)

Rushing’s breakout is a major reason why Ohtani has the freedom not to hit on the days he pitches. The utilityman has made the most of his 45 plate appearances, slashing .385/.467/.974 and slugging seven homers, and he’s had at least two H/R/RBI’s in nine of his 11 starts. Junk likes to throw breaking balls to righties, and Rushing has a 1.222 slugging percentage against breaking pitches this season.