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This NL West rivalry starts another 3-game series this weekend in San Diego. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Dodgers-Padres prediction and pick.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the top team in baseball and not many would agree against that. They are (94-42) on the season and pretty much win every game they play in. They are coming off of a series win against the San Francisco Giants after taking the series against the San Diego Padres the weekend prior.
The Padres are 2nd in the NL West by 19 games. They are fighting for a Wild Card spot as they sit 0.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2nd seed. The Milwaukee Brewers are really the only team fighting to compete against the Padres and Phillies as they are 2.5 games behind Philadelphia.
Here are the Dodgers-Padres MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Padres Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-104)
San Diego Padres: +1.5 (-115)
Over: 8.5 (-114)
Under: 8.5 (-106)
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
Starter Dustin May will get the nod for Game 1 against the Padres. He pitched Game 1 against the Padres last weekend and took the loss in the 7-1 victory for SD. May allowed three home runs to Manny Machado, Brandon Drury, and Jurickson Profar as the Dodgers offense was nonexistent that night. May is now (1-2) on the season with a 3.94 ERA in 16 innings. Since returning from Tommy John surgery, May has shown flashes of his old self but it's clear he will need to use this final month to get back on track for the postseason. It's unclear if May will be eligible for the playoffs, but if he is, he certainly will be a huge part of their success.
Gavin Lux and Joey Gallo are both day-to-day but clearly, that isn't a huge loss for the lineup. Everyone else is healthy and should be back and ready to hand it to the Padres once again. The Dodgers lost Game 1 of the series but came back to score 21 runs combined in the final two games. The lineup is filled with talent and they likely will be ready to tee off once again. Mookie Betts is coming off of a huge month of August and if he keeps his success going then the Dodgers won't stop losing.
Why The Padres Could Cover The Spread
Toeing the slab for the Padres tonight is Mike Clevinger. It's ironic that “Sunshine” will be pitching tonight with the forecast showing rain. Either way, the game is expected to start on time and Clevinger will be ready. Sunshine is (5-6) on the season with a 3.96 ERA in 88.2 innings. Clev also returned from TJ surgery earlier this season as he and May have been dealing with the same issue for the past two years. Clevinger allowed five runs to the Dodgers last Sunday night in the 9-4 loss.
Juan Soto is expected to return to the lineup tonight and boy do the Padres need him back. Soto isn't hitting well since his arrival in SD but he is getting on base with his ridiculous amount of walks. With him hitting ahead of Machado, that is a deadly back-to-back that needs to finally get going. Machado has been carrying this team on his back all season long and needs Soto, Josh Bell, and Wil Myers to help him out. Drury entered the 7-day concussion protocol last Saturday and should be eligible to play tomorrow night.
Final Dodgers-Padres Prediction & Pick
The Padres won Game 1 last time they faced May and likely will attack him again. However, the Dodgers also hit Clevinger well and likely will do it again. Take the over.
Final Dodgers-Padres Prediction & Pick: Over 8.5 (-114)
