Subscribe
Follow Us
The San Diego Padres host the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first clash of the 2023 season. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Dodgers-Padres prediction and pick.
The Dodgers have strung together six straight wins after starting the season playing around .500 ball. We are all used to this team dominating the regular season as they did last year, and this could be the beginning of it. After losing the series to the Pittsburgh Pirates two weeks ago, the Dodgers came out and swept the St. Louis Cardinals as well as the Philadelphia Phillies to regain the lead in the NL West. At (19-13) the Dodgers are two games ahead of the Padres, who are in third with a (17-15) record.
The Padres also started the season poorly after working their way to the NLCS last year and took down the Dodgers along the way. The offense is starting to come alive with the addition of Fernndo Tatis Jr. back in the lineup. It took just two games, and then Tatis went on a nine-game hit streak before it ended against the Cincinnati Reds earlier this week. This team has a chance to be very scary because Juan Soto and Manny Machado have yet to break out.
Here are the Dodgers-Padres MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Padres Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+140)
San Diego Padres: +1.5 (-170)
Over: 7.5 (-114)
Under: 7.5 (-106)
How To Watch Dodgers vs. Padres
TV: Bally Sports San Diego, Spectrum SportsNet LA
Stream: fubo.TV, MLB Extra Innings
Time: 9:40 pm ET/ 6:40 pm PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
Starting for the Dodgers is longtime legend, Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw is once again starting the season on fire with a (5-1) record and 1.89 ERA and 0.76 WHIP to start the season. He was named NL Pitcher of the Month for April. The southpaw has been slicing up hitters all season long and pitched seven scoreless against the Cardinals in his last start while only allowing two hits. Kershaw has pitched well against the Padres for his entire career with a (23-9) record and 2.03 ERA.
Max Muncy has been the star in LA to begin the season. He has 12 homers and 27 RBIs and has an OPS at 1.040. He struggles to hit for average but if contact is made the ball will usually end up somewhere far. The lineup isn't as deadly as it was last season but they are seeing production from everyone. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are hitting at a high level and rookie James Outman is currently the favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year. If the offense can get to Yu Darvish early tonight then they have a great shot at covering this spread.
Why The Padres Could Cover The Spread
Darvish was moved up to tonight to start after he was initially meant to go Saturday night. Joe Musgrove is dealing with a blister and was moved back to Sunday Night on ESPN, and Blake Snell was pushed up to Saturday night. So, Darvish gets the nod tonight and has seen a lot of success pitching against the Dodgers since arriving in San Diego. He is coming off a rough start against the Giants in Mexico City where the balls were flying in both games. Now, back at sea level, Darvish is expected to pitch another quality start which he is notorious for doing so. He has a 3.60 ERA and 34 K's in 30.0 innings.
It doesn't matter how well Darvish pitches if the offense can't attack Kershaw. Machado and Tatis have seen success against Kershaw over the last few seasons but the lineup as a whole will need to all show up tonight if they want to see success. If the lefties Juan Soto, Trent Grisham, and Jake Cronenworth can get on base, then expect some runs to be scored against Kershaw. Xander Bogaerts leads the squad with his .291 batting average and six homers. Nelson Cruz has hit the ball very well in his short time in SD as well batting .296 and 16 RBIs which is second on the team.
Final Dodgers-Padres Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a fun series in San Diego and I expect the Padres to continue to prove they are for real. Take the Friars to cover this spread at home for Game 1 and consider taking the over at 7.5 as well. There are two elite pitchers on the mound but the over should still hit in this game.
Final Dodgers-Padres Prediction & Pick: Padres +1.5 (-170); Over 7.5 (-114)
