Major League Baseball is back! The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres meet in Seoul, South Korea for a 2-game series for the annual MLB World Tour. Each team will get a chance to be the home team with the Padres going first. Fans will finally get a chance to see Shohei Ohtani in a Dodgers uniform in a game that counts. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Dodgers-Padres prediction and pick.
The Dodgers had a huge offseason which was expected after a quiet one a season ago. After going back-to-back seasons winning the NL West Division and seeing an early exit to the Padres and Diamondbacks, it was clear that this ball club had enough. Not only did they land the best player in baseball, but they signed fellow Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and they traded for an elite pitcher in Tyler Glasnow, who will start Game 1 for the Dodgers tomorrow. Yamamoto will go in Game 2. The Dodgers also signed outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. This team is built to win now and we should see them win over 100 games once again.
The Padres had an interesting offseason as well. It started when they sent Juan Soto to New York for four pitchers headlined by Michael King, and catcher Kyle Higashioka. Drew Thorpe, who was one of the young pitchers acquired for Soto, was recently dealt to the White Sox for Dylan Cease. The Padres now have a legit group of starters in the rotation when it seemed that wouldn't be the case at the start of the offseason. The Padres are hoping Fernando Tatis Jr. can take a step forward while Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts have bounce-back seasons. If that comes to fruition, then the Friars can surprise a lot of teams.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Padres Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -194
San Diego Padres: +1.5 (+100)
Moneyline: +162
Over: 8.5 (-122)
Under: 8.5 (+100)
How to Watch Dodgers vs. Padres, Seoul Series
Time: 6:00 am ET/3:00 am PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Dodgers Will Cover The Spread/Win
Glasnow earns the start for the Dodgers in Game 1. The former Tampa Bay Ray has a high ceiling if he can stay healthy. Injuries have been the issue lately in his career but he still has shown plenty of signs of dominance. Glasnow started 21 games last year which was the most of his career. He was never able to start more than 14 in his 9-year career. He ended 2023 with a 3.52 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and had 162 strikeouts in 120 innings pitched. Furthermore, he had a 12.2 K/9 with nine quality starts. It's unclear how Dave Roberts and Mike Shildt will utilize pitching with it being just two games and they get one more break before Opening Day.
The lineup of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Ohtani, Will Smith, and Hernandez could be the best front five in the league. The Atlanta Braves have a deep lineup as well, but nothing compares to this one. I expect the Dodgers to score a ton of runs this season and yes, the Braves will be right there as well.
I expect the Dodgers to come out swinging tomorrow morning.
Why The Padres Will Cover The Spread/Win
Yu Darvish will toe the slab for the Padres in Korea. The legendary Japanese pitcher will have to wait before he gets to duel against his friend Yamamoto. The former Dodger has been with the Padres for a few seasons now and has been the Opening Day starter every year. Darvish is still as good as they come on the mound. He may give up a homer almost every outing, but the 37-year-old ages like fine wine. Darvish ended last season early with elbow inflammation but had 141 strikeouts in 24 starts. If Darvish has a bounce-back season, then the Padres will seriously benefit from it.
The lineup for the Padres will be the early season indication of how this team will do. The Padres are known for having an elite rotation lately. The offense is what killed this team last season after hopes of a World Series run. With Soto gone, many think that the offense will be much worse, and it can be, however, the young lineup hit very well during Spring Training. Jackson Merrill is a name to watch out for. Merrill will make his Major League debut in center field tomorrow and has a chance to be one of the top rookies in the game. The Padres would love to see catcher Luis Campusano step up as well. Injuries have caused him to miss a lot of time, but it's clear he is the top catcher on the roster.
Final Dodgers-Padres Prediction & Pick
The best play on the board is to take the over at 8.5 runs. I expect both teams to score at least 3-4 runs minimum to give her fans in Korea something to cheer about. As for a winner, I like the Dodgers to cover the spread as they showcase to the world that they are the early team to beat.
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Final Dodgers-Padres Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5 (-120), Over 8.5 (-122)
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