A rare meeting between the Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres takes place in America's Finest City, Friday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Red Sox-Padres prediction and pick.

Red Sox fans are in for a treat tonight. With the Celtics playing for a chance to even the series in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat tonight, the Sox are on the West Coast to face the struggling Padres. Remember when everyone was overreacting to once again another sluggish start to the season from the Sox? Well, now that very team is (24-10), and even though they sit in last place in the best division in baseball, they have the 12th-best record in the game and 8th in AL.

Opposite the Sox, the Friars started the season on a better note than where they are at now. San Diego is struggling in every aspect of the game. A team with one of the highest payrolls in baseball can't seem to string together a few wins in a row and as a result, are sitting below .500 at (20-24). The Padres are coming off a loss to the Kansas City Royals which is inexcusable for a roster with that much talent.

Here are the Red Sox-Padres MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Red Sox-Padres Odds

Boston Red Sox: +1.5 (-178)

San Diego Padres: -1.5 (+146)

Over: 8 (-120)

Under: 8 (-102)

How To Watch Red Sox vs. Padres

TV: Bally Sports San Diego, New England Sports Network

Stream: MLB Extra Innings

Time: 9:40 ET/6:40 PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Red Sox Could Cover The Spread

James Paxton is back and is starting for Boston tonight. The southpaw has just one start under his belt this season which was a promising one against the St. Louis Cardinals back on the 12th. Paxton struck out nine while walking one batter, and allowed just two earned runs in five innings. The Red Sox lost the game, but after not pitching since 2021 the lefty showed that he belonged. He should have a tough matchup tonight facing the Padres but it's expected he continues where he left off.

The Sox are coming off a series win against the Seattle Mariners and they put up 12 runs in the finale. Justin Turner smoked a two-run homer over the monster as they scored six runs in the second inning. Turner returns to Petco Park where he put on a show during his time as a Los Angeles Dodger. Turner has a .285 batting average with 68 hits, nine homers, 31 RBIs, and 39 runs scored in 68 games played against the Padres in San Diego.

Alex Verdugo is expected to return to the lineup according to manager Alex Cora.

Why The Padres Could Cover The Spread

Blake Snell is on the bump for the Padres in this one. Snell is coming off back-to-back outings against the Dodgers where he pitched pretty well. He earned himself a quality start in both outings allowing a combined five hits and four runs. If Snell can work on his location and not issue walks, then we all know how deadly he can be. On the season, the southpaw is just (1-5) with a 4.61 ERA in 41 innings. Snell has not allowed more than three runs in a game in his last six starts (five were losses).

Now for the offense … or lack thereof. The Padres have scored 15 runs in their last six games. They are unable to hit with runners in scoring position which puts them dead last in that category. Manny Machado will be out for a few games as he was hit in the hand with a pitch and has a small fracture according to manager Bob Melvin. Still, you would think a lineup of Xander Bogerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Juan Soto could still get the job done. It's only been 44 games, but if they don't pick it up now they will put themselves in a hole they might not be able to climb out of.

Bogaerts is facing his former team for the first time in his career. The former Red Sox was a major part of their success over the recent years. The Padres need him to get going again badly.

Final Red Sox-Padres Prediction & Pick

Until the Padres prove they can score runs, I would stay away from picking them with the runline. ML would be your best option but the best pick on the board is taking the Red Sox here. The offense is hot and they are looking to gain ground in the division.

Final Red Sox-Padres Prediction & Pick: Red Sox +1.5 (-178); Under 8 (-102)