The Cincinnati Reds take on the San Diego Padres. Check out our MLB odds series for our Reds Padres prediction and pick. Find how to watch Reds Padres.

The San Diego Padres need to show some urgency, 31 games into their season. We all remember how the Padres struggled to put together good weeks of baseball last season. They often went through patterns in which they alternated wins and losses over 10- or 15-game spans. They could not stack wins together and produce the four-game winning streaks and five-of-six stretches good teams manage to create over the course of a 162-game season. The really good teams in the National League — the Dodgers, the Braves, the Phillies — delivered at least one three-week period in which they won at least two-thirds of their games. That kind of prolonged success is what helps a team win over 90 games and reach the postseason comfortably. The Padres limped to an 82-80 record after being below .500 for much of the season. They missed the playoffs in a year when 84 wins was good enough to get in. That was a spectacular disappointment.

San Diego doesn't want to repeat that nightmare, but after one month of games this season, the Padres are on track to do just that. San Diego is 14-17 through its first 31 games. The Padres squandered a 9-4 eighth-inning lead to the Colorado Rockies last week. That brutal loss needed to be responded to and dealt with over the weekend versus the Phillies. Instead, the Padres got swept at home. They need to turn things around so that the Los Angeles Dodgers don't run away with the National League West. They also need to stabilize so that they can remain fully and firmly in the wild card hunt. The National League East and Central both have strong wild card teams at the moment. If the Padres don't play well in the next several weeks, they will face a stiff uphill climb after the All-Star break.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Reds-Padres MLB odds.

MLB Odds: Reds-Padres Odds

Cincinnati Reds: -1.5 (+162)

San Diego Padres: +1.5 (-196)

Over: 7.5 (-122)

Under: 7.5 (+100)

How To Watch Reds vs. Padres

TV: Bally Sports Ohio (Reds) / MLB (Padres) / MLB Extra Innings

Stream: MLB.tv

Time: 9:40 p.m. ET/6:40 p.m. PT

*Watch Reds-Padres LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Reds Could Cover the Spread

The Padres are a mess, again. Whatever is needed to win, the Padres are falling short of doing it on a consistent basis. Sometimes the bullpen gets torched. Sometimes the bats get shut down. Sometimes the starters get hit in the early innings, creating a deficit the team can't overcome. The Padres aren't starting games well, and they aren't ending games well. This team is searching for answers and not finding them. The Reds aren't playing great baseball, but they did just battle the World Series champion Texas Rangers in three tough games over the weekend. San Diego is playing worse than Cincinnati, and that's the central reason to take the Reds to cover.

Why The Padres Could Cover the Spread

After losing four games in a row, the Padres are going to play a good ballgame and cover. This team is too good to keep losing. This is a great bounce-back spot for San Diego, and any baseball bettor should be able to appreciate that.

Final Reds-Padres Prediction & Pick

The Padres are notoriously difficult to bet on, but this is a great spot for them. Take San Diego.

Final Reds-Padres Prediction & Pick: Padres +1.5