The National League West rivalry resumes on Thursday night, as the San Diego Padres travel north to Dodger Stadium for the opener of a four-game series against the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Los Angeles enters this contest with the best record in the National League at 56-31 and continues to look like the favorite to represent the NL in the World Series.
On the other side, San Diego is 43-42 and is fighting to stay relevant in both the division and the Wild Card race after an inconsistent start to the season.
The visitors could use a win to jumpstart the clubhouse, but there aren’t many tougher tasks in baseball than taking on Los Angeles on its home field.
Los Angeles will hand the ball to right-hander Roki Sasaki, while San Diego will counter with Randy Vasquez. Both pitchers have shown flashes of their potential this season but have struggled to consistently put together dominant outings.
Sasaki enters with a 3-5 record, a 4.88 ERA and 72 strikeouts, while Vasquez is 6-6 with a 4.44 ERA and 60 punchouts. With explosive offenses on both sides and plenty of star power expected to be on display, this matchup has all the ingredients for an entertaining series opener.
Padres vs. Dodgers betting picks and predictions
Dodgers -1.5 (+105)
The Dodgers deserve to be big favorites even with Sasaki on the mound. The rookie has shown flashes, but his command has been all over the place, especially in his last few starts. Luckily, Los Angeles has one of the deepest lineups behind the 24-year-old and a bullpen that consistently shortens games when the Dodgers have a lead.
San Diego's offense has been streaky throughout the season, and while the Padres have enough talent to threaten any team, their pitching staff has been the biggest issue on the road.
The Padres' team ERA is 4.81 on the road compared to 3.60 at home. Although Vasquez has kept the Padres competitive for much of the year, he’s facing one of the toughest assignments in baseball against a Dodgers lineup featuring Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker.
The Dodgers also return home after dropping their series finale to Oakland and should be motivated to begin this divisional series on the right foot. With the better offense, home-field advantage, and a deeper bullpen, Los Angeles is the side to back.
Four of Sasaki’s six starts that ended in a Dodgers victory were by 2+ runs, so we’ll take a chance on the juiced run line.
Manny Machado to Hit a Home Run (+350)
Manny Machado definitely isn’t hitting for contact this season; he’s been swinging for the fences.
Machado has 16 home runs this term, posting a .190 batting average in the process. He has a strong recent history against Sasaki, hitting two home runs against the Dodgers' rookie this season.
Sasaki is giving up hard contact during his recent struggles, and his fastball-heavy approach can play into Machado's strengths when he gets ahead in the count.
Dodger Stadium is far from impossible for right-handed power hitters, and Machado can leave any park when he squares the ball up.
The Padres slugger has two home runs in the Padres' last four games, so at +350 odds, there’s enough value to take a shot on Machado to go deep again.
Padres vs. Dodgers MLB odds
San Diego Padres | +165 |
Los Angeles Dodgers | -200 |
Run Line | Dodgers -1.5 (+105) |
Total Runs | O/U 8.5 |
More betting picks and predictions for the MLB on site.
Padres vs. Dodgers player props
Player home run odds
Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | +180 |
Freddie Freeman (LAD) | +310 |
Max Muncy (LAD) | +320 |
Manny Machado (SD) | +350 |
Andy Pages (LAD) | +375 |
Teoscar Hernandez (LAD) | +425 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
