The MLB schedule features an NL West battle of California rivals on Friday as the Los Angeles Dodgers (61-45) take on the San Diego Padres (54-55).
While the Dodgers sit more comfortably in a playoff spot than the Padres, San Diego is still trying to claw their way into the playoffs.
Every game is crucial as these two MLB teams fight through the last third of the season.
As you consider your MLB picks, read ahead to get a breakdown of this matchup and the Dodgers vs Padres best bets.
Dodgers vs. Padres Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres Information
Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres
Location of the game: Petco Park, San Diego, CA.
Date & Time: Friday, August 4. 9:40 pm ET.
How to watch: MLB.TV
Recent Scores
Looking at the MLB schedule, the Los Angeles Dodgers are 5-5 in their last ten games. On the road this season, they are 28-25. In their last series, the Dodgers swept the Oakland Athletics to start the week. In the three games, they outscored the Athletics 25 to 6.
The Los Angeles Dodgers standings shows them first in the NL West. They currently lead the division by 2.5 games over the San Francisco Giants.
The San Diego Padres schedule shows that they are 6-4 in their last ten games. They are 29-25 when playing at Petco Park this year. The Padres enjoyed an off day Thursday, but they started the week winning two of three from the Colorado Rockies.
In their most recent game on Wednesday, they blew out Colorado by a score of 11 to 1.
In terms of MLB standings, the Padres sit in fourth in the NL West. They trail Los Angeles by nine games.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres Analysis
Trying to take the first game of this series on the road, Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts will send 24-year-old righty Bobby Miller to the mound.
Evaluating his MLB player stats, Miller is 6-2 in 11 MLB games with a 4.37 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and he has 59 strikeouts in 59.2 innings. In his last two starts, Miller has allowed six runs over a combined 11 innings of work.
Los Angeles currently ranks third out of all MLB teams in scoring, averaging 5.61 runs per game. Mookie Betts (29 HR, 70 RBI, 86 R), Max Muncy (27 HR, 70 RBI, 62 R), J.D. Martinez (25 HR, 75 RBI), and Freddie Freeman (22 HR, 76 RBI, 94 R, 14 SB) have all had phenomenal seasons.
Looking at the MLB injury report, Martinez has struggled with an injured hamstring lately, so his availability Friday could be in question.
Friday Night Lights
The San Diego Padres will turn to 36-year-old righty Yu Darvish Friday. In 19 games, he is 8-7 with a 4.53 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and he has 117 strikeouts in 107.1 innings.
In his last outing, Darvish was sharp as he picked up the win over the Rangers, throwing six scoreless innings and striking out nine.
The MLB team stats have the Padres ranked 13th in scoring, averaging 4.61 runs per game (4.17 at home). Juan Soto (23 HR, 70 RBI, 63 R), Manny Machado (20 HR, 62 RBI, 52 R), and Fernando Tatis Jr (19 HR, 58 RBI, 61 R) lead the way in the power department for San Diego.
Odds Breakdown
Before determining the Dodgers vs Padres best bets, it is important to look at the MLB odds for this game.
Moneyline: San Diego currently comes in as the favorite playing at home. They are -113 to win, while the Dodgers’ moneyline sits at +103.
Spread: The Dodgers are +1.5 on the spread, with odds of -210. The Padres come in at -1.5, with odds of +175.
Over/Under: The over/under for total runs is set at 8.5. The over has odds of +100, and the under 8.5 runs has odds of -120.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres Betting Pick and Prediction
- For our Dodgers vs Padres best bets, we will be taking the Dodgers to win this one straight up as the underdog.
For as good as Yu Darvish has been in his career, he has been a bit mediocre this season. In 10 games at Petco Park, he is just 3-4 with a 4.24 ERA.
Looking at Bobby Miller’s MLB player stats, he has been far better on the road (4-0, 2.63 ERA) than at home (2-2, 5.85 ERA). His superior stats on the road, coupled with the Dodgers’ potent offense, make them a good pick to win Friday’s opener.
Even with the solid pitching staff on both sides, don’t expect this one to get crazy on the offensive side. While there may be some runs put up, there might not be enough to surpass the 8.5 run total. Take the under 8.5 runs (-120).
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