Odds courtesy of TonyBet.
Padres vs Dodgers Odds
The Dodgers are a heavy -159 moneyline favorite at MLB betting sites. The Padres come back as a +124 underdog. The O/U in runs is set at just 7.5 for the series opener.
Padres vs Dodgers Analysis
It’s been an incredibly disappointing campaign for a Padres team with World Series aspirations. San Diego still has a chance at making the Wild Card, but their 42-37 record is far below expectations. This star-studded offense has struggled to find any consistency, ranking dead last in several offensive categories. Manny Machado is hitting just .184, while Xander Bogaerts has a brutal .230 average. Fernando Tatis Jr has been a bright spot, but he’s only slugged three home runs. Pitching is the only clear positive for the Padres right now.
Buehler will have revenge on his mind here when he faces his ex-team. The right-hander has emerged as an important piece of this San Diego rotation, compiling a 3.96 ERA across 15 starts. Buehler has found a serious rhythm lately, allowing just one earned run in each of his last four outings. Last time out, Buehler contained the Texas Rangers to one run across 5.1 innings of work while striking out six. He’ll have his work cut out against the mighty Dodgers, though.
The defending champs certainly look the part of a team that could three-peat. I mean, it’s not exactly a surprise given just how talented this roster is. Los Angeles sits nine games clear at the top of the National League West with a 52-29 record, and across the board, this is a phenomenal ball club. The Dodgers are second in runs and hits while ranking first in team average, batting .262 as a lineup. On the hill, LA has a 3.40 ERA overall, despite being without Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell for most of the year. Justin Wrobleski, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani have spearheaded the rotation.
Sasaki will be looking to find his footing in the series opener. The righty was demoted to the bullpen for a brief period, but due to injuries, he’s back in the rotation. He hasn’t been great lately, allowing 10 earned runs across his previous two starts. But Sasaki allowed seven earned in one of those outings before limiting the Baltimore Orioles to three earned runs last weekend. Two mistakes around the heart of the plate hurt him.
Padres vs Dodgers Picks
Sasaki is far from reliable, and Buehler is throwing the ball incredibly well at the moment. They may be the underdog, but the Padres will win the series opener behind another quality outing from their veteran right-hander.
Pick: Padres +125/TonyBet
