Yu Darvish will get the start for the Padres (54-55, 29-25 home) as they host the Dodgers (62-45, 28-25 away) at PETCO Park. The Dodgers will give the starting nod to Bobby Miller. Check out my prediction for game one of this NL West matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS VS SAN DIEGO PADRES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -107

This game will be played at PETCO Park at 9:40 ET on Friday, August 4th.

WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS:

  • Over their last five games on the road, Los Angeles has a straight-up record of 3-2.
  • The Dodgers have put together a 6-4 record in their last ten games as the favorite.
  • Yu Darvish has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 7.27 over his last two starts.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS HAVE BEEN GOOD AGAINST THE NL WEST

Heading into today’s game, the Dodgers are 1st in the NL West with an overall record of 62-45. When looking at their performance in their 33 series, Los Angeles is 19-13-1. Against below .500 teams, the Dodgers are 28-28 while going 28-25 on the road and 34-20 at home.

Los Angeles starter Bobby Miller has put together an impressive 6-2 record this season, accompanied by a 4.37 ERA. His road ERA of 2.60 is especially noteworthy, while his home ERA of 6.31 is less impressive. Miller’s WHIP for the season stands at 1.19 and opposing teams have only managed to hit .230 against him with a slugging percentage of .385.

Bobby Miller’s most recent start ended in a 6-5 defeat for the Dodgers at the hands of the Reds. The right-hander yielded three runs on six hits across five frames.

Having gone deep 8 times in their last five games, the Dodgers are 4th in that span. At 5.6 runs per game, Los Angeles is 2nd in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .249 while hitting a total of 174 home runs (2nd).

Freddie Freeman has been a key contributor to the Los Angeles offense this season, boasting a .341 batting average and .598 slugging percentage. Over the team’s past ten games, Freeman has been even more impressive, leading the Dodgers in hits and batting an impressive .477.

WILL THE SAN DIEGO PADRES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Padres will be looking for their 3rd straight win in today’s game and have an overall record of 54-55. At home, San Diego has put together a record of 29-25 while going 25-30 on the road. Currently, they are in 4th place in the NL West.

Yu Darvish will take the mound for San Diego with an 8-7 record. The right-hander has made 19 appearances this season, posting a 4.53 ERA and 9.81 K/9 rate. His FIP is at 4.11, while his OBP sits at .311.

Yu Darvish notched a victory and a quality start in his last outing, guiding his squad to a 4-0 triumph over the Rangers. The right-hander yielded no runs and three hits over six frames.

For the season, the Padres’ offense is averaging 4.6 runs per game. Over their last ten games they have swung the bats well, sitting 6th in the league in scoring, with a total of 50 runs. Overall, San Diego’s team batting average is .240, putting them 16th in the MLB.

The Padres’ offensive leader, Xander Bogaerts, has been a reliable presence at the plate this season. He currently holds a .266 batting average and has put up an impressive .396 slugging percentage and .344 on-base percentage.