On Tuesday, the Dodgers and Padres will meet to commence the final season series between the two teams. With increasingly little seperating the two sides in the NL West, the series could have some wide-ranging implications.Of the ten games played between San Diego and LA this season, the Friars have walked away with the win six times. Tuesday's game is slated to get underway at 7:10 p.m. PDT from Dodger Stadium."Padres fans have started early with the “BEAT LA” chants at Petco Park after their win today. The Dodgers will host the Padres in their final meeting of the regular season this week with a tight NL West race." - Dodgers NationPadres vs Dodgers recent form and recordsSince Aug. 1, the Padres are 31-17, representing MLB's best record during that period of time. Now 90-66, San Diego is just three games back of the Dodgers in the NL West, and three games ahead of the New York Mets for the first Wild Card spot. Currently on an 8-2 run in their last 10 games, San Diego enters Tuesday on a four-game winning streak.The Dodgers tout MLB's second-best record since Aug. 1 and have won six of their last 10. The club's 93-62 record places them first in the NL West, and first in the NL overall. Over the weekend, Shohei Ohtani and company took two out of three from the Colorado Rockies.Players to WatchStarting PitchersSD: Michael King (12-9, 3.04) vs LAD: Landon Knack (3-4, 3.39)King has a 1.198 WHIP, 3.3 BB/9 and 198 K in 168.2 IP.Last Start: ND, 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K vs HOUCareer vs LAD: 1-0 3.63 ERA (17.1 IP, 7 ER) 5 HR in four gamesKnack has a 1.066 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9 and 61 K in 61 IP.Last Start: Win, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K vs MIACareer vs SD: N/AMust-Watch HittersSan DiegoOver the past two weeks of play, only five MLB players have bested Fernando Tatis' 1.163 OPS. In the 17 games since he returned from injury, the flashy Dominican is hitting .296/.306/.634 with six home runs and 12 RBIs."Crazy stat I just found.. Fernando Tatis Jr has not walked ONCE since returning from injury (17 games), but still has a .940-OPS over that stretch" - FuzzyAfter logging three RBIs in three games in his team's recent series with the Chicago White Sox, Jackson Merrill continues to make his case for Rookie of the Year. A 21-year-old .292 hitter with 24 homers on the season, Merrill has hit .400 against the Dodgers in 2024.In his past 11 games, Jurickson Profar is 15-for-39, giving the Curacao-born outfielder a team-best .385 batting average. Moreover, those 11 games have seen Profar rip four doubles and score nine runs.Los AngelesIn addition to becoming the founding member of the 50/50 club with his three-homer night against the Miami Marlins last week, Shohei Ohtani is on fire. Over the past two weeks, Ohtani has hit .400 while scooping up seven home runs and 22 RBIs."SHOHEI OHTANI HOME RUN TO TIE IT IN THE 9TH! NO 53!" - MLBRookie catcher Andy Pages enters Tuesday's game with a homer and four RBIs in his last two games. A .251 hitter in 111 games this year, Pages has hit .421 over his past seven appearances.Padres vs Dodgers baseball betting oddsTuesday 24/11Money LineRun SpreadTotal RunsSan Diego Padres+ 100- 1.5 +165O 8.5 -105Los Angeles Dodgers- 120+ 1.5 -200U 8.5 -115Padres vs Dodgers expert picks and game predictionDespite the Dodgers taking a lot of column inches, rightfully so, for the achievements of Shohei Ohtani, San Diego is a formidable club.With an ERA of 1.60 over the past two weeks, the Friars stand atop the chart of best pitching teams in MLB in that span of time. Moreover, the club's 0.83 WHIP is also ranked first over the past two weeks.However, the Dodgers' 86 runs represents the highest scoring figure in MLB in the past two weeks, while San Diego ranks 18th. If Michael King can rely on the solid stuff he has used against LA thus far in his career, a win for the Padres is far from off the table.Run Line: -1.5 +165Total Runs: O 8.5 -105Prediction: Padres W, 11-8