Padres vs. Dodgers: Game 1 prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The San Diego Padres and LA Dodgers will clash on Monday, as the Padres travel to Dodger Stadium for the first of four games.

The visitors are third in the NL West with a 39-31 record, while the Dodgers lead the division at 43-29.

Let's look at the odds for Monday's game, and how the action might pan out on the field.

Padres vs. Dodgers prediction

Taking the mound for the Padres is righty Dylan Cease. He has been decent this season with a 2-5 record, along with a 4.28 ERA and 96 strikeouts. Incidentally, the last time Cease took the mound was also against the Dodgers. He pitched seven near-perfect innings and helped the Friars win 11-1.

Dylan Cease in action for the San Diego Padres - Source: Getty

Offensively, Manny Machado, Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Gavin Sheets have been doing most of the heavy lifting for San Diego.

For the hosts, superstar Shohei Ohtani makes his much-anticipated return to the mound. He will pitch in a big league game for the first time since August 2023, before he underwent Tommy John surgery.

At the plate, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Will Smith are the players to watch, alongside Ohtani.

Taking the mound after such a long time, it is tough to predict how Ohtani will fare against the Padres' hitters. However, even if he gives up a few runs, the hosts' star-studded offense is more than capable of outscoring the visitors.

Prediction: LA Dodgers 5, San Diego Padres 4

Odds

Money line: San Diego Padres +126, LA Dodgers -149

Run line: Padres +1.5 (-164), LA -1.5 (+123)

Total runs: Over 8.5 (-132), Under 8.5 (-101)

Injury report

Padres injuries:

Jason Heyward: 10-day IL (Oblique)
Logan Gillaspie: 15-day IL (Oblique )
Yu Darvish: 15-day IL (Elbow)
Michael King: 15-day IL (Shoulder)
Jhony Brito: 60-day IL (Forearm)
Bryan Hoeing: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Joe Musgrove: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Jackson Merrill: 7-day IL (Concussion)

Dodgers injuries:

Luís Garcia: 15-day IL (Adductor)
Roki Sasaki: 15-day IL (Shoulder)
Tony Gonsolin: 15-day IL (Elbow)
Gavin Stone: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
River Ryan: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Brusdar Graterol: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Edgardo Henriquez: 60-day IL (Foot)
Emmet Sheehan: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Blake Treinen: 60-day IL (Forearm)
Tyler Glasnow: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Kyle Hurt: 60-day IL (Elbow)
Michael Grove: 60-day IL (Shoulder)
Evan Phillips: 60 Day IL (Forearm)
Blake Snell: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)

Expert's picks

The Padres enjoyed success against the Dodgers the last time they locked horns; however, the hosts will avenge that defeat.

Money line: LA Dodgers -149

Run line: Padres +1.5 (-164)

Total runs: Over 8.5 (-132)

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez

Padres vs. Dodgers: Game 1 prediction, odds, injuries and picks - June 16, 2025