Padres and Dodgers Odds and Predictions

The Los Angeles Dodgers will play host to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night for Game 2 of the NL Divisional Round. The Dodgers took Game 1 by a final of 5-3.

Last night, Padres SP Mike Clevinger was rocked in his 2.2 innings of work, giving up five runs (four earned) as the Dodgers jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead. Dodgers SP Julio Urias was cruising through four shutout innings before being tagged for a three-spot in the fifth.

Los Angeles then turned to their bullpen, which delivered four innings of near-perfect baseball. After RP Evan Phillips allowed the first two to reach in the sixth, the quartet of Phillips, Alex Vesla, Brusdar Graterol, and Chris Martin retired 11 of the next 13 Padres hitters to secure the win.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers will turn to future first-ballot Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw to start Game 2 of the five-game set. Kershaw, a shoo-in for Cooperstown, will start his 31st career playoff game, surpassing Greg Maddux for third all-time.

The 34-year-old is a five-time ERA champion and is regarded as one of the best regular season pitchers in the game's history, yet the numbers are inflated in postseason play. Kershaw possesses a career 4.19 postseason ERA in 189 innings pitched. It's been a mixed bag for the lefty in his previous eight October starts, pitching to a 3.89 ERA, while striking out 47 in 44 innings.

Kershaw faced these Padres during the COVID-19 shortened season, hurling six innings of three-run ball in a 6-5 LA win. The Dodgers went on to win a Mickey Mouse World Series ring. The soon-to-be free agent has made a career dazzling against the Padres, going 23-9 with a microscopic 2.03 ERA. Kershaw will also enjoy the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium, where he owns a winning percentage of .724.

Opposite Kershaw will be San Diego Padres ace Yu Darvish. The 6'5" righty will start his second postseason game, previously shoving against the 101-win Mets. Darvish spent half a season with the Dodgers when he was dealt back in 2017 by the Rangers.

He is, most notably, remembered for his epic collapse in the World Series that same year. The hard-throwing righty got shelled in Game 3 before surrendering five runs in 1.2 innings in a decisive Game 7 against the Houston Astros.

As of late, Darvish has been light years better, posting a 2.05 ERA in his last two postseason starts. While most teams have struggled to solve the juggernaut that is the LA Dodgers, Darvish has been masterful against the NL foe, holding the team on a limitless payroll to a .167 batting average. His 0.860 WHIP is his best mark against any club he's faced 10 or more times. Darvish also holds a respectable 3.49 ERA at Chavez Ravin.

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San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Odds

Team	Spread	Over/Under	Moneyline
San Diego Padres	+1.5 (DraftKings)	o7 (BetMGM)	+165 (BetMGM)
Los Angeles Dodgers	-1.5 (Ceasers)	u7 (Ceasers)	-184 (FanDuel)

San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Prediction

In a matchup of two elite pitchers, at least one should be able to turn in a masterful performance. Yu Darvish has been heralded as a big-game pitcher since his MLB debut in 2012. The righty had, arguably, the best season of his stellar career, ranking fourth in the Show in WHIP at 0.95.

Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw had another outstanding season in an already famed career. Kershaw, like Darvish, held a WHIP under 1.00 while finding his way back to the All-Star game for the first time since 2019. As a result, hits should be at a premium in this star-studded matchup. Expect a low-scoring game where any double-digit lead could be all it takes to secure a Game 2 victory.

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