Dodgers vs Padres Prediction - MLB Picks 5/5/23

San Diego Padres (17-15) vs Los Angeles Dodgers (19-13)

Game Info: Friday, May 5, 2023 at 9:40 pm (Petco Park)

Yu Darvish (1-2) (.360) vs Clayton Kershaw (5-1) (1.89)

Betting Odds: San Diego Padres +105 / Los Angeles Dodgers -132 --- Over/Under: 7.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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The Los Angeles Dodgers will host the San Diego Padres for a divisional set this weekend from Dodger Stadium.

Dodgers Betting Preview

Los Angeles moved 19-13 after defeating Phil. The Dodgers capitalized on a return to LA, and picked up their second sweep in a row. The Los Angeles offense is scoring 5.04 runs per game, while batting .238, with a .333 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.30 ERA, with a 1.25 WHIP. Will Smith has a hit in five of the last seven games, and he leads the Dodgers in hitting (.317). Freddie Freeman is right behind him at .309 after producing a RBI in all three matchups with Philly, and he’s scored a team-high 25 runs. Max Muncy is first on the team in RBI (27), after hitting a grand slam in game three.

Clayton Kershaw (5-1, 1.89 ERA, 41 Ks) will make the road start for Los Angeles. The veteran southpaw put together another masterclass at Dodger Stadium versus St. Louis last week. Kershaw struck out nine in seven full innings in his second straight home start, and he leads like he’ll be returning to the All-Star game this season.

Padres Betting Preview

San Diego moved to 17-15 after taking two of three from Cincinnati. The Padres closed the series strong, and they’ll look to gain some ground in the NL West here. The San Diego offense is scoring 4.31 runs per game, while batting .233, with a .317 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.44 ERA, with a 1.34 WHIP. Xander Bogaerts leads the Pads in batting (.291) and hits (34) after recording a hit in five of seven games. Juan Soto now has a team-lead 17 RBI after producing a run in five straight games.

Yu Darvish (1-2, 3.60 ERA, 6 K) will get the ball for San Diego. The 5x All-Star struck out nine in six full innings versus San Francisco last week, and he’ll look to hand his former squad a loss here. Darvish has struck out 24 batters in three home starts this season.

Los Angeles vs San Diego Trends

Los Angeles is 16-16 against the spread this season, with a 19-12-1 O/U record. San Diego is 17-15 ATS this year, with a 13-17-2 over/under record.

Corey's Free Pick

Clayton Kershaw has come out in vintage form, but this feels like a spot the Padres may be able to find success off of him in. This happened to an extent with Justin Verlander on Thursday, and while Kershaw has been impressive through one full month of action, anything can happen on the road. The Dodgers lineup will likely find some form of success off of Yu Darvish, and we could see just enough production at the plate to hit the magic number. Take the Over for this NL West battle.