Dodgers vs Padres Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for May 5 (LA Starts Exciting Divisional Series With a Victory)

The Los Angeles Dodgers (19-13) will aim to emerge victorious in a seventh straight game when they visit the San Diego Padres (17-15) in the first matchup of their three-game series on Friday, May 5.

Dodgers vs Padres Game Info

• Date: Friday, May 5, 2023
• Time: 9:40 PM ET
• Venue: PETCO Park – San Diego, California
• Coverage: MLB Network

The National League West division features three teams over the .500 mark so far this season and two of them are meeting at Petco Park on Friday night. This is a rivalry that dates all the way back to 1969 as this matchup will be the first time these teams meet head-to-head since the 2022 playoffs.

Dodgers vs Padres Odds & Spread

• All MLB betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: LAD: (-118) | SD: (+100)
• Spread: LAD: -1.5 (+140) | SD: +1.5 (-170)
• Total: 7.5 -- Over: (-118) | Under: (-104)

The Dodgers enter this contest as slight road favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 9:40 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 7.5 runs with the over being favored at -118 odds.

Dodgers vs Padres Betting Trends

• The Dodgers are 13-7 straight up in their last 20 games against San Diego.
• The total has hit the over in each of the Dodgers' last six away games.
• San Diego is 5-1 straight up in its last six home games.
• The total has hit the under in four of San Diego's last six games.

Dodgers vs Padres Prediction & Pick

The Dodgers have to have a sour taste in their mouths when looking back to the 2022 postseason as they failed to do much on offense in an NLDS series loss to the Padres. LA couldn't hold on to a 1-0 series lead despite owning the best record in baseball, but now is the time to turn the page to 2023.

LA will send veteran Clayton Kershaw to the mound on Friday. The 35-year-old has logged a 1.89 ERA and 0.76 WHIP across six starts (5-1 record) so far this season. The Padres will counter with a veteran ace of their own in Yu Darvish, who is 1-2 on the year with a 3.60 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in five starts.

This one is going to come down to experience. Kershaw has been dominant against the Padres throughout his career, posting a 23-9 record to go along with a 2.03 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 45 starts. He has only given up 1 earned run over his last 20.0 innings of work, too, so I'll back the Dodgers.

Final Score Prediction: Dodgers: 4 | Padres: 2

Dodgers vs Padres Best Bet

There are big names all over these rosters as guys like Freddie Freeman and Manny Machado take up most of the spotlight. However, don't overlook David Peralta on Friday night. Peralta is 10-of-24 (.417) against Yu Darvish in his career and has smacked 3 home runs against the Padres' starter, too. Peralta has logged a hit in three of his last five games played and I like his odds of keeping momentum going.

Bet: David Peralta to Record a Hit (-170)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.