The San Diego Padres (10-6) will host the Los Angeles Dodgers (10-4) on Sunday in the final game of the three-game set. On Friday, the Dodgers held the Padres to just one run, winning 6-1. San Diego evened up the series in Saturday's contest. The Padres won 3-2 in extra innings to break a ten-game losing streak against their division rivals.
Clayton Kershaw takes the hill for the Dodgers in the rubber game, and he's been excellent at Petco Park in his career. After Kershaw thres seven perfect innings in his season debut, he got hit around a bit in a 7-4 win over the Braves last Monday.
Kershaw is 10-4 with a 1.88 ERA in his career at Petco, and he'll look to continue that success Sunday. The Padres' offense ranks 11th in runs this year, but they are without star Fernando Tatis Jr. until early June, leaving a hole in the lineup.
"Clayton Kershaw retired the first 21 batters he faced this season..." - @ESPNStatsInfo
Sean Manaea gets the start opposite Kershaw. Manaea has an impressive 1.42 ERA and 0.79 WHIP this year over 19 innings pitched. He has a streak of three straight quality starts this season and will look to extend this streak Sunday.
He'll have a tough Dodgers lineup to navigate that is tied for fourth in the majors in runs scored, and he hasn't pitched well against LA in a small sample size (5.27 ERA in three games). He'll look to find his groove at home Sunday.
"Sean Manaea of the San Diego Padres with a Sword."- Rob Friedman
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres Match Details
Fixture: Los Angeles Dodgers @ San Diego Padres
Date & Time: Sunday, April 24th, 4:10 PM EDT
Venue: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres Betting Odds
Both of these teams have been hot lately, with Los Angeles 9-2 in their last 11, while San Diego has won five of their last six. The total has gone under in four of the Dodgers' last four games.
For the Padres, the total has gone under seven in their last eight. So it seems that oddsmakers are overestimating these lineups while underestimating their pitching staffs.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres Best Picks
Clayton Kershaw notched 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings last year, and so far this year, he's upped that average to 15 per nine innings. The Padres are tied for the most strikeouts in the NL, and Kershaw has struck out at least seven hitters in each of his 2022 starts.
Pick: Clayton Kershaw Over 6.5 Strikeouts (+120)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres Betting Prediction
Saturday's game needed extra innings to decide a winner, so expect another tight contest. Don't be surprised to see a pitcher's duel Sunday with two dominant lefties facing off.
This year, the Dodgers have had a much better bullpen, so they'll have the advantage once the starting pitchers have handed the ball over. Kershaw should be able to build on his success in San Diego and lead his team to a victory.
Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers ML (-154) & Under 7 (-118)