The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to take a commanding 2-0 series lead over the San Diego Padres when the teams meet once again at Dodger Stadium for Game 2 of the NLDS on Wednesday night.
Each club will send a grizzled veteran to the hill as Yu Darvish represents the Padres against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers.
Will L.A. win once again as heavy chalk in this spot? Find out in our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Padres vs Dodgers on Wednesday, October 12.
You can also check out an analytical breakdown from EV Analytics in our Padres vs. Dodgers betting insights.
Padres vs Dodgers best odds
Padres vs Dodgers picks and predictions
Bettors should expect Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw to keep their respective opponents under control in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
Darvish kicked off a sensational month of September (1.85 ERA) by blanking the Dodgers over seven frames in his fourth and final meeting with them in the regular season. The nine strikeouts he recorded that day weren’t even a season-best against L.A. in 2022 — he fanned 10 when they faced off on July 2. All told, Darvish posted a 2.52 ERA and .191 opponent batting average over 25 innings of work against Dave Roberts’ squad this year.
Backing Darvish is a Padres' bullpen that was a modest 14th by ERA this season (3.83). However, this unit was able to keep San Diego in Game 1 after starter Mike Clevinger was chased following five runs coming across (four earned) in only 2 2-3 innings, letting the Dodgers do no further damage. Robert Suarez and Josh Hader weren’t even called upon by manager Bob Melvin on Tuesday night.
Kershaw has had the occasional postseason mishap in his career, but he is still a scary prospect for this Padres lineup after pitching to a 0.75 ERA over 12 innings of work against them this season. The southpaw was sharp down the season’s final stretch, producing a 1.54 ERA over his final seven starts.
“The Claw” has been on a strict pitch count in 2022, reaching triple digits only once over 22 starts. That likely means the relievers will have to do some significant work behind him in Game 2, but there was no better bullpen in the NL this season by ERA (2.87). Like San Diego, L.A.’s relief corps didn’t surrender a single run in Game 1, as Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Brusdar Graterol, and Chris Martin combined for four scoreless frames.
The total opened at 7.5 for this tilt, but was quickly hammered down to 7.0 across the board. However, one could argue that this line should be 6.5. Bettors shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
My best bet: Under 7 (+102 at Unibet)
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Padres vs Dodgers NLDS odds
| Teams | Odds to win series |
|---|---|
 San Diego Padres |
+350 |
 Los Angeles Dodgers |
-425 |
Padres vs Dodgers moneyline analysis
The Dodgers have simply had the Padres’ number in recent years, and that trend should continue tonight.
Counting Tuesday’s Game 1 defeat, the Friars are now 5-15 against their primary rival in the NL West in 2022. San Diego is also a woeful 1-10 in their last 11 Divisional Playoff games, while the Dodgers are 4-1 in their last five home playoff games.
L.A.’s top-ranked offense from the regular season (5.23 runs per game) looked none the worse for wear following an extended rest period ahead of the NLDS, as Trea Turner and Will Smith each had a pair of extra-base hits in Game 1. That includes Turner’s solo homer in the first inning that gave the Dodgers a lead they would never relinquish.
The Padres’ lineup has been far too reliant in recent days on bottom-of-the-order batters Trent Grisham and Austin Nola, each of whom boasts an OPS over 1.000 through four playoff games. The next-highest OPS is held by Ha-Seong Kim at .854. There’s a reason that the aforementioned duo is batting eighth and ninth, and it’s not because they’ve been sustaining this level of play all year long.
If the Dodgers don’t build an early lead, then they can win it late at the expense of San Diego’s shaky relief squad.
Padres vs Dodgers Over/Under analysis
The head-to-head matchups support a play on the Under in Game 2, as well as the trends.
Darvish has historically kept the Dodgers’ best bats at bay. Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Will Smith, and Justin Turner all have a career batting average of .200 or lower against the Japan native. (min. 10 at-bats). San Diego superstar Manny Machado has a .257 average over 35 meetings with Kershaw with eight strikeouts, while prize trade deadline pickup Juan Soto is just 1-for-8 with three strikeouts against him.
Melvin is stuck between a rock and a hard place with Brandon Drury and Josh Bell. The former, who is 3-for-20 lifetime off Kershaw with 10 strikeouts, was pinch-hit for by the latter — who is 0-for-5 against the Texas-born southpaw — in Game 1.
Trend bettors should note that the Under is 7-1 in the Dodgers’ last eight games against starters with a WHIP less than 1.15, and 14-3-1 in their last 18 games against right-handed starters. The Under is also 4-0-1 in L.A.’s last five home games. The Padres have gone below the total in six of their last seven games after allowing five or more runs in their previous contest.
Padres vs Dodgers trend to know
The Dodgers are 39-13 in their last 52 home games. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs Dodgers. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Dodgers
Padres vs Dodgers game info
| Location: | Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date: | Wednesday, October 12, 2022 |
| First pitch: | 8:37 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FS1 |
Starting pitchers
Yu Darvish (16-8, 3.10 ERA): Yu Darvish finished the regular season with a flourish, authoring a 1.85 ERA over five starts in September. In Game 1 of the Wild Card round last Friday, Darvish held the Mets to one run over seven frames. He’s worked 62 innings in his career against the Dodgers, producing a solid 2.47 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.
Clayton Kershaw (12-3, 2.28 ERA): Clayton Kershaw ended the regular season on a five-game win streak, with four of those being quality starts. He might have gone 5-for-5 in that department, but was pulled after five innings and 72 pitches in a Oct. 5 tilt against the Rockies that equated to a tune-up. Kershaw is 23-9 with a 2.03 ERA all-time against the Padres (292 innings).
Padres vs Dodgers latest injuries
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Padres vs Dodgers weather
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