Dodgers vs. Padres MLB Picks and Predictions

Times are tough in San Diego, and it won’t be easy for the Padres to pull out of a tailspin when they begin a series on Tuesday’s sports betting card against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres

Tuesday, August 24, 2021 - 10:10PM EDT at Petco Park

Los Angeles has been keeping pressure on San Francisco at the top of the NL West, the Dodgers beginning this short road trip 2½-games behind the Giants at the top of the division. San Diego’s freefall has not only dropped the Padres a full 13-games behind San Francisco in the division, but also pushed them out of the second National League wild card slot to leave bettors holding MLB futures tickets wondering if team is even going to play its way into the postseason.

Neither team has officially announced a starting pitcher for tonight, but we’re fairly certain Julio Urias (10-2, 2.88) goes for Los Angeles. San Diego’s choice is a complete mystery, but as soon as the Padres decide, SBR Odds will have the opening wagers for the contest.

https://youtu.be/eALTCRYqlaI?t=867

Urias Expected Off IL to Make Start

Los Angeles saw a 9-game win streak come to an end on Sunday in a 7-2 loss to the New York Mets. The Dodgers have been smoking hot in August with a 15-4 record, and continue to lead all of baseball in run differential. While the team has been playing very well, one mystery continues to be Cody Bellinger who seems to be possessed by the Spirit of Chris Davis. Injuries have definitely contributed, but Bellinger was just 1-for-12 in the four games against the Mets.

Having spent the last 10 days on the injured list with a calf strain, Urias has nonetheless enjoyed a fine August with the Dodgers winning all three of his starts. The 25-year-old tossed five shutout innings in New York against the Mets his last trip to the mound before being shelved, Los Angeles relievers taking him out of the win column before the Dodgers pulled off a 6-5 decision in 10 innings as -170 favorites on the MLB betting odds.

Urias is hoping for a different outcome than his start against the Padres in late-June. Closing as the road underdog in a matchup against Yu Darvish, Urias was charged with six runs in four innings of an eventual 6-2 setback. That’s his only start against San Diego this season, and Urias is 0-1 with a 6.22 ERA in two career starts and two relief appearances at Petco Park.

https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1429245991287357444?s=20

Darvish Could Rejoin Friars Rotation This Week

After being outscored 65-37 during their present 2-11 slump, the Padres decided Monday it was the fault of pitching coach Larry Rothschild and gave him the pink slip. Bullpen coach Ben Fritz will take over as interim pitching coach, and we’ll have to wait and see if it makes much difference for some of the underachieving arms on the staff.

Some websites listed Ryan Weathers as a possible starter for San Diego on Tuesday, but the Padres used him in relief for a couple of innings on Sunday. Jake Arrieta would normally line up for the series opener with the Dodgers, but he was placed on the injured list due to what was officially noted as a hamstring issue. Arrieta was rocked in Colorado last Wednesday in his first start for the Padres, and San Diego lost the contest as -145 chalk at top sportsbooks.

Craig Stammen was the opener on Sunday and worked a couple of innings with a lead before Weathers came in and coughed it up. It is possible Stammen could be used for an inning or two on Tuesday, along with the rest of the relievers such as Nabil Crismatt and Austin Adams.

Totals Have Split in Six Matchups at Petco

San Diego fans looking for a silver lining can find one in how well their Padres have performed against Los Angeles this year. The Padres have come out on top of the MLB scores in seven of the previous 10 meetings, including the last four at Petco Park. San Diego swept a June series at home, ‘over’ bettors also cashing twice, and the Padres have won seven of the last eight matchups. Totals have run 6-4 O/U for the year, 3-3 O/U in San Diego.

While the times might be cloudy for the Padres, the San Diego forecast calls for plenty of sunshine on Tuesday. The weatherman says low-70s for the start of the game and an 8-10 mph NW breeze (in from left). Tough to make a free MLB pick without knowing the two pitchers, but I’m betting 8-8½ for the total and willing to at least lean ‘over’ the mark.

MLB Pick: (visit our Sportsbook Review)

*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.