Top MLB Odds, Picks & Predictions: Padres vs. Dodgers (Friday)
The Division Series between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers has been arguably the most entertaining of all the postseason series to this point, and the two NL West rivals get the MLB spotlight to themselves in a winner-take-all Game 5 to punch their ticket to the NLCS.
Read on to find out which team I expect to meet the New York Mets in the NLCS in our top MLB picks for Friday, October 11.
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Friday's Top MLB Picks
(MLB odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
San Diego Padres (+120) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (-142) | O/U 8 (-102/-120)
The Dodgers are coming off an 8-0 win in Game 4, their largest shutout win in postseason history. However, momentum has not mattered much in this series, and I expect San Diego to eliminate Los Angeles in the NLDS for the second time in three seasons.
The last time these two teams met at Dodger Stadium, it was a hostile environment with tempers flaring between players and fans acting unruly in the stands. But on the field, the Padres tied the postseason record with six home runs and Yu Darvish cruised through seven strong innings.
I am not about to underestimate San Diego's chances of winning this series despite entering this game on a 15-inning scoreless streak. After all, Los Angeles has still lost eight of its last 10 playoff games, while Darvish has not lost a road postseason start since joining the Padres.
San Diego is 3-1 in Darvish's four road postseason starts, while the righty has recorded 18-plus outs in three of the four and pitched to a 2.52 ERA and 19:7 K:BB ratio. He has held current Dodgers to a combined .192/.269/.322 slash line in 239 at-bats, with 35.8%
of the outs coming via strikeout.
I expect Los Angeles to counter with Jack Flaherty, who did not come into the Game 2 start with much momentum. Flaherty finished September with a .271 xBA, a .431 xSLG, and a 10.8% walk rate through five starts. And just because San Diego's gamble to start Dylan Cease on short rest in Game 4 did not pay off, does not mean I do not believe in Darvish to help the team bounce back in this elimination game.
MLB Pick: Padres Moneyline (+120)
Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.