MLB Betting – Dodgers vs Padres Preview & Prediction
There is a lot of hope in Dodger land these days since Magic Johnson bought the team and the Padres are being sold as well, but both teams have high hopes this season after disappointing ones last season.
Venue/ Stadium: Petco Park, San Diego, California
Time/Date: 7:05 PM EST Thursday, April 5, 2011
NCAA Odds From: BetOnline.com
Moneyline: Dodgers -149 / Dodgers +130
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (2011: 21-5, 2.28 ERA) at Padres RH Edinson Volquez (2011: 5-7, 5.71 ERA)
L.A. Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres Preview
MLB lines have the Dodgers as away favorites in the season opener for both clubs and the main reason is that reigning Cy young winner Clayton Kershaw is on the mound.
Last season the Dodgers finished the season at 82-79 and the Padres were in the basement of the NL West finishing 71-91.
I know that Spring Training games do not mean much, but both teams had a pretty good pre-season with the Padres going 20-16 and the Dodgers going 15-15.
The Dodgers beat the Padres in 10 of their last 12 games.
Kershaw easily won the Cy Young award last season after accomplishing the pitching Triple Crown leading the Majors with a 2.28 ERA, tied for the NL lead with 21 wins, and led the league with 248 strikeouts.
The Padres will start Edinson Volquez tonight and he was with the Reds last season and went 5-7 with an ERA of 5.71. He and 1B Yonder Alonso came over in a trade from Cincinnati in the off-season. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
One of the reasons the Padres traded for Alonso and Ryan Ludwick was to jump start an offense that ranked 28th in the Majors in runs scored and 29th in team batting average last season.
Matt Kemp was the runner up for the MVP last season and had 39 HR and 126 RBI. Still, the Dodgers only ranked 21st in the league last season in runs scored and no player besides Kemp had over 65 RBI. Andre Ethier started last season red-hot before cooling off in the 2nd half and he had a big spring this season. L.A. will need Ethier, Kemp, and James Loney to play well this season if they are going to get back to the pos-season.
The Padres’ offense may struggle again this season and they will need Volquez to have a solid game tonight.
In 6 career starts at San Diego’s Petco Park Kershaw has gone 3-1.
In some betting trends for this NL West Match up the Dodgers are 14-5 in their last 19 road games. 5-1 in Kershaw’s last 6 starts as a road favorite, and they have an Over record of 5-1-1 in their last 7 starts as a road favorite.
The Padres are 8-23 in their last 31 games as a home underdog, 1-5 in their last 6 home games vs. a left-handed starter, and they have an Under record of 10-4 in their last 14 games.
Jason’s Pick: With Kershaw on the mound tonight I have to go with the Dodgers and add to the fact that the Padres have a weak offense that adds up to a L.A. win.
