Padres vs. Dodgers: Early Odds and Preview for NLDS After Wild Card
The San Diego Padres conquered one of the National League titans in the Wild Card Round.
The Padres' 2-1 series win over the New York Mets set up a NLDS clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
San Diego bolstered its roster at the trade deadline to compete with the likes of the Dodgers and Mets. Josh Hader closed out Game 3 against the Mets and Juan Soto went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Sunday's series-clinching victory.
Los Angeles geared up for its potential return to the World Series by adding Freddie Freeman to the heart of the order in free agency.
The Dodgers come into the NLDS with the rest advantage and the option to choose whichever pitchers start throughout the series.
San Diego has one day off between its conquest of the Mets and the start of its series with the Dodgers. The Padres also have to deal with the effects of traveling across the cross country, but that still beats not being in the postseason.
The Dodgers should have the edge at the start of the series, but do not count out the Padres if their starters thrive like they did in New York.
Series Odds and Schedule
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Los Angeles Dodgers (-200; bet $200 to win $100)
San Diego (+160; bet $100 win $160)
Series Schedule
Game 1: Tuesday, Oct. 11 at Los Angeles (9:37 p.m. ET, FS1)
Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 12 at Los Angeles (8:37 p.m. ET, FS1)
Game 3: Friday, Oct. 14 at San Diego (time TBD, FS1)
Game 4: Saturday, Oct. 15 at San Diego (time TBD, FS1)
Game 5: Sunday, Oct. 16 at Los Angeles (time TBD, FS1)
Dodgers Start Series with Edge in Depth
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Los Angeles comes into the NLDS with the ability to choose between a fresh Clayton Kershaw and a fully rested Julio Urias for Game 1 against the Padres.
No one knows exactly if the top seeds in both leagues will benefit from the week off, but you have to think the Dodgers have an edge to start the NLDS because of the Padres' travel and starting-pitching usage against the New York Mets.
Kershaw carries 189 innings of postseason experience on his left arm. He finished the regular season with a nine-strikeout, one-hit outing against the Colorado Rockies.
Kershaw pitched at least five innings in each of his six September starts. He reached the sixth inning in four of those appearances.
The Dodgers southpaw is properly stretched out after an injury took away most of his August. He could be saved for Game 2 if Dave Roberts likes Urias more to start the NLDS.
Urias tossed six shutout innings against the Padres on Sept. 28 and has been a stalwart of the Dodgers' postseason rotation for a few years now.
Roberts has the luxury of choosing between Kershaw and Urias, while his counterpart Bob Melvin does not.
Melvin's best Game 1 option could be Sean Manaea. Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove will pitch later in the series, and Yu Darvish would be on three days rest if he starts in Game 1.
Los Angeles needs its starters to produce an early lead at home so that San Diego can't grab hold of any momentum before Darvish, Snell and Musgrove take the hill.
Kershaw and Urias will be vital to opening the NLDS with wins, but so will Freddie Freeman and the Dodgers order.
What Will Freddie Freeman's Impact Be on Dodgers Order?
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Freddie Freeman will try to win a World Series title in two straight years with two different teams.
Freeman killed the Dodgers in the NLCS last season while with the Atlanta Braves. He could be the primary difference-maker in the Los Angeles order this postseason.
The first baseman had five home runs and four multihit performances last postseason.
He could be the most excited Dodgers hitter to face the Padres. He produced a .986 OPS and .343 batting average against San Diego in the regular season. Freeman had 17 RBI in 19 games against the Padres. That was his highest total against a single opponent in 2022.
San Diego did a nice job of containing Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso in the Wild Card Round, but the Dodgers have a deeper lineup than the Mets.
Freeman could come to the plate with Mookie Betts and Trea Turner on the basepaths and do cause even more damage against the Padres.
Fair or not, Freeman, the Dodgers' prized offseason acquisition, could be compared with Juan Soto, who was brought to San Diego to help the Padres challenge the Dodgers in the postseason.
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Padres Need Juan Soto to Continue Good Run at Plate
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Juan Soto went 4-for-8 in San Diego's last two games at Citi Field.
The Padres got exactly what they needed out of Soto in New York. He finished the series with a pair of RBI and just two strikeouts at the plate.
Soto was acquired to come up with big hits in the postseason, and the Padres need him to produce at the dish early in the series to prevent the Dodgers from snatching the momentum.
Soto needs to be better against the Dodgers over the next week compared to what he did during the regular season. He was 10-for-58 with three RBI against L.A. The outfielder earned 17 walks versus Dodgers pitchers, but he only crossed the plate on seven occasions.
The entire San Diego lineup needs to make up for its early disadvantage in pitching, and if it does that, Soto's numbers could be some of the best in the divisional-series round.
Soto is more than capable of carrying the Padres throughout the series, and if he does that, the Padres may be an unstoppable force in the NL playoffs.
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