by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Jul 02, 2026
Game Time: 10:10 pm ET, Friday, July 3, 2026
Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: ESPN Unlimited, MLB TV
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Padres +195, Dodgers -240; Over/Under: 8 runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Padres +200, Dodgers -250; Over/Under: 8 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Padres +190, Dodgers -250; Over/Under: 8 runs
Season Record
San Diego Padres: 43-42 (2nd place, NL West)
Los Angeles Dodgers: 56-31 (1st place, NL West)
Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Vegas Writer is on a HOT STREAK in MLB on a 21-13-1 MLB RUN for +$7,350 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.
Recent Form
San Diego Padres: 4-6 last 10
Los Angeles Dodgers: 7-3 last 10
San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers Preview and Analysis
The Padres are entering this series off a loss and got swept in their 3-game series against the Chicago Cubs 3-0 in their last series. They enter this game with a 43-42 record overall and have a road record of 20-21. This is the 2nd game of a 4-game series with the Dodgers on Friday with the series opener still to be played on Thursday. Their offense ranks 30th in the MLB with a .672 OPS. Randy Vásquez is their starting pitcher on Thursday while Michael King is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 5-7 with a 3.55 ERA this season. His team lost 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 4 ER, 0 HR, and 4 BB with 5 SO on 3 hits through 4.1 IP against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers are entering this series off a loss and won their 3-game series against the Athletics 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 56-31 record overall and have a home record of 26-14. This is the 2nd game of a 4-game series with the Padres on Friday with the 1st game of this series still to be played on Thursday. Their offense ranks 1st in the MLB with a .789 OPS. Roki Sasaki is their starting pitcher on Thursday while Shohei Ohtani is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 8-2 with a 1.58 ERA this season. His team won their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 earned runs, 0 homers, and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts on 5 hits through 6 innings pitched against the Minnesota Twins.
Padres vs Dodgers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Dodgers listed as a big favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Dodgers have looked great in their games this season with their 56-31 record overall which has them right at the top of the NL West with the best record in MLB. They have looked great in their own ballpark too with their 26-14 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Padres have looked good in their games this season with their 43-42 record overall which has them right near the top of the NL West. They haven't been a great road team though with their 20-21 road record this year. The Padres haven't looked good lately either, going 4-6 in their last 10 games with one of the worst offenses in MLB this season and they just got swept by the Cubs in their last series, losing the last game of that series 23-3. The Dodgers have one of the best offenses in the league though and lately they have been rolling, now 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Dodgers are going with Ohtani in this one and he has looked great this season. He is 8-2 with a 1.58 ERA and he has been their ace this year. He is coming off another great start in which he gave up 2 earned runs which has been a common theme for him, and the team has won 2 games in a row now with him starting too. King is going for the Padres in this one and he hasn't looked great this year. He is 5-7 with a 3.55 ERA and lately he has been having some trouble. He just gave up 4 earned runs in his last start which is starting to become a common theme for him and even his team has lost 2 of their last 3 games with him starting. Look for the Dodgers to take advantage of this pitching matchup and continue rolling here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Dodgers to win this game and on the runline.
Padres Dodgers Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Friday, July 3, 2026 (10:10 pm ET start time) is Dodgers 9 Padres 1.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks, best bets, and expert baseball picks today. And if you enjoyed this San Diego Padres Los Angeles Dodgers prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily MLB projections and previews.
MLB Betting Trends
San Diego Padres: 232-188 (+22.5 units) on the moneyline in all games. 109-101 (+13.6 units) on the moneyline in road games. 87-86 (+24.1 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 or higher. 27-14 UNDER as an underdog of +150 or more.
Los Angeles Dodgers: 271-173 (-9.3 units) on the moneyline in all games. 142-77 (-6.9 units) on the moneyline in home games. 244-140 (-5.7 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -110 or higher. 25-15 UNDER when the total is 8 to 8.5.
Key Injuries
San Diego Padres: D. Morgan (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Knee. L. Giolito (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. J. Estrada (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Knee. R. Laureano (LF) Sixty Day IL - Hip. N. Pivetta (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. L. Campusano (C) Ten Day IL - Toe. M. Waldron (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Arm. G. Marquez (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Forearm. B. Hoeing (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. J. Musgrove (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.
Los Angeles Dodgers: M. Betts (SS) Day To Day - Wrist. B. Treinen (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. W. Smith (C) Ten Day IL - Neck. B. Graterol (RP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. B. Snell (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. E. Hernandez (1B) Ten Day IL - Oblique. B. Casparius (RP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. E. Diaz (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. T. Glasnow (SP) Sixty Day IL - Back. L. Knack (SP) Sixty Day IL - Chest. J. Cousins (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. G. Stone (SP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. B. Miller (SP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. E. Phillips (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.
Notable Quotes
“It’s going as poorly as it can right now. We got to find a way to dig deep, dig our way out of that hole. I think there’s some grit on this team and we got to dig deep for that. If we get negative, we turn on each other, we start pointing fingers, that’s when it’ll turn into disaster.” - Craig Stammen after his team’s loss against the Cubs in their game on Wednesday.
"You want to finish playing well going into the break. We have some division rivals, opponents. Yeah, we've got to take care of business." - Dave Roberts after his team’s loss against the A’s in their game on Wednesday.
Starting Lineups
San Diego Padres
Fernando Tatis Jr. (R) RF
Gavin Sheets (L) LF
Manny Machado (R) DH
Ty France (R) 1B
Jackson Merrill (L) CF
Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
Jake Cronenworth (L) 2B
Rodolfo Durán (R) C
Sung-Mun Song (L) 3B
Los Angeles Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
Andy Pages (R) CF
Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
Max Muncy (L) 3B
Kyle Tucker (L) RF
Tommy Edman (S) LF
Alex Freeland (S) 2B
Miguel Rojas (R) SS
Chuckie Robinson (R) C
Statistical Leaders
San Diego Padres
Batting Average: Samad Taylor (.333)
Hits: Fernando Tatis (92)
Home Runs: Manny Machado (16)
RBI: Manny Machado (46)
Stolen Bases: Fernando Tatis (19)
Wins: Randy Vásquez (6)
Saves: Mason Miller (21)
ERA: Mason Miller (0.78)
Los Angeles Dodgers
Batting Average: Enrique Hernández (1.000)
Hits: Freddie Freeman (93)
Home Runs: Shohei Ohtani (18)
RBI: Andy Pages (60)
Stolen Bases: Andy Pages (8)
Wins: Justin Wrobleski (10)
Saves: Tanner Scott (11)
ERA: Shohei Ohtani (1.58)
Managers:
San Diego Padres: Craig Stammen (1st season)
Los Angeles Dodgers: Dave Roberts (11th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
