Perhaps it's no surprise that the reigning World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers are coasting to the midpoint of the regular season with an MLB-best record of 52-29, good enough for a nine-game cushion in the NL West. On Friday, they make the short trek to take on an erratic but talented San Diego Padres club that appears to be hitting its stride. First pitch in the opener of the three-game weekend series is set for 9:45 p.m. ET from Petco Park.
The Dodgers arrive fresh off a three-game road sweep of the Minnesota Twins by a combined score of 18-7 and have won seven of their last 10 overall. But they will encounter a Padres (42-37) club that just completed a three-game home sweep of the Atlanta Braves by a combined score of 13-8, a surge that had players and coaches believing they just witnessed the team's best baseball of the season.
"We played a lot of good baseball, a lot of good team baseball," first baseman Ty France told the media.
San Diego enters Friday a half-game back in the National League wild card standings and a strong showing in this series could serve as the catalyst for a second-half surge.
The Padres will send out Walker Buehler (4-3, 3.96 ERA), who will face his former Los Angeles teammates for the second time in his career. He gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings last year in his first game against the Dodgers, while pitching for the Red Sox. The Padres won the last three games Buehler started, and he gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings of a 6-4 victory over Texas in his prior outing. He is 1-2 with a 3.32 ERA in eight home starts this season.
The Dodgers counter with Roki Sasaki (3-4, 4.76), coming off a no-decision in Friday night's 6-5 home win over the Baltimore Orioles. Sasaki allowed four hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out six. This will be his first career start against San Diego.
The Dodgers are -145 favorites while the Padres are offered at +125 in the latest MLB betting odds for Los Angeles vs. San Diego. The over/under for total runs scored is 7.5.
In addition to this MLB matchup, we'll take a look at a World Cup soccer match and look ahead to an early-starting UFC Fight Night card. All times Eastern.
MLB best bets, where to watch
Dodgers at Padres
Time: 9:45 p.m. | Location: San Diego | TV: APPLE TV
SportsLine pick -- Expert: Padres +1.5. -140 (Matt Severance)
SportsLine MLB expert Matt Severance (+1667.5 units on the season) is siding with the Padres plus the insurance run at a price of -140. Severance sees value in pocketing a run with a red-hot Padres club in what he expects to be a tight contest regardless of who wins. The SportsLine Projection Model doesn't have a strong lean on the money line but offers a confident play on the Over 7.5 runs. The model's 10,000-game simulation forecasts an average score of 5.0-4.4, nearly two runs higher than the posted total and a mark that would send this contest Over about 67% of the time.
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World Cup best bets, where to watch
Uruguay vs. Spain
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Guadalajara, Mexico | TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Expert: Both teams to score (No, -128), Nick Stellini
SportsLine soccer analyst Nick Stellini is far from bullish on Uruguay in this Group H matchup, noting the club has registered just two points amid lackluster performances in each of its first two World Cup matches. But instead of suggesting a play on the favored Spaniards, who lead the group with four points, at fairly steep price (-210 on FanDuel), Stellini suggests the easier route to a value position is playing against both teams to score at a price of -128.
"Uruguay simply don't have the horses to consistently cut through Spain. The Spaniards can actually win Group H with a draw, disincentivizing them from making this an open back-and-forth affair," Stellini writes. "If this is going to be a low-scoring match won by a moment of magic, give me the side that has (Lamine) Yamal. Uruguay will be out of their depth."
For those looking for a plus-money position, Stellini offers Yamal to find the back of the net at a FanDuel price of +155.
Looking Ahead, UFC Fight Night
UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Torres
Time: Noon Saturday (main card) | Location: Baku, Azerbaijan | Stream: Paramount+
SportsLine pick -- Expert: Fiziev -110 (Daniel Vithlani)
Because of the international time differences, fight fans need to make sure they are aware of the early start time to Saturday's UFC Fight Night, and some might have to set their alarms if they want to catch the prelims. But the main card is set for noon ET and features veteran lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev taking on rising prospect Manuel Torres.
The 33-year-old Fiziev (13-5) was once one of the divisions fastest-rising prospects before hitting a rough patch in which he lost two close decisions to current champion Justin Gaethje and a knockout loss to rising contender Mauricio Ruffy. Even so, he brings a wealth of experience against world-class competition and perhaps re-enter the top 10 with a main-event victory Saturday. Torres (17-3), 31, is 5-1 since joining the UFC, with all of his wins coming by stoppage and four of them by knockout. He is coming off a forst-round knockout over fellow prospect Grant Dawson in December, but this is a step forward in competition for his first main event.
The MMA odds have this fight priced as a pick'em at -110 for either fighter. SportsLine MMA analyst Danny "Brasco" Vithlani is siding with the veteran Fiziev, suggesting his grappling skills and experience in longer fights could be the difference.
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