Keagan Smith gives you a preview, prediction and pick for today’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres on Saturday’s MLB slate.

There’s an NL West clash on deck for tonight’s MLB schedule. The Los Angeles Dodgers played the first outing of this series against the San Diego Padres last night and were thoroughly dismantled 7-1 in a surprising upset. After such a loss, they’re surely motivated to get back in the win column against a rival. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound, it won’t be surprising to see them do so.

Here’s a betting prediction and pick for this Dodgers vs. Padres matchup courtesy of MLB odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Dodgers vs. Padres prediction, preview

Los Angeles Dodgers

To the surprise of no one, the Dodgers are still on top of the MLB standings at 52-30. They have a run differential of +138 and are 7-3 over their last 10 games in particular. With 5.17 runs per game, they have the third-highest scoring figure of any club. That’s hardly a surprise with a .781 OPS that also ranks No. 1, slashing .261/.344/.437. Los Angeles’ plate approach is excellent, logging an 0.51 BB/K ratio with a 10.5% BB% and 20.6% K%. They’re also fourth in ISO at .175 with 110 homers, third most. However, they face a left-handed pitcher tonight for the lesser of their splits, slashing only .236/.325/.394 for a .719 OPS.

Stud RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for L.A. with a 7-5 record. He brings a 2.65 ER, an 0.87 WHIP and 86 strikeouts across 91.2 IP this year. The bullpen backing him has a 3.76 ERA that ranks 11th, plus a 1.21 WHIP and 15.6% K-BB%.

San Diego Padres

The Padres moved to 43-37 with last night’s win, their fourth consecutive victory over a 6-4 stretch in their last 10 games. They’re still second in the NL West at 8.0 games shy of Los Angeles, but a run differential of +1 pales in comparison. The 7-1 win last night came as a surprise, especially in light of this offense typically performing as one of the worst in baseball with just 3.95 runs a night, second fewest. San Diego’s .662 OPS ranks dead last on a .220/.296/.365 line, which moves to a near-identical .220/.298/.369 for a .667 OPS against right-handers like the club faces tonight. A .145 ISO falls 23rd and the 82 homers come in at 24th. The Padres are also at an 0.40 BB/K ratio with a 9.1% BB% and a 23.0% K%.

LHP Kyle Hart draws the start for San Diego, his first of the season after 17 relief appearances. He brings a 4.13 ERA, an 0.92 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 24.0 IP. It’s uncertain whether someone will assume a bulk role behind him, but the Padres’ bullpen is excellent with a 3.08 ERA that ranks second, plus a 1.22 WHIP and 15.5% K-BB%.

Dodgers vs. Padres pick, best bet

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Dodgers as -205 road favorites on the Moneyline tonight. The Padres are underdogs with +168 odds to win outright. The total sits at eight combined runs this evening.

Best Bet: Dodgers -1.5 (-114)

Sure they got blown out last night, but that’s the exception, not the norm for the Dodgers. This team is miles better than the Padres are, especially in terms of offense. Yes, the numbers against lefties aren’t stellar, but Los Angeles has a combination of on-base prowess and power that its opponent simply does not possess. With the difference in bats, plus Yamamoto on the mound, the Dodgers can easily cover this run line on the road to bounce back. I didn’t even think twice about this pick.