The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres battle for NL West momentum in a pivotal three-game series at Petco Park in San Diego. The Dodgers (73-55) hold a one-game edge over the Padres (72-56) after LA swept San Diego in a three-game set at Dodger Stadium a week ago.
Friday’s matchup features a marquee pitching duel. Blake Snell, a left-hander and the Dodgers’ starter, owns a 3-1 record with a 1.80 ERA. He has not allowed an earned run in his last 13.2 innings, a stretch that includes six scoreless innings in a matchup against the Padres last week. Opposing him will be Yu Darvish, the Padres’ right-hander and a former Dodger, who sits at 2-3 with a 5.97 ERA. Darvish delivered four runs in four innings in his most recent start, a 5-4 loss to Los Angeles.
Top sportsbooks have listed Snell’s strikeout total at 5.5 and Darvish’s at 4.5. The SportsLine Projection Model rates Snell Over 5.5 as a 4-star play and Darvish Over 4.5 as a 2.5-star play.
But the model also flags other Friday prop bets with strong value. Here are the four props it rates highest:
– Adrian Houser Over 3.5 strikeouts vs. Cardinals (7:35 p.m. ET)
– Rating: 4 stars
– Model projection: 4.4 strikeouts
– Houser, 32, is making his fourth start for the Rays since being acquired at the trade deadline from the White Sox. He’s 6-4 with a 2.67 ERA and has gone Over 3.5 strikeouts in nine of 14 starts this season. He followed a five-scoreless-inning outing with six strikeouts in a 2-1 win over San Francisco. Friday he faces a Cardinals lineup averaging 10.0 strikeouts over its last three games.
– Carson Whisenhunt Over 3.5 strikeouts vs. Brewers (8:10 p.m. ET)
– Rating: 5 stars
– Model projection: 5.0 strikeouts
– The model’s best Friday prop, Whisenhunt—the top pitching prospect for San Francisco—returns to the majors after Landen Roupp landed on the IL. Whisenhunt has only three big-league starts, but he’s gone Over 3.5 Ks in two of them. In the minors, he piled up 330 strikeouts in 279 innings.
– Zack Littell Over 3.5 strikeouts vs. Diamondbacks (9:40 p.m. ET)
– Rating: 4 stars
– Model projection: 4.3 strikeouts
– Littell, 29, is in his fourth start for the Reds since being acquired at the deadline from the Rays. He’s 9-8 with a 3.52 ERA this season between Cincinnati and Tampa Bay and has gone Over 3.5 strikeouts in 15 of 25 starts. The model notes a trend of higher strikeouts when Littell pitches on the road against middle-third lineups.
– Summary note: Littell’s outings, along with the Whisenhunt and Houser props, reflect the model’s broader approach to projecting strikeouts across several Friday matchups.
Why this matters
– The Dodgers sit just one game ahead in the division, so every game against the Padres carries extra weight in the race for the NL West title and playoff positioning.
– Snell vs. Darvish frames a high-profile pitching duel that should set the tone for the series, with both aces looking to build momentum heading into a critical stretch of the season.
Additional comments
– The Friday schedule features multiple strong pitching matchups beyond the Dodgers-Padres game, providing multiple opportunities for bettors to target favorable strikeout props based on the model’s projections.
– For fans, this series offers a reminder of why the NL West has been this year’s most competitive division race, with the contenders meeting in a high-stakes showdown.
Brief summary
The Dodgers and Padres open a key three-game series in San Diego with a premier pitching duel between Blake Snell and Yu Darvish. While Snell and Darvish headline the game, the SportsLine Projection Model highlights several other strong strikeout props, suggesting valuable bets across multiple pitchers on Friday’s slate. The outcome could influence the division lead as the two teams look to gain ground in a tight NL West race.
Positive note
This matchup promises exciting baseball and a meaningful impact on the division standings, giving fans and bettors a compelling Friday night of action.