The 2024 MLB season will officially start on Wednesday, as the league has taken two of their top teams to Seoul, South Korea. National League West Division rivals will kickoff the season as the Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the San Diego Padres.
The Los Angeles Dodgers cruised to an NL West Division title a season ago, and they are big favorites again this season. Los Angeles spent a ton of money in the offseason, and they will be looking to make a statement early in 2024.
San Diego had a disappointing 2024 season, and they are going to be looking to bounce back in a big way. The Padres still have a loaded lineup of stars, but they also sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees in a stunning move.
The Dodgers are moneyline betting favorites at -200 for this matchup on Wednesday, and the over/under is set at 8.5 total runs in this game.
LA Looking to Score
The Los Angeles Dodgers were one of the best offensive teams in MLB a season ago, but this lineup is now even better. Shohei Ohtani has been brought in on a massive contract, and he will put up some historic numbers in this lineup.
Mookie Betts sets the tone at the top of the lineup for the Dodgers, and he is shifting to shortstop to begin the year. Los Angeles won’t have many off-days on offense as there is just so much talent in this lineup.
Tyler Glasnow is making the Opening Day start for the Dodgers, and he is a pitcher that can become one of the best in the league.
Padres Need Some Pitching
The San Diego Padres had Blake Snell win the NL Cy Young Award a season ago, but the rest of the starting staff struggled. Pitching is going to be an issue for the Padres this season, but they do have their ace on the mound in this game.
Yu Darvish has had a dominant career in MLB, and he is a pitcher that has had some success against the Dodgers in the past. Darvish is not expected to go deep into this game to begin the year, and that will put pressure on the bullpen to get some big outs.
San Diego does have some talent in this lineup, but they will be lacking some of the power that they had a season ago, and that could be an issue.
Dodgers Defeat Padres
This Los Angeles Dodgers team is loaded with talent, and they will have a great starting pitcher on the mound to begin the season. Los Angeles should get a great start from Glasnow, and their talented offensive players are going to set the tone as well.
San Diego comes into this game with a chip on their shoulder as many are expecting that they are going to take a step back this season. Darvish should deliver a great start in this game, but they just don’t have the offense that will be needed to keep pace.
Bet the Los Angeles Dodgers at -1.5 on the run line in this matchup on Wednesday as they are going to get the season off to a big start with a massive win.
