Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres Prediction, 5/18/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres

Date: Monday, May 18, 2026

Location: Petco Park in San Diego, CA

TV: Padres.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Los Angeles (-144) San Diego (+120)

The San Diego Padres (27-18) will try to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers (28-18) at Petco Park on Monday. The odds on this game have Los Angeles at -144 and San Diego is sitting at +120. The over/under is 8. The pitchers who are expected to start are Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Michael King.

The Dodgers have tallied 73 two-baggers as a team and have knocked 61 baseballs out of the stadium. Los Angeles is slugging .434 and have been called out on strikes 353 times, while taking a walk on 174 occasions. As a unit, the Los Angeles Dodgers are notching 5.0 runs per game, which is 7th in MLB. They have accrued 210 RBI's and 396 hits for the year, while their average at the plate sits at .262. They have notched a total of 223 runs while holding a team OBP of .341.

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The Dodgers have an earned run average of 3.29 on the season (3rd in baseball), and the staff has struck out 405 batters. Dodgers pitchers have surrendered 41 long balls and 151 total runs (2nd in baseball). They have walked 129 batters and their FIP is 3.53 as a unit on the campaign. Los Angeles has given up 312 hits (7.1 per 9 innings) as well as 145 earned runs. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.14 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.11.

The Dodgers have sent 141 relief pitchers to the hill on the season. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 44 runners for the year and 29.5% of those runners crossing home plate. The bullpen have tallied 23 holds for the season (19th in baseball). Dodgers bullpen pitchers have entered the game with players on base 26 times in addition to having 36 appearances in high leverage situations. They have 10 saves this year and have missed out on 5 of their 15 save chances. The Dodgers relief pitchers have a save rate of 66.7% and stepped onto the hill in 38 save situations.

The Dodgers have converted 72.7% of baseballs in play into outs out of 3,573 innings on the field, ranking them 3rd in the majors. The Los Angeles Dodgers have 1,191 putouts on the campaign, in addition to 366 assists and 15 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .990 which has them sitting 3rd in professional baseball, and they have turned 26 double plays.

Yamamoto has thrown 313 innings and has accumulated 354 strikeouts in his career. Yamamoto (22-13 mark in his career) has a FIP of 2.77 and he has gone up against 1,247 hitters in the major leagues. His ERA is 2.82 (98 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.028. He has conceded 231 base knocks (6.6 hits per nine innings) and has 91 free passes.

The San Diego Padres have an OBP of .294 and a batting average of .223 on the campaign. They have been rung up on 376 instances (14th in baseball) and have earned a total of 322 base knocks. San Diego has compiled 41 long balls so far this year to go along with 173 RBIs. The Padres hold a team slugging percentage of .363 and they have an average of 4.09 runs per game (25th in the league). They have recorded 66 two-baggers, while getting a free base 139 times and scoring 180 runs.

The Padres have a team WHIP of 1.258 with a FIP of 3.58 as a unit on the campaign. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 8.90 (386 strikeouts vs 144 walks). They have a ranking of 13th in the league as a staff in total hits surrendered with 349. They have surrendered 36 homers and they surrender 4.16 runs per 9 innings (10th in the league). The San Diego pitching staff have yielded 181 runs this year while holding a team ERA of 4.04 (176 earned runs conceded).

San Diego bullpen pitchers have an inherited score rate of 32.4% out of 68 inherited base runners. Their relievers have taken the field 48 times in high leverage situations in addition to 40 occasions with runners on. Sitting with 55 save situations, the Padres have tallied 30 holds in addition to 7 blown saves. They sit at 7th in MLB holding a save rate of 69.6%, and they have sent 146 relievers to the hill so far this year.

In 3,528 innings on the field, the Padres hold a defensive efficiency of 69.8% (18th in the majors). The San Diego Padres have turned 32 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .992 (1st in the majors). The Padres have 395 assists, 12 errors and have earned a total of 1,176 putouts for the season.

King (34-31 win-loss record in his career) has a 3.19 earned run average and has given up 7.5 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.14 and he has faced 2,274 opposing batters in his career. He has conceded a total of 193 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.185 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.1. In his pro baseball career, King has allowed 452 base knocks while tallying 609 K's in 545 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take San Diego (+120)

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