- The Padres are playing the Milwaukee Brewers in a best-of-five playoff series. The first team to win three games moves on.
- Before the series, betting companies picked the Brewers. That made the Padres the underdog.
- For 10 years, the Padres have done their best when people didn’t expect much.
Here’s a question every Padres fan is asking this week: what are the odds?
The Padres are in the playoffs again. They’re playing the Milwaukee Brewers, and the first team to win three games moves on. Milwaukee took Game 1 by a score of 3 to 2. Every game after that is a brand-new chance.
Win or lose on any given night, one thing about this team stays the same. The Padres often play their best when people count them out.
Check the latest score on MLB.com.
What is an underdog?
An underdog is the team most people think will lose. The Brewers played so well this year that they got to skip the first round of the playoffs. Before this series started, betting companies said Milwaukee had a better chance to win. So the Padres went in as the underdog.
That is nothing new for San Diego.
Ten years of guesses
Every spring, betting companies guess who will win the World Series. They give each team “odds.” Odds are a way to say how likely something is to happen.
We looked at what those guesses said about the Padres for the last 10 years.
In 2017, the guess was about 1 in 500. That’s like reaching into a giant jar of 500 marbles and hoping to pull out the one gold marble.
The big surprise
Look at 2021 and 2023. Those were the years the experts liked the Padres the most. Both times, the Padres didn’t even make the playoffs.
Now look at 2022. Hardly anyone picked the Padres to go far. Then they beat the New York Mets. Then they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. They made it all the way to the round right before the World Series.
When people expected a lot, the Padres stumbled. When people expected a little, they surprised everyone.
The Padres have made the playoffs five times since 2020. This year is the first time ever they have made it three years in a row. The team has played in two World Series, in 1984 and 1998. San Diego is still waiting for its first championship.
So, what are the odds?
Nobody really knows. That’s the fun part. Odds are just a guess, and baseball loves to prove guesses wrong.
The Padres have been picked to lose before. Sometimes they lost. Sometimes they shocked everybody. Either way, San Diego will be watching every pitch.
- Series
- NL Division Series, Padres vs. Milwaukee Brewers, best of five
- Game 1
- Saturday, Oct. 3, in Milwaukee: Brewers 3, Padres 2
- Game 2
- Sunday, Oct. 4, 1 p.m. Pacific, in Milwaukee
- Game 3
- Tuesday, Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m. Pacific, at Petco Park
- Game 4 (if needed)
- Wednesday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. Pacific, at Petco Park
- Game 5 (if needed)
- Friday, Oct. 9, 1:30 p.m. Pacific, in Milwaukee
- Latest scores and tickets
- mlb.com/padres
Editorial note: Odds referenced in this story are provided solely as context for public expectations surrounding the games. TrulySD does not offer or facilitate sports wagering. For gambling support, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Quick answers
Have the Padres ever won the World Series?
Not yet. The Padres have played in two World Series, in 1984 and 1998, and San Diego is still waiting for its first championship.
How many times have the Padres made the playoffs recently?
The Padres have made the playoffs five times since 2020, and 2026 is the first time the team has made it three years in a row.
What does it mean to be an underdog in sports?
An underdog is the team most people expect to lose. Before their 2026 playoff series, betting companies picked the Milwaukee Brewers, which made the Padres the underdog.
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