The opening days of the 2026 MLB season have been an absolute blast to watch, and as we roll into the second week of action on the diamond, there are plenty of games for fans and bettors alike to choose from.
Last night, the San Francisco Giants (1-3) finally got that elusive first win of the season. It was all that much sweeter as it came against an NL West rival, and on the road at that. The San Diego Padres (1-3) look to defend their home field tonight and seek a different outcome in the late slate in this West Coast showdown.
We’re California dreaming on Tuesday! Here’s a betting prediction and pick for tonight’s Giants vs. Padres matchup courtesy of MLB odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Giants vs. Padres prediction, preview
We’re pleased to report that after last night, the Giants have finally scored multiple runs in 2026! Yes, it took them three games to score even once and four games to put multiple on the scoreboard, but it’s progress, right? They took a 3-2 win over the Padres to kick off this series on Monday and also hit their first home run of the year, courtesy of offseason acquisition Harrison Bader. Not to rain on the parade, but they’re still dead last in OPS at .441 with the MLB’s worst average at .154. However, that doesn’t mean the season is over by any means, especially since there’s plenty of talent in this lineup. No batter has more than three hits yet, but it’s just a matter of time before those batting averages begin to tick upwards. The arms have looked decent at a macro level thus far, logging a 3.50 ERA and excellent 1.08 WHIP, also recording the seventh-best K% at 27.8%. If they can keep this early success up, the wins will follow.
As mentioned in the article I did over yesterday’s series opener, the story is quite similar for the Padres. They’ve dropped three of their first four contests and haven’t mustered much more in the scoring department than their divisional counterparts, tallying just nine runs to the Giants’ eight so far. Their bats are almost-equally cold, slashing .181/.252/.260 to start things out for a .512 OPS. A lack of power is an early issue once again as one of five teams with a sub-.100 ISO, though it is too soon to make any sweeping conclusions. Ramon Laureano leads the team with five hits and a 1.043 OPS, but Manny Machado has been quiet, as have a couple of other key contributors. The Padres’ staff brings a 3.75 ERA so far and a 1.25 WHIP, so the pitching has been productive for the most part. Plus, a .198 AVG allowed to opponents is the fifth best of any team; they’re just allowing a few too many walks right now.
Tonight’s starter for the Giants is ace Logan Webb, an All-Star right-hander. He amassed a 3.22 ERA and 1.24 WHIP last season with 224 punchouts across 207 innings, working as one of the MLB’s elite ground ball pitchers. His first outing of 2026 wasn’t a great one with six earned runs, nine hits and seven strikeouts in five innings, but he’s still ever bit as talented as ever.
German Marquez takes the mound for the Padres in this one. His 2025 campaign was quite unkind to him with a 6.70 ERA and 1.71 WHIP, and the righty’s Spring Training was equally rough with a 7.16 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 16.1 innings. Admittedly, his first start of the new season bodes well for San Francisco.
Giants vs. Padres pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Giants as -136 Moneyline favorites on the road tonight. The Padres are listed at +113 odds to win outright with the run total set at a combined eight.
Best Bet: SF Giants Moneyline (-136)
Remember how I said the Giants’ bats were bound to start making contact at some point? Now’s the perfect get-right spot against Marquez, who had a brutal 2025 and didn’t look much better during the spring schedule. It’s possible his better days are behind him, if not outright likely. After logging a ninth-percentile barrel rate last year with grades in the 10th percentile or lower in xERA, xBA, average exit velocity, hard-hit rate and more, I think San Francisco takes advantage of this matchup to shake off the sluggish start.
Strong Lean: Matt Chapman 2+ hits (+268)
Chapman is hitting only .154 to start the season with a 2-for-13 line, but he’s seen great success in his career against Marquez. He’s a combined 6-for-15 against him with a .400 AVG and three homers, so I like getting multiple hits for him tonight or a home run at +269. Simply take your pick between those, but he’s positioned for a nice outing.
