The NL West takes center stage this afternoon when the Padres visit the Giants. San Diego (68-52) is tied for first place with the Dodgers, making every game down the stretch crucial. San Francisco (59-61) has dropped off mightily over the past few months. Still, nothing brings out the best in a team like a rivalry matchup. Which of these two California clubs has the edge in this one? Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Wednesday’s showdown between the Padres and the Giants.
The Padres are favorites (-156) over the Giants, with the over/under set at eight runs. Let’s break down which side has the edge on DraftKings Sportsbook entering tonight’s contest.
Padres vs. Giants prediction, preview
San Diego’s chances at capturing a World Series title improved dramatically at the trade deadline. General manager A.J. Preller acquired a slew of high-end talent, including closer Mason Miller and hitters Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano. Unsurprisingly, the Padres have won 12 of their last 15 games. Tonight, the Friars will hand the ball to one of baseball’s most underrated starters, Nick Pivetta. Over 134.2 innings pitched, the right-hander has notched a 2.94 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 139 strikeouts. Pivetta has surrendered more than three runs in just five of his 23 starts this season.
Those numbers are bad news for any team, let alone one of the league’s worst offenses. The Giants are only averaging 4.08 runs per game, the seventh-lowest mark in baseball. Granted, San Francisco did score five runs against Pivetta when these clubs met on June 4th. Still, this is not a very intimidating lineup. Since July 1st, the Giants have recorded the league’s fourth-lowest runs per game (3.97).
If San Francisco is going to earn a victory, it’ll likely require a solid performance on the mound. That’s not an easy proposition for today’s starter, Kai-Wei Teng. The Taiwanese hurler is making just his third appearance in the majors this season. In his two previous outings, he’s surrendered five runs over 8.1 innings (5.40 ERA). However, he did toss five scoreless innings last week against the Nationals. His opponents on Wednesday, the Padres, aren’t an offensive juggernaut, either. San Diego is averaging 4.15 runs per game, the league’s eighth-lowest mark.
Padres vs. Giants pick, best bet
Best Bet: Padres vs. Giants under eight total runs (-115)
Teng’s lack of big league experience isn’t something to ignore. However, this Padres offense is flawed, even after their deadline additions. On the other side, Pivetta remains one of the National League’s top pitchers. Even if one of tonight’s starters struggles, it’s difficult to envision both getting shelled. Expect a low-scoring affair in San Francisco.
