The MLB schedule features an NL West battle as the Arizona Diamondbacks (61-60) take on the San Diego Padres (58-63).
As it stands right now, if the season ended today, both of these teams would be on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. Still in striking distance, both teams need every win they can get as the season starts to wind down.
As you consider your MLB picks, read ahead to get a breakdown of this matchup and the Diamondbacks vs Padres best bets.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres Odds
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres Information
Arizona Diamondbacks vs San Diego Padres
Location of the game: Petco Park, San Diego, CA.
Date & Time: Thursday, August 17. 9:40 pm ET.
How to watch: MLB.TV
Recent Scores
The Arizona Diamondbacks have struggled as of late, losing six of their last ten. Still, they have performed admirably on the road this year with a 31-29 record.
To start the week, Arizona was able to win their series over the Rockies, taking two of three. In Wednesday’s finale, they won 9-7 at Coors Field.
The Arizona Diamondbacks odds of winning the division are not particularly good at this point. At 61-60, they sit in third in the NL West, 12.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Padres’ Winning Streak
The San Diego Padres schedule shows that they are just 3-7 in their last 10 games. They are 32-29 when playing at Petco Park this year.
Despite their poor play lately, they are coming off of a series win over the Baltimore Orioles, who own the best record in the American League. They took back-to-back games to win the series, including a 5-2 win over the Orioles on Wednesday.
In terms of MLB standings, the Padres sit in fourth in the NL West. They trail Los Angeles by 16 games. They sit 4.5 games back in the Wild Card standings.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres Analysis
Looking to take the opener of this four-game series, the Diamondbacks will send 28-year-old righty Zac Gallen to the mound Wednesday.
Evaluating his MLB player stats, Gallen is an impressive 12-5 in 25 MLB games with a 3.24 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and he has 165 strikeouts in 155.2 innings. In his last start, Gallen picked up a win over the Padres after throwing six shutout innings.
Arizona currently ranks 12th out of all MLB teams in scoring, averaging 4.68 runs per game(5.03 on the road). Christian Walker (28 HR, 82 RBI) and Corbin Carroll (21 HR, 59 RBI, 84 R, 37 SB) have been the Diamondbacks’ best hitters.
Padres’ Starting Lineup Holds the Key
When considering your San Diego Padres picks, it is important to know who the starter will be. The Padres will turn to 43-year-old southpaw Rich Hill in this one. In 24 games, he is 7-12 with a 5.17 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and he has 112 strikeouts in 125.1 innings.
Hill has lost back-to-back outings, giving up nine runs in a combined 6.1 innings of work.
The MLB team stats have the Padres ranked 14th in scoring, averaging 4.59 runs per game (4.31 at home). Juan Soto (24 HR, 75 RBI, 68 R), Manny Machado (21 HR, 70 RBI, 59 R), and Fernando Tatis Jr (19 HR, 63 RBI, 68 R, 20 SB) lead the way offensively for San Diego.
Odds Breakdown
Before determining the Diamondbacks vs Padres best bets, it is important to look at the MLB odds for this game.
Arizona Comes In As Road Favorites
Despite playing on the road, the Diamondbacks are the favorites in this one. They are -118 to win on the moneyline. The spread features them at -1.5, with odds of +145.
Padres Trying To Win As Underdogs
The Padres will look for the upset Thursday playing at home. They are +108 to win, and their spread sits at +1.5, with odds of -165.
The over/under for total runs sits at 8.5. The over has odds of -105, while the under 8.5 runs has odds of -115.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres Betting Pick and Prediction
- For our Diamondbacks vs Padres best bets, we will be taking Arizona to win this one straight up on the road (-118).
While the Padres have the talent to be dangerous, they have had a tough time overcoming Rich Hill’s poor performances as of late.
Between the Pirates and the Padres, Hill has performed better on the road this season (3-6, 4.89 ERA) than at home (4-6, 5.33 ERA). Expect those woes to continue Thursday facing a hungry Diamondbacks team.
Even though the Diamondbacks still hold the edge, Zac Gallen hasn’t exactly been dominant on the road this season. He is 10-1 with a 1.82 ERA at home, but he is just 2-4 with a 4.72 ERA on the road.
For that reason, expect a decent amount of runs to be put up Thursday, making the over 8.5 runs (-105) a strong bet.
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