Padres vs D’backs Betting Should Be On Arizona!
NL West Rivals Square Off for Three-Game Weekend Series
The San Diego Padres try to climb a little higher in the NL West standings when they visit the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday night.
San Diego comes into the game on a two-game winning streak, taking the last two games of a home series against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Padres (16-18) enter this series in second place in the NL West, well behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers.
Arizona (14-18) is just a game behind San Diego in the division standings, though the San Francisco Giants are between the two baseball teams. The Diamondbacks are searching for some consistency, having alternated betweens wins and losses over their last five contests.
Things should be tight this weekend based on the MLB odds set for the opener. Both teams are listed at -105 on the moneyline. The over/under for Friday’s contest is set at 8.5 runs, with the over getting -115 and the under -105.
This series starts with a 9:40 p.m. ET contest on Friday, followed by Saturday’s contest at 8:10 p.m. ET. Sunday’s series finale is set for a 4:10 p.m. ET first pitch.
Game 1
Padres vs D’backs 
Day/Time:
Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona
Pitching Matchups
Game 1
- Dylan Cease (San Diego) vs Slade Cecconi (Arizona)
The Padres will send right-hander Dylan Cease to the mound for the series opener, as he makes his seventh start of the season. Cease comes in with a 3-2 record and 2.78 ERA, striking out 40 in 35.2 innings of work.
He’s coming off a rough start against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, lasting six innings but allowing five runs on six hits while striking out five and walking three.
The Diamondbacks will counter with righty Slade Cecconi making his third start of the season. The 24-year-old is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA and has been solid in both of his starts.
His last outing was a six-inning stint against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday in which he allowed one run on three hits while striking out eight.
Game 2
- Michael King (San Diego) vs Brandon Pfaadt (Arizona)
Saturday’s matchup will see right-hander Michael King on the mound for the Padres, bringing a 2-3 record and 5.00 ERA.
King has struck out 40 in 36 innings of work, including at least five in each of his last three starts. King is coming off a difficult start against the Phillies on Sunday, allowing six runs on six hits, including three home runs, over 5.1 innings.
This game could be one of the higher-scoring baseball results of the day, as the Diamondbacks will go with right-hander Brandon Pfaadt for the start. Pfaadt is 1-1 with a 4.63 ERA and allowed at least two runs in each of his five starts in April.
He did go six innings against the Mariners on Sunday, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out 11 in taking a no-decision.
Game 3
- Matt Waldron (San Diego) vs Undecided (Arizona)
Right-hander Matt Waldron will get the start for the Padres in the MLB season finale on Sunday. Waldron is 1-3 with a 4.35 ERA in six starts, striking out 27 in 31 innings.
He took the loss on Monday against the Cincinnati Reds, allowing four runs and six hits over six innings of work.
It will likely be a bullpen game for the Arizona pitching staff for the last game of this series, making things interesting for your MLB predictions for today.
This spot in the rotation was handled by relievers on Tuesday in the infamous bee game against the Dodgers. Seven pitchers combined to hold Los Angeles to five hits and three runs in a 10-inning victory.
Potential High-Scoring Series
The NL West is the most offensive division in baseball currently, with the top three scoring teams in baseball coming from the set of five franchises.
Los Angeles is on top, but San Diego (163) and Arizona (162) are right behind in runs scored, ranking second and third, respectively. Any MLB free picks for this series should include a bet on the over, as these teams can light up the scoreboard.
The Padres would like to see outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. get heated up at the plate. Tatis leads the team with six home runs but is batting just .233. First baseman Jake Cronenworth is pacing San Diego with 24 RBI, batting .265 with seven doubles, a triple, five home runs and 17 runs scored.
Arizona’s offense is powered by first baseman Christian Walker, who has team highs with seven home runs and 22 RBI. Walker, who hit two home runs in the 10-inning win over the Dodgers earlier this week, is batting .276 with three doubles and 24 runs scored.
Diamondbacks Win Series At Home
The Padres are the team coming into this series with a winning streak, but those two victories came after five straight losses. San Diego just hasn’t shown consistency at the plate this season, and that will end up hurting it in this series.
Arizona is 8-8 at home this season, but it will finish this series above .500 at Chase Field. Your Padres vs D’Backs betting should be on the home team in each game of this series, and the over is a play you should be making as well.
For MLB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
