Two teams racing backward in the NL West will be front and center during the nightcap of the MLB scheduled slate as the San Francisco Giants battle it with the San Diego Padres on the diamond. Join us for another edition of our MLB odds series, as our Giants-Padres prediction and pick will be selected.

 

Now only two games above .500 at 41-39, the Giants must dig themselves out of a hole in order to feel comfortable in clinching a playoff spot a few months from now. In line for the start against the Padres will be RHP Logan Webb who has achieved a 7-3 record with a dazzling 3.13 in 16 regular season starts.

Meanwhile, San Diego has also showcased a recent bout of the scuffles as the Friars have been defeated in nine of twelve games including back-to-back losses at the hands of the Mariners at home. In an attempt to get back in the win column more frequently and stop the bleeding, San Diego will send out one of the best pitchers in the game this season in RHP Joe Musgrove. Musgrove is 8-2 with a 2.25 on the year.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Giants-Padres MLB odds.

MLB Odds: Giants-Padres Odds

San Francisco Giants: +1.5 (-188)

San Diego Padres: -1.5 (+155)

Over: 6.5 (-124)

Under: 6.5 (+102)

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Why Giants Could Cover the Spread

After a dreadful six-game skid that now has put the Giants 10.5 games back of the Dodgers for first place, San Francisco was finally able to get the monkey off their backs by defeating the D-Backs in the series finale 7-5. For the most part, it has been a rather successful start to the season for the Giants up until the losing stretch, as San Fran compiled a record of 37-27 as recent as June 18th. With so much season left to play, there is still time for the Giants to get things turned around.

In their past four games, Giants' pitching has given up a whopping 32 runs. San Francisco's team ERA is at 4.08 and has limped their way to only 25 quality starts from starters. While these are far from awful numbers, room for improvement is quite clear. Luckily, the Giants have a slight advantage against a streaky and recently cold-hitting bunch in the Padres. Also, Logan Webb should be a tough egg to crack if you're a Padres hitter. Webb is 2-2 in his last four starts with 27 strikeouts and a shiny 1.38 ERA.

The Giants have had to get more production from the offense over the past couple of weeks, and they have certainly delivered when called upon. During San Francisco's clutch come-from-behind win on the road in Arizona, the Giants overcame a 4-0 deficit by scoring five runs in the final two frames that ultimately gave them the dub. Timely hits and gritty at-bats will be a priority against a pitcher like Musgrove.

Why Padres Could Cover the Spread

It seemed like yesterday that the Padres were challenging the Dodgers for first place in trailing by only a couple of games, but they have lost considerable ground in the race thanks to some poor play of late. Despite this, the Padres have had a little more breathing room if mistakes were to occur, as they still sit at 47-36 and in firm control of second place in the National League West.

Scoring four or more runs in a game only twice in their last twelve matchups, this usually lethal Padres lineup has an explosive jolt of energy when stepping into the batter's box. Even in the midst of the hitting funk, the Padres have still managed to score the twelfth most runs in the league with 369 total. Leaving men 0n-base has been a way too common theme as well of late. San Diego has proven they can be patient at the plate and even take a walk if needed with their .316 on-base percentage in 2022.

No surprise here, but the best chance to cover the spread for the Padres in this critical game will fall upon the shoulders of Joe Musgrove. In his last start against the Giants coming back on May 21st, Musgrove tossed seven scoreless innings as he silenced the San Francisco bats all night long. Even after the dominant start against the Giants a couple of months ago, Musgrove is only 3-3 lifetime with a 4.23 ERA. Musgrove has also been shelled for 11 runs in his past three starts, but his strikeout rate still remains high in those appearances. Against the Los Angeles on June 30th, the 29-year-old righty set down 1o Dodgers on strikes.

Final Giants-Padres Prediction & Pick

Whenever these two sides gear up for battle, you can expect that an entertaining product will always prevail. Expect this one to be a low-scoring affair that may come down to which pitcher will make the first mistake. It will be difficult for the Padres to jump out to a multiple-run lead, as covering a -1.5 spread will be a difficult task versus a hurler like Webb who has historically pitched well against San Diego. Hammer the Giants to cover tonight in southern California.

Final Giants-Padres Prediction & Pick: Giants +1.5 (-188)