The MLB betting action goes on Thursday, April 14, 2022, with the National League battle at Petco Park in San Diego, so we are bringing the best Braves vs. Padres betting pick along with the latest odds update on Bookmaker Sportsbook.  

Atlanta and San Diego start their seven-game regular-season series with a four-game set in California. The reigning champs open as slight road favorites to take the first blood, while the totals sit at 8.0 runs. The Braves have won six of their previous seven tilts against the Padres.

The Braves’ shaky form continues                      

The Atlanta Braves just lost a three-game home series against the Washington Nationals, 2-1, and fell to 3-4 on the young season. Max Fried, who was the Braves’ top ace in 2021, yielded a couple of earned runs to the Nats on Wednesday afternoon, recording his second loss in 2022.

The Braves had a paltry three hits only one day after dropping a whopping 16 runs on the Nats. Back on Monday, the Braves suffered a heavy 11-2 defeat to Washington, as Huascar Ynoa allowed five earned runs across three innings of work.

Charlie Morton will get the nod Thursday, and the 38-year-old righty emerged victorious in his season debut. The Braves outlasted Cincinnati 7-6 at home, while Morton surrendered two earned runs on a pair of hits and a walk in 5.1 frames of work. Charlie is 6-1 with a shiny 2.09 ERA in nine career starts against San Diego, but he hasn’t met the Padres since 2018.

The Padres open a ten-game homestand           

The San Diego Padres are coming off a three-game road series against San Francisco. After splitting the first two contests, the Padres and Giants were deciding a winner in Wednesday’s closer that’s been excluded from the analysis.

San Diego put an end to its four-game winning streak last Tuesday. The Padres suffered a heavy 13-2 defeat at Oracle Park in San Francisco, as Yu Darvish had a proper meltdown on the mound. The 35-year-old righty didn’t get out of the second inning, allowing nine earned runs on eight hits and a couple of walks.

Joe Musgrove will get the starting call Thursday, his second of the season. Last Saturday, Musgrove fanned eight across six innings and yielded a couple of earned runs on five hits in the Padres’ 5-2 victory at Arizona. The 29-year-old right-hander met the Braves once in 2021 and got a no-decision after tossing five frames of a three-run ball.

Trends:

Atlanta:

  • 11-5 in the last 16 games on the road
  • 6-0 in the last six road games against San Diego    

San Diego:

  • 3-11 in the last 14 games against Atlanta
  • 5-13 in the last 18 games at home

Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres Pick

We should see a tight battle in the opening game of this series. Both teams have been pretty unpredictable thus far, so it’s tough to take the side bet. The current Braves are slashing .297/.384/.498 in 60 at-bats against Joe Musgrove. On the other side, the current Padres have a .269/.363/.497 triple-slash in 46 at-bats against Charlie Morton.

I lean the Braves because of their bullpen. Atlanta’s relievers have a 4.91 ERA, but their 3.05 FIP is encouraging. The Padres’ bullpen, on the other side, owns an awful 5.40 ERA and 5.79 FIP.

Pick: Take Atlanta Braves at -115                 

The Total:

Five of the last seven meetings between the Braves and Padres at Petco Park have produced eight or fewer runs in the total. The line is a tricky one this time around, but if Charlie Morton and Joe Musgrove put on a solid performance, we shouldn’t see a high-scoring affair.

On the other hand, both teams possess plenty of dangerous bats. It’s still early in the season, and the Braves and Padres could easily get things going at the plate.

Pick: Go over 8.0 runs at -110