The 2022 MLB season goes on Friday, June 10, with a 15-game card, including the NL West showdown at Petco Park in San Diego, so we have prepared the best Rockies vs. Padres betting pick and odds. 

Colorado and San Diego start a four-game series in California. They meet for the first time in 2022, and the Padres are heavy -245 moneyline favorites for Friday’s opener. Colorado is a +220 road underdog, while the totals are listed at 7.0 runs on BetOnline Sportsbook.  

The Rockies own the worst record in the NL West                                

At the time of writing, the 24-32 Colorado Rockies played the San Francisco Giants, trying the clinch a three-game series at Oracle Park in San Francisco. They beat the Jints 5-3 this past Tuesday and suffered a tough 2-1 defeat in ten innings on Wednesday night. 

Colorado has won only four of its previous 14 games overall. The Rockies haven’t recorded two straight victories since May 5 which tells a lot about their form. Colorado was sitting bottom of the NL West on Thursday, a couple of games off the No. 4 Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Chad Kuhl will take the hill Friday, and the 29-year-old righty has been a bright spot in the Rockies’ rotation this season. Kuhl had a couple of rough outings in May, but he holds a solid 3.17 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts in ten starts (54 innings) in 2022. Last Friday, Kuhl fired six scoreless frames in a no-decision against the Atlanta Braves, but the Rockies eventually lost 3-1 in ten innings. 

The Padres aim for their third straight win                                 

The San Diego Padres improved to 35-22 on the season following Wednesday’s 13-2 dismantling of the mighty New York Mets. They clinched a three-game series at Petco Park after finishing the previous week with a 3-1 series victory on the road over the slumping Milwaukee Brewers. 

The Pads opened the Mets series with an 11-5 defeat this past Monday. They blanked New York 7-0 in the middle clash behind Yu Darvish’s seven scoreless innings of a two-hit ball, while Sean Manaea yielded a couple of runs (one earned) across seven frames of work in Wednesday’s closer. 

Over their previous six contests, the Padres have recorded a pristine 2.29 ERA and .193 batting average against. Joe Musgrove will get the nod Friday, and the 29-year-old righty holds a shiny 6-0 record, 1.64 ERA, 2.76 FIP, and 64/14 K/BB ratio across 66 innings (ten starts) this season. Last Friday, Musgrove surrendered one hit and issued three walks through eight shutout innings in a 7-0 thrashing of the Brewers. 

Trends:

Colorado: 

  • 4-10 in the last 14 games overall  
  • 1-5 in Chad Kuhl’s last six starts  

San Diego:

  • 5-1 in the last six games overall  
  • 9-1 in Joe Musgrove’s ten starts in 2022 

Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres Pick 

Chad Kuhl has gone 1-0 over his previous three starts (16.2 frames), allowing only three earned runs on 17 hits and seven walks in the process (1.62 ERA, 3.86). I’m expecting him to slow down a bit in this matchup with the Padres. The current San Diego lineup is slashing .363/.452/.929 with six RBIs in 24 plate appearances versus Kuhl. 

On the other side, the current Rockies are 16-for-66 with two home runs and 5 RBIs against Joe Musgrove, who’s allowed one earned run over his previous three starts (21 innings). Musgrove will have a bad day at some point, but I’m rolling with him anyway. 

Pick: Take San Diego Padres -1.5 at -110                              

The Total:

Over the last ten days, neither bullpen has impressed. The Padres have recorded a couple of losses to go with a 4.82 ERA, 4.36 FIP, and .333 BABIP across 28 innings, while the Rockies have posted a 1-3 record, 4.63 ERA, 3.77 FIP, and .306 BABIP through 35 frames. 

Even if Kuhl and Musgrove continue to pitch well, one of the bullpens could easily struggle. I lean toward the over because of a seven-run line, but San Diego to win remains my best Rockies vs. Padres betting pick. 

Pick: Go over 7.0 runs at -115