The San Francisco Giants meet the San Diego Padres for a three-game series at Petco Park in San Diego, so we’ve prepared the best betting pick and tips for the opening clash of this NL West showdown set for Tuesday, September 21, 2021, with the first pitch at 4:10 PM ET.

San Francisco is 7-6 against San Diego in 2020. Last week, these two foes split a four-game set at Oracle Park in San Francisco, as the Padres outlasted the Giants in the last two contests, 9-6 and 7-4. According to MyBookie Sportsbook, the hosts are slight favorites for Tuesday’s opener. 

The Giants are topping the NL West            

The San Francisco Giants fell to 97-53 on the season following a 3-0 defeat to Atlanta this past Sunday, missing a chance to sweep the Braves in a three-game home series. It was their third defeat in the last five games overall, but the Giants have been terrific over the past few weeks, winning 13 of their previous 17 games at any location.

Over their last 13 contests, the Giants have scored 89 runs on an excellent .290/.384/.543 slash line, smacking 25 home runs and 34 extra-base hits in the process. On the other side of the ball, they’ve compiled a 3.33 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and a .253 batting average against.

Kevin Gausman will get the nod Tuesday, looking to get back on the right track. He’s been terrific for most of the season, going 14-6 with a 2.78 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 30 starts, but over his previous three starts and 18 innings of work, the 30-year-old has surrendered 10 earned runs on 21 hits and a couple of walks.

Last time out, Gausman took a loss in a 7-4 defeat to San Diego, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and a walk through five frames. He’s 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in four starts against the Padres in 2021 (24 innings pitched).

The Padres desperately need a win

The San Diego Padres lost at St. Louis 8-7 last Sunday and got swept by the Cardinals in a three-game series at Busch Stadium. It was their eighth defeat in the last ten games overall, so the 76-73 Padres trailed the bottom wild card in the National League by three and a half games.

San Diego has fallen apart on both sides of the ball lately. In the past two weeks, the Padres have recorded the third-highest ERA in the majors (6.03) to go with a 1.30 WHIP and a .245 batting average against. They’ve posted an underwhelming .231/.287/.326 batting line as well.

Joe Musgrove will take the hill Tuesday, and he’s 11-9 with a 2.99 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 28 starts and one relief appearance in 2021. The 28-year-old righty has registered a 4.15 ERA through his three starts in September, allowing a .871 OPS and .261 BABIP to his opponents.

Musgrove met the Padres last week and took a win in a 9-6 road victory, yielding three earned runs on five hits and three walks across six frames of work. He’s now 1-2 with a poor 6.75 ERA in three starts against San Diego in 2021.

Trends:

San Francisco:

  • 13-4 in the last 17 games overall 
  • 6-0 in the last six games on the road

San Diego:

  • 2-8 in the last ten games overall
  • 4-8 in the last 12 games at home

San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres Pick

Frankly, this game could easily go either way. Both teams are in a must-win situation, as the Padres chase the wild card, while the Giants are only one game ahead of the LA Dodgers in the race for the NL West title.

The Giants’ offense could make the difference, though you never know with this San Diego team. The Padres have struggled mightily at the dish lately, but they arguably have a ton of dangerous bats on their lineup.

Pick: Take San Francisco Giants

The Total:

The Padres desperately need a strong performance from Joe Musgrove, as their bullpen has registered a terrible 5.98 ERA and 5.74 FIP in the last two weeks of action. However, the Giants have owned Musgrove so far this term, so I’m backing the over on the totals.

The Giants bullpen has been doing a good job all season, and in the past two weeks, it has recorded a 2.92 ERA and 4.06 FIP. Still, Gausman hasn’t been at his best recently, and the Padres just have to score some runs if they want to come out on top. 

Pick: Go over