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Diamondbacks vs Padres: MLB Opening Day Free Pick

Padres Open Against Diamondbacks in NL West Face-Off

This year the San Diego Padres will be playing the Arizona Diamondbacks to kick off their 2020 campaigns. Neither team is looking particularly dominant but these are also two clubs with a lot of depth. It will be interesting to see how this unique 2020 season will play out for these two middle ground teams.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are rebuilding their squad this year. Sports Illustrated recently compared them to the Brewers this year as a team that is trying to build from the ground up without completely losing their competitive edge. Not an easy task trying to balance high salaries of aging veterans and enticing young, promising players.

Madison Bumgarner
Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP

On the San Diego Padres end, things are looking up as well. Fans are in for a treat this year as they will cheer on a team with a new uniform, new manager as well as new players and coaches. Following a disappointing 2019 season in which they only managed 70 wins, it’s obvious that all these changes are meant to breathe new life into this squad

Diamondbacks Will Look to Capitalize on Offense

Leading the squad this year at the plate will be switch-hitting power duo Ketel Marté and Eduardo Escobar. Even if they don’t have the same stellar season as last year they are still looking to be some of the best hitters in the league.

Perhaps the most exciting news this year for the Diamondbacks is the addition of SP Madison Bumgarner. Also known as “MadBum”, he will be bringing the heat at the mound this year. Previously a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants since 2009, this club will be looking to put his experience as a three-time World Series champion to use.

This offseason the Diamondbacks also traded for OF Starling Marté and OF Kole Calhoun in an effort to continue to bolster the team’s prospects. Marté will return to second base, a position he is clearly comfortable in.

All these new additions will be unlikely to beat out an impressive-looking Dodgers team for first in their division. It does put them in the mix for a wild-card berth into the playoffs this year though.

Padres Unveil New Look and New Lineup

During the last two years, the Padres have made some of the biggest moves in the league with the acquisition of FB Eric Hosmer for $144 million two winters ago and then signing TB Manny Machado for a jaw-dropping $300 million. Although this hasn’t produced big results yet, Padres fans continue to have high hopes as the team continues to build a formidable squad.

Another important change will be the addition of a new team manager in Jayce Tingler. At only 39 years old he is a relatively young manager and this will be a rookie season for him in that role.

With a dismal streak of not making the playoffs (a whole decade), the Padres will be looking to change that this season. After a last-place finish in 2019, it’s doubtful if this year is going to be their year, but with such an untraditional season looming ahead it feels as if almost anything is possible.

At a minimum, they will be looking to improve on their losing records and give Padres fans something to look forward to in the coming years. Considering the depth of their squad this year it feels like they are headed in the right direction.

Let’s take a look at how their matchup against the Diamondbacks is looking on our MLB odds page in our sportsbook. For those of you who are new to MLB betting, be sure to check out our MLB betting guide page.

Diamondbacks vs. Padres 2019 Season Matchups

Last season the Diamondbacks and Padres faced off a total of 19 times during the regular season. The Diamondbacks were clearly the better team with a record of 11-8 against the Padres, a 57.9% win ratio.

Although the Diamondbacks were consistently a better team, the way in which they won the games was all over the place. A lot of the games were fairly close, but a handful were complete blowouts.

In terms of historical analysis, it would appear that betting on a run line for this match could prove to be a bit risky. Let’s take a look below at how we are calling this one.

BetUS Free MLB Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks (+116) Moneyline

The odds for such a strong looking team as the Diamondbacks seem too good to resist. That’s a nice payout considering how well they matched up against the Padres last year. With MadBum at the mound, this is looking like a smart choice.

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