Giants vs Padres Odds, Picks, and Probable Pitchers (Sep. 22)

• The San Francisco Giants clash with the San Diego Padres on Wednesday (September 22nd, 10 pm ET)
• San Fran will give the ball to Scott Kazmir (0-1, 6.43 ERA), while San Diego will counter with Vince Velasquez (3-7, 6.09 ERA)
• Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

Remember Scott Kazmir? Prior to 2021, the multiple time 10-game winner was absent from the Major League scene for the past five seasons, but he’s now back in the big leagues with San Francisco. The 37-year-old was recalled from Triple-A to start Wednesday against San Diego, to help fill the void for a depleted Giants rotation.

San Fran finally got their no. 4 starter Alex Wood back last Saturday, but no. 5 Johnny Cueto is still on the injured list. The Giants enter play with a 1 game lead on the LA Dodgers for the NL West lead, and will be looking to hand the Padres their fifth straight loss.

Giants vs Padres Odds

Odds as of  September 22nd at DraftKings.

San Francisco and San Diego have identical -110 moneyline odds, in a game that features a total of 9.5. First pitch is scheduled for 10 pm ET at Petco Park, with clear skies and 70 degree temperatures in the forecast.

Probable Pitchers

Wednesday will mark Kazmir’s first MLB start since 2016. He spent a bit of time in the minors in 2017, but has been out of the game until this season. He signed a minor league contract with the Giants, and actually made three appearances early in the season before being sent down to Triple-A. In between starts with the Sacramento River Cats, he won a silver medal with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics, and is now set to pitch for a team fighting for the NL pennant.

Scott Kazmir starts tomorrow, followed by Webb and Wood. Cueto will make a rehab appearance this weekend. The Bullpen Game days are over, at least for now.

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) September 22, 2021

He wasn’t exactly lighting the Triple-A West Coast league on fire, posting a 4.87 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, but after wearing out his relievers in bullpen games earlier this month, manager Gabe Kapler is willing to give him a chance. Kapler and Kazmir were actually teammates in Tampa Bay in 2009, so perhaps that played a role in Kazmir’s promotion, because it certainly wasn’t his most recent big league performance.

Kazmir vs Velasquez

In 7 innings of relief this season, Kazmir has surrendered eight hits, five runs, and three homers, yielding a .679 slugging percentage, and a .980 OPS.

San Diego will counter with recently acquired Vince Velasquez, who’s struggled all season. The former Philadelphia Phillies starter coughed up four hits and four runs in his Padres debut last Friday, en route to an 8-2 defeat. The 29-year-old has allowed 15 runs in his past three starts overall, failing to make it past the 4th inning each time.

Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers

His 6.09 ERA is a career worst mark, as is his .688 opponent slugging percentage, and .938 opponent OPS. He’s made one start against the Giants this season, and like his recent outings he failed to make it to the 5th inning. Back on June 18th, he surrendered four hits and four runs, in a 5-3 loss at San Francisco.

Giants vs Padres Pick

Given the struggles of each starter this season, and in Kazmir’s case the sheer rust, it’s hard not to want to bet the over. San Fran has plated at least six runs in 12 of its past 15 outings, and have scored at least five times in seven of its past nine contests with San Diego. They lead the NL in home runs, slugging and OPS, while ranking second in runs per game.

The Padres meanwhile, are back at full strength now that 20-home run man Jake Cronenworth has returned to the lineup, and have scored five or more runs in four of their past six.

These two teams have produced double-digit run totals in five of their past six meetings, and this contest profiles as another high scoring affair.

Pick: Over 9.5 (+100)