They broke the bank to bolster their starting rotation – but that hasn’t saved the San Diego Padres from going through some adversity in the early stages of the season as they kick off a three-game series with visiting Pittsburgh on Monday. The Padres (16-13 SU, 12-17 O/U) will send reliever Miguel Diaz to the hill in what will likely be a bullpen game vs the Pirates (12-15 SU, 12-14-1 O/U).
- Date/Time: May 3, 10:10 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Petco Park
- TV Coverage: ATTSN, BSSD
- Sportsbook Odds: Padres -189 | O/U 9.5 (Line History)
- Pirates vs Padres Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Padres opened in the -190 range for Monday’s series opener but have since settled into the -175 range at the majority of sportsbooks. The total has shrunk slightly from 9.5 to 9.
Starting Pitchers Analysis
Pirates left-hander Tyler Anderson (2-2, 3.38 ERA) has righted the ship after a pair of subpar outings against the Chicago Cubs to open his season. Anderson has allowed four runs in 16.1 innings over his past three starts (all Pittsburgh victories) and has surrendered just 10 hits in that span. That includes throwing 5.1 innings of one-run ball vs the Padres back on April 14.
Padres counterpart Miguel Diaz (0-0, 7.11 ERA) will get the start Monday, but don’t expect him to stick around long. He has been stretched out as long as four innings at the team’s alternate training site and is pressed into action as the Padres continue to deal with the absences of starters Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack. Diaz hasn’t faced the Pirates this season.
Pittsburgh News & Notes
Things are looking bleak in the Steel City, and a scuffling offense is the primary cause. Pittsburgh heads to the West Coast following a three-game sweep at home to St. Louis in which it scored just eight runs.
The team ranks 27th in the majors in overall offense (102 runs) and 29th in slugging percentage (.353). Pittsburgh has a paltry 20 home runs through its Sportsbook 27 games.
San Diego News & Notes
The Padres have fared well despite the uncertainty in their rotation, which was strengthened with the offseason acquisitions of Blake Snell, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove.
San Diego boasts an MLB-leading 2.91 ERA and .202 opponent batting average while also ranking third in WHIP (1.09). The Friars will look to rebound after settling for a split of a four-game series in Pittsburgh in mid-April.
Betting Pick: UNDER 9 (-110)
Neither team is doing all that much at the plate right now, and with Anderson throwing well and the Padres bullpen the best in the majors, we could see scoring at a premium here.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- The Pirates are 8-2 SU in the last 10 head-to-head meetings.
- The OVER is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in San Diego.
- The OVER is 6-2 in the Padres’ last 8 games.
