Free Picks: Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres

Patrick Trudeau
By: Patrick Trudeau
07/28/2021
MLB Free Picks – Best Bets of the Week
Athletics vs Padres Week 18
Oakland Athletics vs. San Diego Padres, MLB, Petco Park

Both Oakland and San Diego are the talk of baseball entering Wednesday. The Padres are fighting for a potential playoff berth in the NL West, while the A’s are looking for a playoff ticket through the AL West. Wednesday night, Blake Snell (4-3, 4.93 ERA) starts for the hometown Padres, while the visiting Athletics sending LHP Sean Manaea (7-6, 3.16 ERA) to the mound.

Can the A's flex their muscles against San Diego?

Other than being on the west coast, the Padres and Athletics have another common trait.  

Both teams are trying to make the postseason through the Wild Card. The A’s and Padres are only a handful of games back of their respective divisions, but their current best bet of making the postseason would be a Wild Card berth.  

San Diego is grinding away, while Oakland is fighting off other teams from rival divisions. Overall, it’s an exciting (and nerve-wracking) time for A’s and Padres fans.  

For this free MLB pick, I think it’s only right to focus on the Moneyline. I see solid return in betting on the favorite, which is why I want to look at San Diego for this game.  

Moneyline bets aren’t always sexy because the return might not as enticing for potential return. But if that’s the best bet you can make for a game, then you need to hammer it! 

San Diego is a menace at home. With a record of 33-19, the Padres do damage in front of their hometown fans. 

Blake Snell is the protected starter for San Diego and has been tossing over his last 3 starts. The LHP has tallied 14 innings, allowing just 5 earned runs. His ERA in his last 3 games (3.21) is better than his season ERA (4.93) and he seems to be turning a corner after the All-Star break. 

In the Padres’ last 5 games, they have averaged 4.15 runs against RHP. On top of that, the Padres are 5-0 in Snell’s last 5 starts during game 2 of a series and are 4-0 in their last 4 interleague home games against a team with a winning record. 

I hope to see the Athletics in the MLB Playoffs. They are an exciting team to watch and the fans of Oakland deserve it. But with that being said, the combination of Snell on the bump and San Diego’s offense is enough for me to lean on the Padres for this MLB prediction.

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FREE PICK: San Diego Moneyline
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Stats

  • San Diego is 8-1 against American League opponents this season.
  • The Padres are 51-31 as favourites.
  • Snell is 1-0 vs. Oakland in last 3 starts.

have always wanted to be a writer and sports are my favorite thing in the world, so I combined the two to make a career. I have been a long-time gambler and sports betting writer that isn't afraid to look at the underdog or specials. I am covering the NHL, MLB and NCAA Football for BetPicks.ca and am a huge fan of both sports - as well as many others. Follow me on Twitter (@Patrick_Trudeau) so we can talk betting, sports, or why ketchup DOES belong on Poutine.

MLB - AL East

TeamWLGB%
NY Yankee61250.0.709
Boston474014.5.540
Tampa Bay464015.0.535
Toronto454216.5.517
Baltimore434418.5.494

 

MLB - AL Central

TeamWLGB%
Minnesota48400.0.545
Cleveland42424.0.500
Chi White Sox41445.5.482
Detroit365111.5.414
Kansas City345213.0.395

 

MLB - AL West

TeamWLGB%
Houston56290.0.659
Seattle454212.0.517
Texas404415.5.476
LA Angels384919.0.437
Oakland295928.5.330

 

MLB - NL East

TeamWLGB%
NY Mets54330.0.621
Atlanta52362.5.591
Philadelphia46418.0.529
Miami414412.0.482
Washington305824.5.341

 

MLB - NL Central

TeamWLGB%
Milwaukee48390.0.552
St. Louis47422.0.528
Pittsburgh375011.0.425
Chi Cubs345213.5.395
Cincinnati325415.5.372

 

MLB - NL West

TeamWLGB%
LA Dodgers56290.0.659
San Diego50387.5.568
San Francisco434112.5.512
Arizona384818.5.442
Colorado384919.0.437

 

2021 Season Key Dates
Regular SeasonApril 1 – October 3
MLB DraftJuly 11-13
All-Star GameJuly 13
Trade DeadlineJuly 30
Playoffs BeginOctober 5
World SeriesOctober 26