San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres Prediction, 3/31/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres

Date: Sunday, March 31, 2024

Location: Petco Park in San Diego, CA

TV: NBC Bay Area

Petco Park is where the San Diego Padres (82-80 last season) will play the San Francisco Giants (79-83 last year) on Sunday. The expected starting pitchers will be Jordan Hicks and Michael King.

As a team, the San Francisco Giants put up 4.2 runs per contest, which ranked them 24th in the league. They racked up 674 runs scored and held an OBP of .312. The Giants tallied 256 doubles as a team and knocked 174 baseballs out of the stadium. They had 651 runs batted in and 1,271 hits over the course of last year, and their batting average was .235. San Francisco had a slugging percentage of .383 and struck out 1,492 times, while taking a walk on 544 occasions.

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The Giants held a team earned run average of 4.02 over the course of the prior season (12th in the league), and the staff rung up 1,359 hitters. Giants pitchers allowed 173 home runs in addition to 719 total runs (15th in the league). They walked 403 opposing hitters and their FIP was 3.92 as a squad in the prior season. San Francisco surrendered 1,395 hits (8.8 per 9 innings) and 641 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio was 3.37 and their pitching staff earned a collective WHIP of 1.25.

Giants pitchers went to the mound with runners on base 152 times and also had 168 games in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers notched 72 holds last season (25th in MLB). The Giants relief pitchers recorded a save rate of 64.9% and entered the game in 151 save situations. They recorded 50 saves last season and blew 27 out of their 77 chances to save the game. The relief pitchers inherited 209 base runners last season and 34.0% of those runners ended up crossing the plate. The Giants dispatched 496 relief pitchers to the mound during the previous year.

The Giants turned 67.9% of balls in play into outs out of their 12,912 innings, which had them sitting 26th in baseball. The Seattle Mariners had a total of 4,304 putouts over the course of last year, in addition to 1,606 assists and 117 errors. Their fielding percentage finished at .987 which ranked 8th in the majors, and they twisted 143 double plays.

Hicks has taken the mound for 243 frames and has 255 punch outs so far in his MLB career. Hicks (11-21 mark in his career) has earned a FIP of 3.66 while he has faced 1,041 batters in the major leagues. His earned run average is 3.85 (104 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.299. He has surrendered 183 base knocks (6.8 hits per 9 innings) with 133 free passes.

San Diego hit 205 home runs over the course of last year to go along with 719 runs batted in. They recorded 273 two-baggers, while getting a free base 653 times and racking up 752 runs. The San Diego Padres accumulated a team on-base percentage of .329 and a batting average of .244 for the previous season. The Padres had a team slugging % of .413 and they scored 4.64 runs per contest (13th in baseball). They were called out on strikes on 1,311 occasions (23rd in baseball) and had a total of 1,316 base hits.

The Padres had a WHIP of 1.268 with a FIP of 4.14 as a team for the prior year. They ranked 3rd in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 1,270. The San Diego pitching staff relinquished 648 runs last year while holding a team ERA of 3.73 (598 earned runs conceded). Their K/BB ratio came in at 9.00 (1,445 strikeouts against 557 bases on balls). They conceded 174 home runs and they conceded 4.05 runs per 9 innings (2nd in MLB).

San Diego had relief pitchers enter the game in 64 save opportunities and they walked away with 36 saves. They were ranked 24th in the league with a save rate of 56.3%, and they sent 508 relief pitchers to the hill last season. Their bullpen pitchers came in 155 times in high leverage situations and also on 115 occasions with runners on base. San Diego relievers had an inherited score percentage of 39.1% out of their 174 inherited runners. Ending the season with 148 save situations, the Padres had 83 holds and 28 blown saves.

In 12,969 innings on the diamond, the Padres finished with a defensive efficiency of 70.2% (6th in baseball). The San Diego Padres turned 130 double plays and had a fielding rate of .988 (7th in MLB). The Padres had 1,444 assists, 73 errors and had 4,323 putouts over the course of last year.

So far in his career, King has surrendered 216 base knocks while totaling 287 strikeouts in 251 frames. King (14-17 career win-loss record) holds a 3.44 earned run average and has conceded 7.7 hits per nine innings. He has surrendered a total of 96 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.203 and a FIP of 3.4. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.34 and he has faced 1,052 opposing batters in his pro baseball career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take San Diego

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