The 2026 MLB regular season is down to its final weekend, with the playoffs beginning Tuesday, Sept. 29. There’s still one final National League Wild Card spot up for grabs, with the Arizona Diamondbacks (85-74) trying to steal it from Philadelphia, which currently holds it with a two-game lead.
While other teams continue to jockey for playoff seeding, the Diamondbacks will be playing for their playoff lives this weekend in a three-game series against the San Diego Padres (89-70) that starts Friday night at Petco Park. The Padres officially clinched a postseason berth Thursday night and enter Friday with the top NL Wild Card spot ahead of the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia.
The Padres may have punched their ticket to the playoffs, but they still have a lot to play for this weekend as they try to remain the top Wild Card team and guarantee home-field advantage in that round. San Diego is coming off a series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and owns a 15-2 record since Sept. 6.
The Diamondbacks have everything to play for this weekend with their playoff hopes on the line and not only need to focus on winning their games against San Diego, but also need some help from Tampa Bay, which begins a three-game series against Philadelphia Friday night. Arizona has been taking care of business lately, entering Friday on a five-game winning streak.
Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt will be tasked with trying to keep the momentum going as he is scheduled to make his 19th start of the season for the Diamondbacks and 29th appearance overall. Pfaadt owns a 7-3 record with a 3.72 ERA but has struggled lately, posting a 5.30 ERA over his last six starts since Aug. 19.
The Padres will hand the ball to right-hander Casey Mize for Friday night’s series opener. Mize is set to make his 10th start with the team since being acquired from Detroit earlier this season. His Padres tenure hasn’t gone well to this point, as he owns a 2-3 record with a 6.64 ERA since joining the team, which has led to uncertainty about his role in the playoffs or even whether he’ll be on San Diego’s postseason roster at all.
Take a look at Diamondbacks vs. Padres predictions, picks, and more ahead of Friday night’s series opener at Petco Park.
Diamondbacks vs. Padres Odds
Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook lists the Padres as home favorites:
Diamondbacks vs. Padres Predictions
There’s so much on the line in this NL West divisional matchup as the Padres look to maintain better playoff positioning while the Diamondbacks are fighting to even make the postseason. Don’t miss the chance to get involved in this massive series at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook, where you can make wagers like our Diamondbacks vs. Padres prediction below using baseball betting insights and trends from the Stats Hub:
Padres vs. Diamondbacks Best Bet: Diamondbacks Moneyline (+110)
Both teams have been playing winning baseball recently, but both starting pitchers set to take the mound Friday night haven’t been pitching all that well lately. With that said, this game could go either way.
While the Padres would love to keep their division rivals out of the playoffs and have the advantage of playing at home in this series, the Diamondbacks have so much more to play for and must treat each day as a must-win game this weekend until they either clinch a playoff spot or are eliminated from contention.
The Stats Hub notes that the Diamondbacks have won seven of their last eight games as underdogs after playing the previous day.
- Padres vs. Diamondbacks Moneyline Pick for Sept. 25: Diamondbacks (+110)
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props for ARI-SD
Fernando Tatís Jr. is tied for the second-most home runs in MLB in September with eight, and his home run prop is the most-bet player prop for Friday night’s series opener at Petco Park:
- Fernando Tatís Jr. – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Fernando Tatís Jr. – Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI
- Nolan Arenado – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Ketel Marte – Over 0.5 Hits
- Corbin Carroll – Over 0.5 Home Runs
Diamondbacks vs. Padres Game Info
- 📍 Where: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
- 📅 Date: Friday, Sept. 25
- ⏰ First Pitch: 9:40 PM ET
- 📺💻 TV/Streaming: MLB.TV
- ⚾ Probable Pitchers:
- Diamondbacks: Brandon Pfaadt
- Padres: Casey Mize
More Ways to Bet
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Referenced odds are subject to change.
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