Now that the 2025 MLB season is officially in full swing, the first Sunday Night Baseball game is finally here! It’s felt like forever, yet it’s also felt like just yesterday for fans of the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres, as they met in the Wild Card Round last season. For this playoff rematch on Sunday Night Baseball, we’ve got our Braves vs. Padres predictions for you.

That also means that we have a best bet from our Braves vs. Padres picks, which you’ll be able to utilize with the guaranteed $200 DraftKings Sportsbook sign up bonus that we’ve also shared below.

 

 

 

Braves vs. Padres Predictions For ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, 3/30

While many of the first series of the 2025 MLB season are done and dusted, this four-game series between two of the National League’s best sets us up for an epic first Sunday Night Baseball game of the year. Well, we’re hoping for as much after a far slower start to last night’s game than the first two of the series. 

We saw early first inning runs on Opening Day and the following game, but last night, these teams went scoreless through the first six innings. In fact, it was the Padres run in the bottom of the seventh that was the lone run scored the entire game!

With that, they’re now going for a sweep to start their season in the best way possible. It’s safe to say that they’ll have the experience advantage on the mound to do so.

 

 

 

Atlanta Braves: From The Gridiron To The Diamond

With the Braves starting AJ Smith-Shawver on Sunday Night Baseball, for the fans that recognize the name, it’s most likely for two specific reasons. That would be either the fact that he was thrust into the spotlight during the Wild Card series against the Padres last season, or the fact that he was also the QB for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

He ended up taking the baseball route, and while it’s been slow going getting his career off the ground, he’s still just 22 years old. It was unclear if he would make the Opening Day starting rotation, but with Spencer Strider not returning until next month, this is his opportunity to try and make himself a true part of Atlanta's roster.

 

 

 

San Diego Padres: Pivetta’s Fresh Start

On the flip side, the Padres are sending anything but a youngster to the mound with Nick Pivetta. The former Philadelphia Phillie and starter of the Boston Red Sox is hoping that the change of scenery from the east coast is exactly what he needed.

Despite relatively high expectations, Pivetta finished with a winning record just twice (9-8 and 10-9) in Boston after never doing so with the Phillies. He’s also posted an era over 4.00 in each of the past four seasons, so perhaps we’re in for more than just a single run tonight? Pivetta on the mound is also vital for the best bet from our Braves vs. Padres predictions.

 

 

 

How To Watch MLB Sunday Night Baseball

By now, even casual fans know where to catch Sunday Night Baseball, but if you’re still wondering how to watch Braves vs. Padres today, we’ve got you covered:

  • Where: Petco Park in San Diego, California
  • When: 7:10 PM ET on 3/30
  • Watch on TV: ESPN
  • Where to stream: ESPN+

 

 

 

Braves vs. Padres Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

After being favored on the road last night, Atlanta is back to being a slight underdog tonight, and you can see the latest Braves vs. Padres odds at DraftKings Sportsbook here:

 

 

 

Braves vs. Padres Best Bet: Marcell Ozuna Over 1.5 Total Bases (+115 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

We said that Nick Pivetta starting for the Padres was key for the best bet from our Braves vs. Padres picks, and that’s because we’re targeting one of Atlanta’s bats. Their lineup is loaded, so there is no shortage of options, but we’re focused on DH Marcell Ozuna.

Admittedly, it’s a virtual toss-up between him and Austin Riley, but with the slightly better price (Riley at +105), we see greater value here. So, add Riley to the mix in a Same Game Parlay if you’d like, but as a standalone play, we’re taking Marcell Ozuna to record at least two total bases against Pivetta.

After all, he comes into the entire Sunday MLB slate with one of the hottest hitter-pitcher matchups. Ozuna has an impressive .750 slugging percentage against Pivetta in his career, and that’s the exact stat we want to look at for total bases. It’s also not as if it’s a small sample size - he has 24 career plate appearances against the former Red Sox starter.

However, what makes things even more interesting is that in terms of Pivetta against the Braves overall, he’s been great, allowing just a .216 batting average. That’s why we want to take a more isolated approach rather than picking Atlanta to pull off the upset, even though we do think they’ll avoid the four-game series sweep in a prime time game.

Regardless, we love the value here, so the best bet from our Braves vs. Padres predictions is on Marcell Ozuna over 1.5 total bases (+115 at DraftKings Sportsbook).

 

 

 

Braves vs. Padres Injury Report & Starting Pitchers

In terms of injury news for these National League foes, the biggest concerns remain on the mound with key starters. Both Atlanta’s Spencer Strider and San Diego’s Yu Darvish have started the season on the 15-day injured list, and speaking of starters, here are the Braves vs. Padres starters for Sunday Night Baseball:

 

 

 

How To Bet On Braves vs. Padres at DraftKings Sportsbook & Claim Your $200 Bonus

Last but certainly not least, add to our Braves vs. Padres predictions with a guaranteed $200 DraftKings sign up bonus:

  1. Register here for a new DraftKings account
  2. Make an initial deposit of at least $5
  3. Place your first bet for $5+ on anything
  4. Receive $200 in bonus bets no matter what

No matter what means that you’ll receive your boost even if your qualifying wager loses, and there isn’t even a DraftKings promo code required! However, this welcome offer is expiring soon, so be sure to grab yours ahead of Sunday Night Baseball by signing up here!