The San Diego Padres will open a new series at home against the defending World Series champs, and they had plenty of success against the Giants at home last season. San Francisco was just 3-6 at Petco, and managed to score just 20 runs in those nine games. I expect the Giants struggles in San Diego to continue here this afternoon.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Giants will hand the ball to Tim Hudson, and the veteran's best years are almost certainly behind him. His numbers on the road last year were not very encouraging, as we was 4-8 with a 3.23 ERA. He faced the Padres three times, going 0-2 with a 3.69 ERA. The Padres will counter with Ian Kennedy, who looked very sharp this spring.

2. Previous History - Kennedy pitched well against the Giants last year posting a record of 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in thee starts.

3. X-Factor - The Padres acquired Matt Kemp from the Dodgers in the off-season in an attempt to improve a struggling offense. Kemp has settled in nicely, and he's hitting .364 with a home run in 22 career at bats versus Hudson.

Selection: This is a play on the San Diego Padres 10*)