Baseball is finally here! After several months of waiting, MLB is back with 15 games on Thursday, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate than giving you some Opening Day bets.
Here are five best bets for five different games to help you start this exciting season.
CHECK OUT THE SPORTS GAMBLING PODCAST’S DAILY BEST BETS
MLB Opening Day Bets
New York Yankees at Houston Astros – 4:11 PM ET
The Yankees have revamped their lineup by bringing in All-Star Juan Soto and former Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo. They also worked with Giancarlo Stanton over the offseason, and he looks in excellent shape. Anthony Rizzo is currently healthy.
The Yanks winning in Houston to open the season is one of the sneakiest Opening Day bets because many expect Houston to cruise to a victory. But Néstor Cortés’ shoulder is healthy, and Aaron Judge is expected to be in New York’s lineup.
Having Judge (who remains the AL MVP betting favorite) hit right after Soto is sure to give opposing pitchers fits, and then there are Anthony Rizzo and Stanton waiting. It could be a long day for Astros starter Framber Valdez.
Best Bet: Yankees Moneyline (+128)
Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals – 4:11 PM ET
Some might think Cole Ragans is not at his best because he had a 6.75 spring training ERA. But make no mistake: this is the same dominant pitcher who took over the ace role for the Royals upon arriving from the Rangers last season and posted a 2.64 ERA in 71.2 frames there.
Ragans’ spring training SO/BB ratio was 21/6 in 17.1 innings. That’s where you should be looking at: if he strikes people out and limits walks, the results will follow. With the kind of second half he had in Kansas City, we predict a tough day for the visiting Twins.
With Ragans on the hill and the Royals’ revamped offense, the conditions are set for a comfortable victory.
Best Bet: Kansas City +1.5 (-160)
Washington Nationals at Cincinnati Reds – 4:11 PM ET
The Reds ranked 25th in ERA last year at 4.83, while the Nationals were even worse: 27th, with a 5.02 mark. It’s a brand new season, but the starters don’t inspire much confidence either: Josiah Gray had a 4.94 FIP last year, and Frankie Montas is coming off a long layoff due to a shoulder injury.
Taking the over is one of the smartest Opening Day bets you will see today. There will be runs aplenty, as we are not talking about the most dominant bullpens either.
Best Bet: Nationals Reds Over 9.5 Runs (+100)
St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers – 4:11 PM ET
Injuries opened the door for Victor Scott II, a young outfield prospect from the St. Louis Cardinals, to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster by skipping Triple-A altogether.
This is a player who stole 94 bases between High-A and Double-A last year, so all he needs to do is reach base. He might even throw in a couple of steals today, as he surely wants to impress.
He has the ability to get on base: He posted a .365 OBP in High-A and a .373 mark in Double-A. There might be some growing pains in the way, but today, he will likely run wild. That’s actually one of the safest Opening Day bets at the moment.
Best Bet: Victor Scott II to Record a Stolen Base (+194)
Clevland Guardians at Oakland Athletics – 10:08 PM ET
Shane Bieber had his worst season last year, with an arm injury that took almost two months from his season, diminishing velocity, and a decreasing strikeout rate. However, even with those conditions, he was able to post a 3.80 ERA.
During the offseason, he went to Driveline to smoothen his delivery and make it quicker and more powerful. The results were there to see: after a couple of seasons of his fastball averaging 91.3 mph, he is back to throwing 93-94 mph. That, and the combination of Oakland’s weak lineup, will help him rack up the Ks today.
It’s very likely that we see something close to his best version this year, and he is motivated by the fact he will be a free agent after the season.
Best Bet: Shane Bieber 6+ Strikeouts (-194)
