MLB Opening Day Best Bets
MLB Opening Day Best Bets
Opening Day of the 2022 Major League Baseball season is here after a long-awaited winter that had baseball fans nervous that there wouldn’t even be a season. After a slight delay, eighteen teams will take the field on Thursday, April 7th, to kick off the MLB’s regular season.
Early-season baseball can always be hard to predict with weather and team’s still working out their lineups, but we’ve got our favorite plays of the Opening Day slate for you below.
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Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees - 1:05 p.m. EST
The first game of the 2022 season features the AL East rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Both teams enter the year with high expectations and should contend for the AL crown.
One the mound for the visitors is right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. The 32-year old wrapped up the 2021 season with an 11-9 record, 3.75 ERA, and 1.19 WHIP. The hosts counter with righty Gerrit Cole. Cole finished last season with a 16-8 mark, 3.23 ERA, and 1.06 WHIP.
Boston and New York have stacked offensive lineups so expect this one to come down to which pitching staff forces the most outs. The Yankees have the advantage with one of the best arms in baseball on the mound. We like the Yankees in this one.
Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs - 2:20 p.m. EST
The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs face off in an NL Central bout to begin the year. Expect less than ideal weather in the Windy City with rain in the forecast and a high just above freezing.
Right-hander Corbin Burnes toes the rubber for the Brewers in the opener. The 2021 NL Cy Young winner posted an 11-5 record, 2.43 ERA, and 0.94 WHIP. Kyle Hendricks gets the ball for the Cubs. The 32-year veteran starter went 14-7 last season with a 4.77 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.
Cold temperatures give an advantage to the pitching staff and defense. The Brewers have their Cy Young arm on the mound facing a depleted Cubs lineup. We’ll play both the Brewers and the under here.
Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals - 4:15 p.m. EST
Another NL Central battle is on tap for Opening Day when the Pittsburgh Pirates visit the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh continues to rebuild its franchise while the Cardinals look to get back to the postseason under new manager Oliver Marmol.
The Pirates send right-hander JT Brubaker to the bump against the Cardinals. The 28-year old concluded 2021 with a 5-13 record, 5.36 ERA, and 1.29 WHIP. The 40-year old Adam Wainwright gets the nod for the hosts. The righty was an impressive 17-7 last season with a 3.05 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.
Wainwright has aged like a wine fine on the mound and, at the young age of 40 years old, will try and keep the magic alive for another season. Pittsburgh has talent in their farm system, but you won’t see any of those studs on Opening Day. When the lines official comes out, we are jumping all over the Cardinals -1.5.
Cincinnati Reds at Atlanta Braves - 8 p.m. EST
The 2021 World Series champions take the field Thursday night in a series-opener against the Cincinnati Reds. It will be the first time since 2010 the Braves will take the field without their All-Star first baseman, Freddie Freeman. The Reds will also have a new look without the services of slugger Nick Castellanos in the outfield. Cincinnati’s Tyler Mahle is their Opening Day starter. The 27-year old right-hander fired a 13-6 record in 2021, finishing with a 3.75 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.
The defending World Series champions counters with 28-year old Max Fried. The southpaw had a 14-7, 3.04 ERA, and a 1.09 WHIP in 2021.
A lot of offensive production will be missing from these two lineups when they take the field Thursday night. Expect both starting pitchers to limit the damage in a low-scoring opener. We will side with the under in Atlanta.
San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks - 9:40 p.m. EST
The final contest of Opening Day features the San Diego Padres in the desert against the Arizona Diamondbacks. San Diego will begin the season with star player Fernando Tatis while the hosts try to improve after a last-place finish in the NL West last season.
Yu Darvish takes the mound for the Friars, looking to put the 2021 season in the rearview. The right-hander had a frustrating year on the hill with an 8-11 record, 4.22 ERA, and 1.09 WHIP.
Lefty Madison Bumgarner gets the nod after posting a decent year in 2021 compared to his 2020 numbers. The 32-year old wrapped up his 13th year in the league with a 7-10 record, 4.67 ERA, and 1.18 WHIP.
San Diego won’t have any trouble teeing off on Bumgarner. The Padres take the road opener comfortably. We like San Diego on the run line.
Derek Hudson
Derek is a long time sports bettor who grew up in Providence, RI. Derek is data driven and believes the key to betting the sportsbooks is finding an edge in analytics. Derek is happily married and has two young boys. Derek will bet on anything if you let him.
