The start of the MLB Opening Day was delayed for the most part due to rain on the East Coast. With games about to start here are some of my picks for Game 1 of 162.
Yankes/Astros o8.5 (-111)
Before injuries intervened, this would have been an Opening Day showdown between Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander. Instead, we get Nestor Cortes, who gave up 17 hits and nine earned runs in preseason action, against Framber Valdez, who was roughed up by the St. Louis Cardinals in a March 17 start (four runs over four innings). Two loaded lineups are squaring off, and the drama of the New York Yankees' first regular season game with Juan Soto alongside Aaron Judge at the top of the order. The Houston Astros’ bats were lethal last year, as Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker piled up 163 hits apiece, and they ended up with 827 runs – third-most in the American League.
Bichette Over 0.5 RBI (+215)
The Toronto lineup will look a little different this year as John Schneider has moved Vlad Guerrero Jr. into the No.2 spot while 300-hitter Bo Bichette will bat third. That’s going to give the No.3 hitter a few more opportunities to knock in a run and with an o0.5 RBI price of +215 at bet365 with some books as low as +185, there is value in this plus-money Over. It’s a great table-setting lineup for Bichette who could see runners in scoring position as early as his first at-bat as both George Springer and Vlad can get extra-bases by themselves. Eflin has struggled in the Spring and Toronto already tagged him for 8 runs.
Randy Arozarena Over 0.5 RBIs (+210)
Randy was a Blue Jays killer last season hitting .296 with a .991 OPS vs. them while driving in 83 runs overall in 2023. He is also 4-11 with a .333 xBA in his career vs. Berrios and he'll hit third behind on-base king Yandy Diaz and should have some opportunities to drive in runs on Thursday.
Nathan Eovaldi Over 1.5 walks (-140)
Nathan Eovaldi is due for some regression this season. He pitched above and beyond last year, helping the Texas Rangers secure their World Series title. However, he did walk 47 batters, which was the second-highest BB mark of his career, and in Spring Training this year, he struggled at times with mechanics walking five batters over his last two appearances. The Cubs ranked in the top half of the league in team strikeouts per game, and while some pieces are different, the patient hitting approach should remain. Let's look for Eovaldi to be erratic and the Cubs to stay disciplined in their game plan.