Best MLB Parlay Picks for Opening Day
- Thursday, March 30th, marks the Opening Day of the 2023 MLB season
- All 30 teams are in action, with the first games starting at 1:05pm ET
- Read below for our best MLB parlay picks for Opening Day
The 2023 MLB season gets underway at 1:05pm ET on Thursday, March 30th. The first two games of this season see the New York Yankees hosting the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves in Washington to face the Nationals.
After an eventful offseason, a thrilling World Baseball Classic, and plenty of analysis of MLB win totals, the attention now turns to a highly anticipated regular season. Opening Day is a highlight of the sporting calendar, and with all 30 teams taking the field this year, we have a packed day in store across America.
After scouring through the latest MLB odds, here are three picks for an Opening Day parlay.
MLB Opening Day Parlay Picks
| Pick | Odds |
|---|---|
| Brewers @ Cubs — Under 7.5 Runs | -120 |
| Braves @ Nationals — Braves -1.5 & Over 7.5 Runs | +170 |
| Angels @ Athletics — Angels 1.5 | -120 |
| Opening Day Parlay Odds | +807 |
Even with only three legs in this parlay, we are still looking at +807 odds. The bet starts off with the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals at 1:05pm ET.
First pitch between the Brewers and Cubs is scheduled for 2:20pm ET, while the Angels and Athletics are set to get underway at 10:07pm ET with Shohei Ohtani taking the mound.
Odds as of March 29th at FanDuel. Use this FanDuel Sportsbook promo to bet on all MLB Opening Day games.
Pick #1: Brewers vs Cubs Under 7.5 Runs
Both the Cubs and Brewers are projected to finish in the bottom-10 in hitter WAR according to Depth Charts. While the Cubs made some big-name offensive additions, including Dansby Swanson and Trey Mancini, there are still only six teams projected to score fewer runs per game than them. Milwaukee’s offense has long been their weakness, while the pitching remains elite, and has the seventh-lowest projection for runs allowed per game.
“They basically put me as one of the reasons why we didn't make the postseason last year."
-Corbin Burnes on what the Brewers said to him.
Burnes last year:
• 33 starts (1st in MLB)
• 243 Ks (1st in NL)
• 2.94 ERA
• All-Star pic.twitter.com/jS5cn2GVxK— Baseball King (@BasebaIlKing) February 17, 2023
A significant cog in their pitching staff is Opening Day starter and one of the Cy Young odds favorites Corbin Burnes, who led the National League in strikeouts last season and finished with a sub-3.00 ERA for a third consecutive year. Burnes matches up with Marcus Stroman, who enters the 2023 campaign off the back of spectacular second half. The former Met pitched to a 2.71 ERA after the break in 2022.
Stroman allowed three earned runs over 19.2 innings against Milwaukee last season. Burnes gave up just five in 19 innings against the Cubs.
This is set to be a low-scoring game. Both offenses are subpar, and the starting pitchers should be able to keep the bats pretty quiet.
Pick #2: Braves -1.5 & Over 7.5 Runs
Washington is sending Patrick Corbin to the hill on Opening Day, despite an appalling 2022 season. Corbin had a 6.31 ERA in over 150 frames, and somehow posted an xERA which was even higher. He faces a Braves offense which placed third in runs scored per game, plus has Ronald Acuna Jr and Ozzie Albies fully healthy.
Max Fried is pitching for Atlanta after finishing Cy Young runner-up in 2022 with a 2.48 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. The southpaw had some less than impressive starts against the Nationals last season, but there is little to concern him with the current Nats lineup. Washington was fifth-worst in runs per game last season, even with 101 games of Juan Soto. They are projected to score the third-fewest runs in 2023.
There is some blowout potential with this one. The Braves scored 15 runs in 14.1 innings against Corbin last season, and the veteran is projected to be one of the worst starters in the Majors in 2023.
Atlanta could hit the over on their own, particularly if they get to Corbin early on. They should easily cover this runline.
Pick #3: Angels -1.5 vs Athletics
The Oakland Athletics scored the second-fewest runs per game in 2022, and are projected to have MLB’s worst offense in 2023. They face an Angels team sending the sport’s best player to the bump. Shohei Ohtani, fresh off a blockbuster showing at the WBC, is facing an A’s team he repeatedly shutdown last season.
Ohtani conceded only three earned runs in four starts against Oakland in 2022. He pitched 24.2 innings in those games, striking out 28 in the process. Nothing the Athletics have done this offseason suggests they will fare any better against the two-way phenom on Thursday night.
Shohei Ohtani dazzled in the 2023 World Baseball Classic 🤩
Take a look back at his top moments from the tournament 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/76JfgP35Fe
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 27, 2023
Once again, the Angels enter the season with hope. It should be better than previous campaigns after some shrewd moves over the winter, including adding lineup depth with Gio Urshela, Brandon Drury and Hunter Renfroe. The bullpen remains something of a question mark once Ohtani leaves this game, but the signings of Matt Moore and Carlos Estevez at least give Phil Nevin some options.
Even in a season where they won just 73 games, the Angels went 16-12 in Ohtani’s starts. Boasting an improved offense, they should win by a handful of runs against MLB’s worst team.
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Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
