MLB Opening Day Picks: Red Sox vs Mariners, D-Backs vs Dodgers & More

• What are the best bets on Opening Day 2019, when all 30 MLB teams are in action?
• The AL Cy Young winner and runner-up will square off when Tampa’s Blake Snell faces Houston’s Justin Verlander
• Arizona’s Zack Greinke will be facing the Dodgers, the team that has hit him hardest in his career

Baseball is back for real.  No more three-inning starts or cameo appearances.  With the games finally counting towards the standings, here are our three favorite bets on the board for Opening Day 2019 (Mar. 28).

Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays

*Odds taken 3/28

Here’s the easiest bet of the day.  Justin Verlander takes on Blake Snell in a battle between two pitchers sure to be in Cy Young contention at the end of the year.

Snell won the award last year going 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.  Verlander was the runner-up after posting a 16-9 record, 2.52 ERA and 0.90 WHIP.  You won’t see a better pitching match up in the American League this year and you get it in the first game of the season.

Breaking: Blake Snell and Rays have agreed to 5 year/$50M contract extension, per @JeffPassan pic.twitter.com/60JQprAWuC

— Bleacher Report MLB (@BR_MLB) March 21, 2019

What do you get for siding with two of the best pitchers in baseball? Incredible value from the folks. Take under 6.5 and enjoy getting paid out at +105.

Worried about this bet getting killed once the starters are pulled? That’s not a huge concern for me; the Astros had the best bullpen by ERA in all of baseball last year, while the Rays’ pen is incredibly deep, itself, and finished 5th in the majors in bullpen WAR.

PICK: UNDER 6.5 (+105)

Boston Red Sox vs Seattle Mariners

*Odds taken 3/28

Chris Sale takes the mound for the defending World Series champions and the Mariners answer with Marco Gonzales, who’s already 1-0 after winning the season-opener in Japan.

Sale has absolutely owned Seattle in his career with a 6-1 record, 1.88 ERA, and 0.75 WHIP.  Pairing anything close to that with a Red Sox lineup that includes Mookie Betts and JD Martinez will be more than enough to win this game by two runs or more.

Chris Sale is worth every penny. pic.twitter.com/IC69mcwvCK

— MLB (@MLB) March 23, 2019

Sale is pitching after signing a brand new five-year, $150 million extension and will be eager to demonstrate why that was a solid decision by the Red Sox. He’ll also do something today that hasn’t been done in the American League in 45 years.  He recorded the final out for Boston in the World Series last year and will throw the first pitch to kick off the new season.  Pretty cool honor for the flame-throwing lefty as he looks to start the season off right.

PICK: RED SOX -1.5 (-115)

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers

*odds taken 3/28

You picking up on the theme of the day? Look deep at the starting pitchers.  In this one Zack Greinke goes for the Diamondbacks and Hyun-Jin Ryu answers for the Dodgers.

.@HyunJinRyu99 and the #Dodgers face off with Zack Greinke and the #Dbacks in today’s season opener at 1:05 PM on SportsNet LA! #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/pU6Z2jEykv

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) March 28, 2019

Greinke has the better reputation, but as you can see from the break down of last year’s stats, Ryu was actually better on the hill.  He had the better BB/9 rate, better K/9 rate, and his ERA was more than a run lower.

Dive even deeper into the numbers and this pitching matchup becomes even more one-sided.  Greinke hates pitching against the Dodgers. Opposing hitters have a .365 AVG against him in this matchup, which is his worst mark against any opponent.

Take the Dodgers to win this one by a wide margin and enjoy the value at +135.

PICK: DODGERS -1.5 (+135)

SBD’s Opening Day Coverage

• You Can Bet on Bryce Harper’s First Plate Appearance with Phillies: Is Home Run the Best Value?