MLB Opening Day Preview

The thought of early April baseball was on life support just a short month ago due to the MLB lockout, but against all odds, Opening Day is officially here ⚾️

• Nasty weather has unfortunately already put a bit of a damper on the day's festivities with the postponement of a couple matchups, including the season’s first taste of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry

• But there’s still plenty of juicy action today as the season gets underway, including the defending champs beginning their title defense and raising a banner in front of their home crowd 🏆

Despite their championship pedigree, the Braves have just the seventh-best odds to capture their second straight Commissioner's Trophy. Here’s an updated look at the top contenders following an eventful spring training that featured its fair share of injuries, signings, and trades 👇

Odds To Win The 2022 World Series

• Los Angeles Dodgers: +450 (bet $100 to win $450)

• Toronto Blue Jays: +800

• Houston Astros: +950

• New York Mets: +1000

• New York Yankees: +1000

• Chicago White Sox: +1100

• Atlanta Braves: +1200

Award Favorites

With the grind of an 162-game season, individual accolades in the MLB are extremely difficult to predict 🔮

• In fact, none of the winners of the game’s four biggest awards last year (AL and NL MVPs Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper, and AL and NL Cy Young winners Robbie Ray and Corbin Burnes) ranked as top-10 contender at the start of the season 🤯

With that being said, who doesn’t love throwing down a lottery ticket future bet. Let’s take a look the the top candidates for each of the highest honors 👇

Odds To Win AL MVP

• Shohei Ohtani: +325

• Mike Trout: +400

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: +400

• Aaron Judge & Wander Franco: +1500

There’s a big drop-off following the big three, with Judge and Franco next in line behind the up-and-coming bat of Vladdy 6️⃣

• It’s no surprise Ohtani is the favorite to repeat after turning in one of the most uniquely impressive seasons ever, but will teammate Mike Trout steal some of the spotlight if he can stay healthy?

Odds To Win NL MVP

• Juan Soto: +300

• Ronald Acuna Jr.: +500

• Bryce Harper: +800

• Mookie Betts: +950

Despite being just 23 years old, Soto has been top-10 in MVP voting in three straight seasons, including last year’s runner-up finish. Is this the year he captures the hardware for the first time? 🔥

• Based on his blistering spring, Harper won’t give up the award without a fight, and although Acuna is set to start the year on the IL due to last year’s ACL injury, the addition of the DH in the NL will allow the Braves’ superstar to return to the lineup sooner rather than later

Odds To Win AL Cy Young

• Gerrit Cole: +400

• Shane Bieber: +600

• Robbie Ray: +900

It’s now been four straight years of finishing top-five in AL Cy Young voting for Gerrit Cole without a single award to show for it, but the Yanks’ ace continues makes reliable excellence look easy 

• He’s joined in the top-three by the award’s previous two winners, and Ray will look to defend last year's crown in new threads after joining the Mariners this offseason 👀

Odds To Win NL Cy Young

• Corbin Burnes: +700

• Walker Buehler: +700

• Max Scherzer: +700

Another injury to Jacob DeGrom has the annual favorite tumbling down the odds board, and we now have a three-way tie in the race for the NL’s top arm

• Good luck picking from this trio, consisting of last year’s winner (Burnes), a three-time honoree (Scherzer), and the presumptive ace of the World Series favorite (Buehler) 

Opening Day Headliners 

Weather-permitting, there are now currently 14 teams set to get their season started today. Here are the matchups I’ll be keeping an especially close eye on 👇

⚾️  Cleveland Guardians vs. Kansas City Royals

• Pitchers: Shane Bieber (CLE) vs. Zack Grienke (KC)

• Moneyline: Guardians -125 (bet $125 to win $100), Royals +105

• O/U: 8.5 runs

Let’s be honest, team name changes are almost never well-received. But regardless, history will be made today when the Cleveland Guardians take an MLB field for the first time ever

• No offense to new $124-million dollar man Jose Ramirez, but the story in this one is the pitching matchup. Bieber will surely be looking to get his Cy Young campaign off on the right foot, while Grienke, who won that award himself with Kansas City in 2009, will make his first start with the team since 2010

⚾️  Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels 

• Pitchers: Framber Valdez (HOU) vs. Shohei Ohtani (LAA)

• Moneyline: Angels -130, Astros +110

• O/U: 8.5 runs

Simply put, the Angels are must-watch television anytime Ohtani takes the mound. There’s nothing quite like seeing the two-way phenom impact the game on both sides of the ball 

• Despite the Angels having both of the top two AL MVP candidates, the Astros are still pretty heavy favorites (-145) to be atop the AL West standings when the season ends. The season-opening four-game series between the rivals could be a huge tone-setter in either direction 😤

For My Parlay Gurus

I’m not ashamed to admit that I'm a Belieber, and I ain't talking Justin. I'm going with the Guardians to kick of a new era with a win, and I'm also expecting some fireworks when the Angels and Astros clash. Check it out 👇

• Guardians ML vs. Royals: -125

• HOU/LAA Over 8.5: -120

$100 on this parlay would win you $230 -- if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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