MLB Opening Day: Aces on the Hill as Mariners Host Indians

King Felix Looks to Rebound on MLB Opening Day

MLB Opening Day is here for anxious Americans. The Seattle Mariners and the Cleveland Indians will wrap up the action from America's Pastime with the late game.  First pitch is set for 10:00 pm EST. ESPN will have the coverage.

Oddsmakers have the Indians as -170-favorites on the moneyline. The total is sitting at 7Under -125.

Corey Kluber edged Felix Hernandez for the American League's Cy Young Award in 2014. That should have been the start of some epic battles for the AL Cy Young award. Everyone thought that this could be like Pedro Martinez and Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson going at it year after year in the 90's.

That hasn't happened. The careers of the two 31-year-old hurlers have taken vastly different paths. That was clearly evident last year. Kluber earned his second Cy Young while Hernandez battled injuries and pitched fewer than 100 innings.

There was little doubt Kluber would start opening day for the Indians. After going 18-4 last year with a major league-leading 2.25 ERA he earned that job with little argument.

That wasn't the case for Mariners manager Scott Servais. James Paxton turned into the team's No. 1 starter last season in Hernandez's absence. It didn't help that King Felix was limited to five innings this spring either. He was hit in his right forearm by a line drive in his first start.

This will be Hernandez's 11th Opening Day start and his 10th straight. The only pitchers in history with streaks longer than 10 are Jack Morris (14), Robin Roberts (12) and Tom Seaver (12).

Kluber Primed for Another Great Season Again in 2018

Hernandez will face a tough task against an Indians team that won 102 games last season. Who can forget their  league-record 22-game winning streak. They won the AL Central for the second consecutive season. Cleveland fell just short of winning the 2016 World Series but had an early  exit last year.

Hernandez, who won the AL Cy Young in 2010, is 7-6 with a 2.95 ERA in 16 career starts against the Indians. He's got a 6-2 record on Opening Day.

Kluber is 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA in four career starts against the Mariners, who went 78-84 last season. Kluber is primed for another strong season. He went 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA in five spring starts while striking out 25 over 19 innings.

Cleveland 1B Yonder Alonso replaces the departed Carlos Santana. He belted a career-high 28 homers with Oakland and Seattle in 2017.

 

MLB Opening Day Betting Trends

Team	Type	Trend	Hit%	O/U	Push.	W/L
Cleveland Indians	Away	Indians are 16-2 in their last 18 games as a road favorite of -201 or greater.	88.90% (18)	|	0	16|2
Seattle Mariners	Home	Over is 8-1-1 in Mariners last 10 games with the total set at 11.0 or higher.	88.90% (10)	8|1	1	|
Seattle Mariners	Home	Under is 6-1 in Mariners last 7 home games with the total set at 9.0-10.5.	85.70% (7)	1|6	0	|
Cleveland Indians	Away	Indians are 6-1 in Klubers last 7 starts as a favorite of -201 or greater.	85.70% (7)	|	0	5|2
Cleveland Indians	Away	Under is 5-1-2 in Indians last 8 road games with the total set at 11.0 or higher.	83.30% (8)	1|5	2	|
Seattle Mariners	Home	Mariners are 5-1 in their last 6 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150.	83.30% (6)	|	0	5|1
Cleveland Indians	Away	Under is 5-1 in Klubers last 6 starts as a favorite of -201 or greater.	83.30% (6)	1|5	0	|
Cleveland Indians	Away	Over is 5-1 in Klubers last 6 starts with the total set at 6.5 or lower.	83.30% (6)	8|23	1	|
Cleveland Indians	Away	Indians are 5-1 in their last 6 games as a favorite of -110 to -150.	83.30% (6)	|	0	6|2
Seattle Mariners	Home	Over is 4-1-2 in Hernandezs last 7 starts as a home favorite of -201 or greater.	80.00% (7)	4|1	2	|
Seattle Mariners	Home	Over is 4-1-1 in Hernandezs last 6 home starts with the total set at 9.0-10.5.	80.00% (6)	4|1	1	|

 

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