MLB Opening Day: Tigers and White Sox Open in Chicago

Tigers Poised for Playoff Run

The Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox meet at New Comiskey Park on MLB Opening Day for 2017. These division rivals are in different spots right now. The Tigers have their eye on the World Series and the White Sox are in rebuilding mode and in the middle of a youth movement.

The Tigers have stacked their roster with veterans. The White Sox have turned to younger players as part of a long-term rebuilding project. The team traded left-hander Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox and outfielder Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals during the offseason. They received a handful of top prospects. 21-year-old second baseman Yoan Moncada is the gem and will start the season with Triple-A Charlotte.

Justin Verlander will be the starting pitcher for the Tigers on this day. Right hander Verlander is 0-0 this season with a 0.00 ERA. He will make his ninth Opening Day start in the past 10 seasons for the Tigers. The 34-year-old is coming off a season in which he finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting. He was 16-9 with a 3.04 ERA last year. He will try for his 20th career win over the White Sox. It is his most against any team except the Royals. who he has 22 wins over.

It'll be Jose Quintana toeing the rubber for the White Sox in this contest. Left hander Quintana is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA so far this season. He will make his first career Opening Day start. Quintana earned double-digit wins for the first time last season with a 13-10 record and a 3.20 ERA. He could yield another batch of talented prospects if Chicago decides to trade him before the deadline.

Oddsmakers opened the Tigers as -130-moneyline favorites versus the White Sox, while the game's total opened at 8. The moneline is stil the same, but the total has dropped to 7.5.

MLB Opening Day Betting Trends

Detroit Tigers
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 9 games
Detroit is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Chi White Sox
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
Detroit is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox

Chicago White Sox
Chi White Sox is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Chi White Sox is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Chi White Sox's last 14 games
Chi White Sox is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games at home
Chi White Sox is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Detroit
Chi White Sox is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Chi White Sox is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit
Chi White Sox is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit

 

Next up:
Detroit at Chicago Monday, April 3

Get all your MLB Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

MLB Opening Day: Mets Host Young Braves to Open 2017

Young Braves are Improved

Divisional rivals meet on Monday when the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets meet at Citi Field. 2017 MLB Opening Day will see these two teams square off again and it could be a precursor to a race for the playoffs. If the Mets stay healthy and the Braves can get one more season out of aging Vets Bartolo Colon and R.A. Dickey they will contend as well.

Right hander Julio Teheran will take the mound for the Braves to start this game. Teheran is 0-0 this season with a 0.00 ERA. Teheran has a 7-3 career record with a 2.36 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) against the Mets. The Braves are also hoping to parlay some late-season success into a good start in 2017. Longtime manager Fredi Gonzalez was fired following a 9-28 start. Atlanta went 59-65 under interim skipper Brian Snitker. That includes a 12-2 record in the final 14 games.

Starting this game for the Mets will be Noah Syndergaard. The right hander has a 0.00 ERA to go along with a 0-0 record this season. He has an 0-1 record with a 5.22 ERA in three career starts against the Braves. The Mets are trying to make the postseason for a franchise-record third straight seasons.

Oddsmakers opened the Mets as -155-moneyline favorites versus the Braves, while the game's total opened at 6.5. The Mets are now -180 and the total is still at 6.5.

The Braves and Mets engaged in fierce NL East races in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Also in a classic six-game NL Championship Series in 1999. But both teams have not finished above .500 and within 10 games of the division lead in the same season since 2007. This year could change all of that.

MLB Opening Day Betting Trends

Atlanta Braves
Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games
Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Atlanta's last 23 games on the road
Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing NY Mets
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing NY Mets
Atlanta is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Mets

New York Mets
NY Mets is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
NY Mets is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Mets's last 5 games
NY Mets is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games at home
NY Mets is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games at home
NY Mets is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
NY Mets is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
NY Mets is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
NY Mets is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Mets's last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta

 

Next up:
Atlanta at New York Wednesday, April 5

Get all your MLB Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

NBA Sunday Preview & Free Pick- Denver at Miami

Nuggets Chasing Portland For Playoffs

The Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat kick off a Sunday double header of betting action on NBA TV in a 6 p.m. (ET) tip from American Airlines Arena. BetAnySports opened the Heat as 4.5-point home favorites with the total set at 214. The spread is now Miami -3.5-point favorites and the total has been bet up to 219.

Denver continues to chase down Portland for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference; however it has not helped its chances of closing the gap with a SU 2-5 record in its last seven games. One of those setbacks (122-113) came to the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night before dropping a 122-114 decision against Charlotte on Friday. The Nuggets closed as two-point road underdogs in both losses and the total at BetAnySports has gone OVER in five of their last six games.

This is one team that has never really struggled to put points on the board with seven different players averaging at least 10 points per game. Denver (35-40) is the third-highest scoring team in the NBA (111.5 PPG) behind Golden State and Houston, but it is allowing an average of 111.4 PPG on defense. With those last two road losses, the Nuggets have now given up 113 points or more in their last eight games.

Heat in Fierce Battle for Playoff Spot

Miami (37-39) is also fighting for its postseason life in the Eastern Conference, but it has not done itself any favors lately with a 3-4 mark both SU and ATS in its last seven games. Things went from bad to worse on Friday night with a stunning 98-94 loss to the short-handed New York Knicks as a 10.5-point home favorite with BetAnySports. The Heat remain one of the most profitable betting teams this season at 46-30 ATS.

Goran Dragic leads Miami in scoring this season with 20.1 PPG and he ended Friday’s loss with a team-high 22 points. Hassan Whiteside added 17 points to the losing cause as the Heat went a dismal 24.2 percent from three-point range after missing 15 of their last 16 attempts. The one thing that Miami does have going for it in this matchup is a shutdown defense that is ranked fifth in the league in points allowed (101.8).

Both these teams are trying to play their way out of the postseason lately, but when it comes to betting on Sunday’s matchup, I like Miami’s chances at home to bounce back with a SU win that covers BetAnySports’ spread.

 

Sunday Night Baseball: Cardinals Host the Cubs

Cubs Open Defense of World Title

The St. Louis Cardinals battle the World Champion Chicago Cubs at New Busch Stadium on Sunday Night Baseball. The Chicago Cubs will play a game as the defending World Series champions. After 108 years that sound is music to the ear to Cubs fans. Opening that defense against their bitter rivals makes it that much more sweet.  The game is televised nationally be ESPN with first pitch at 8:30 pm.

After ending the Curse of the Billy Goat with an amazing comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series. Chicago enters the season with the biggest possible target across its chest. The Cubs have most of the same roster that made history last year. Six of eight everyday starters return. The starting rotation is so deep that Kyle Hendricks is the fifth starter. Hendricks pitched at Cy Young level in 2016.

The Starters

The Cubs will give the ball to starter Jon Lester in this one. Left hander Lester is 0-0 this season with a 0.00 ERA.

Lester's Sunday Night Baseball opponent in this one will be Carlos Martinez. The Cardinals right hander has a 0.00 ERA to go along with a 0-0 record this season.

Oddsmakers opened the Cubs as -120-moneyline favorites versus the Cardinals, while the game's total opened at 7.

The Cardinals were a 10-4 winner as they battled the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road to end the 2016 MLB Season. Moneyline bettors who got the Cardinals at -210 were rewarded. The 14 combined runs moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Martinez hasn't always been successful against the Cubs. He has gone 3-3 with a 4.67 earned run average in 19 games, nine as a starter.

The Cubs were a 8-7 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 MLB World Series. That made winners of bettors who got Chicago at -132 on the moneyline. The total score (15) was good news for OVER bettors. Lester has been effective in nine career starts against the Cardinals. He has posted a 1.97 earned run average despite going only 3-3.

Sunday Night Baseball Betting Trends

Chicago Cubs
Chi Cubs is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Chi Cubs is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Chi Cubs is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Chi Cubs is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Chi Cubs's last 12 games on the road
Chi Cubs is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing the Cardinals
Chi Cubs is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Chi Cubs is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against the Cardinals
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against the Cards

St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the Cards last 5 games
The Cardinals are 7-18 ATS in its last 25 games at home
The Cards are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the Cards last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
The Cardinals are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the Cards last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the Cards last 6 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

 

Next up:
Chicago at St. Louis Sunday, April 2

Get all your MLB Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

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