Top MLB Opening Day Betting Matchups?
Baseball betting fans are just two weeks away from a MLB Opening Day celebration. This party has been on hold since late March when the coronavirus first shut things down. It took some doing but the 2020 MLB regular season is close to getting underway.
Opening Day is a time-honored tradition that gives every baseball fan hope for their favorite team. All 30 ball clubs are even in the standings. Each of those teams has aspirations of winning the World Series. The simple fact that there will be a MLB season is something to celebrate.
What Are The Top MLB Opening Day Betting Matchups?
The regular season schedule has been modified to 60 games. Each team will play 10 games against each of its division opponents (40 games). The other 20 games will feature interleague play. The NL East will face the AL East. The two league’s Central Divisions will play one another as will all the West Division teams.
Six of the interleague games will feature natural rivalries. For example, the Mets will face the Yankees and the Cubs will play the White Sox.
The regular season comes to a close on Sept. 27. The playoff formant remains unchanged. New for 2020 is a designated hitter for both leagues. Extra innings will start with a runner on second base.
Thursday, July 23
Two of the first 15 games of the 2020 season will be played on Thursday, July 23. The New York Yankees will face the Washington Nationals on ESPN at 7 p.m. (ET) ESPN’s nightcap pits the San Francisco Giants against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 10 p.m. start.
Online sportsbook Bovada has opened the Yankees as -133 favorites with Gerrit Cole getting the start. Washington will send its ace Max Scherzer to the mound as a +123 underdog. The total line for this game has been set at 7.5 runs with -120 juice for the UNDER. Bettors can get the OVER at an even money +100.
The moneyline odds and total line remain ‘off the board’ for the other game. San Francisco remains undecided on its opening day starter. The Dodgers are expected to go with their ace Clayton Kershaw.
All eyes will be on the Yankees as +400 second-favorites to win this year’s World Series. They will also be on the Dodgers as +375 favorites to win it all. The following three teams round out the Top 5 on the MLB futures board at Bodog:
- Houston Astros +750
- Minnesota Twins +1400
- Atlanta Braves +1500
MLB Betting Odds & Picks For Friday, July 24
The other 26 MLB teams will kickoff their season on Friday, July 24. Five of the games will be broadcast nationally.
In the NL East, the Atlanta Braves play the New York Mets on ESPN at 4 p.m. to get things started. Over on the MLB Network at 6:10 p.m., the Detroit Tigers face the Cincinnati Reds in interleague play.
The first of two more games on ESPN pit the Milwaukee Brewers against the Chicago Cubs at 7 p.m. The nightcap at 10 p.m. is a AL West tilt between the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland A’s.
