The official MLB Opening Day might have been Thursday, but today is really the day that the baseball season gets going, with 13 games on the docket. Only the four teams playing in Missouri (Guardians vs. Royals and Pirates vs. Cardinals) will be off on Friday.
There’s a lot of action available today, and that’s going to be the case for the foreseeable future. Here are the games on the slate with odds, schedule, starting pitchers and predictions for Friday, April 8.
MLB Odds, Schedule and Starting Pitchers
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
Run Line: BOS: +1.5 (-140) | NYY: -1.5 (+115)
Moneyline: BOS: +145 | NYY: -175
Over/Under: 8.5 (-105)
Red Sox vs. Yankees Starting Pitchers: Nathan Eovaldi (BOS) vs. Gerrit Cole (NYY)
Red Sox vs. Yankees Game Time: 1:05 p.m. EST
Red Sox vs. Yankees Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Chicago White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers
Run Line: CHW: -1.5 (+125) | DET: +1.5 (-155)
Moneyline: CHW: -130 | KC: +105
Over/Under: 8 (-105)
White Sox vs. Tigers Starting Pitchers: Lucas Giolito (CHW) vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (DET)
White Sox vs. Tigers Game Time: 1:10 p.m. EST
White Sox vs. Tigers Location: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs
Run Line: MIL: -1.5 (+105) | CHC: +1.5 (-130)
Moneyline: MIL: -160 | CHC: +135
Over/Under: 7.5 (+100)
Brewers vs. Cubs Starting Pitchers: Brandon Woodruff (MIL) vs. Justin Steele (CHC)
Brewers vs. Cubs Game Time: 2:20 p.m. EST
Brewers vs. Cubs Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Oakland Athletics vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Run Line: OAK: +1.5 (-130) | PHI: -1.5 (+105)
Moneyline: OAK: +155 | PHI: -190
Over/Under: 8 (-105)
Athletics vs. Phillies Starting Pitchers: Frankie Montas (OAK) vs. Aaron Nola (PHI)
Athletics vs. Phillies Game Time: 3:05 p.m. EST
Athletics vs. Phillies Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Run Line: BAL: +1.5 (-140) | TB: -1.5 (+115)
Moneyline: BAL: +145 | TB: -175
Over/Under: 7.5 (-115)
Orioles vs. Rays Starting Pitchers: John Means (BAL) vs. Shane McClanahan (TB)
Orioles vs. Rays Game Time: 3:10 p.m. EST
Orioles vs. Rays Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies
Run Line: LAD: -1.5 (-145) | COL: +1.5 (+125)
Moneyline: LAD: -225 | COL: +180
Over/Under: 11.5 (-110)
Dodgers vs. Rockies Starting Pitchers: Walker Buehler (LAD) vs. Kyle Freeland (COL)
Dodgers vs. Rockies Game Time: 4:10 p.m. EST
Dodgers vs. Rockies Location: Coors Field, Denver, CO
Seattle Mariners vs. Minnesota Twins
Run Line: SEA: -1.5 (+165) |MIN: +1.5 (-200)
Moneyline: SEA: +100 | MIN: -120
Over/Under: 7.5 (-110)
Mariners vs. Twins Starting Pitchers: Robbie Ray (SEA) vs. Joe Ryan (MIN)
Mariners vs. Twins Game Time: 4:10 p.m. EST
Mariners vs. Twins Location: Target Field, Minneapolis, MI
Miami Marlins vs. San Francisco Giants
Run Line: MIA: +1.5 (-175) | SF: -1.5 (+145)
Moneyline: MIA: +120 | SF: -145
Over/Under: 7.5 (+100)
Marlins vs. Giants Starting Pitchers: Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. Logan Webb (SF)
Marlins vs. Giants Game Time: 4:35 p.m. EST
Marlins vs. Giants Location: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals
Run Line: NYM: -1.5 (-105) |WSH: +1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: NYM: -155 | WSH: +125
Over/Under: 9 (+100)
Mets vs. Nationals Starting Pitchers: Max Scherzer (NYM) vs. Josiah Gray (WSH)
Mets vs. Nationals Game Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
Mets vs. Nationals Location: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Run Line: TEX: +1.5 (-130) | TOR: -1.5 (+105)
Moneyline: TEX: +145 | TOR: -175
Over/Under: 9 (-115)
Rangers vs. Blue Jays Starting Pitchers: Jon Gray (TEX) vs. Jose Berrios (TOR)
Rangers vs. Blue Jays Game Time: 7:07 p.m. EST
Rangers vs. Blue Jays Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves
Run Line: CIN: +1.5 (-130) | ATL: -1.5 (+105)
Moneyline: CIN: +150 | ATL: -185
Over/Under: 8.5 (-115)
Reds vs. Braves Starting Pitchers: Reiver Sanmartin (CIN) vs. Charlie Morton (ATL)
Reds vs. Braves Game Time: 7:20 p.m. EST
Reds vs. Braves Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels
Run Line: HOU: -1.5 (+150) | LAA: +1.5 (-185)
Moneyline: HOU: +100 | LAA: -120
Over/Under: 9.5 (-110)
Astros vs. Angels Starting Pitchers: Jake Odorizzi (HOU) vs. Reid Detmers (LAA)
Astros vs. Angels Game Time: 9:38 p.m. EST
Astros vs. Angels Location: Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Run Line: SD: -1.5 (+105) | ARI: +1.5 (-125)
Moneyline: SD: -150 | ARI: +125
Over/Under: 9 (-111)
Padres vs. Diamondbacks Starting Pitchers: Sean Manaea (SD) vs. Merrill Kelly (ARI)
Padres vs. Diamondbacks Game Time: 9:40 p.m. EST
Padres vs. Diamondbacks Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
MLB Predictions Today and Best Bets
Our MLB Opening Day predictions and best bets went 2-1, as the Guardians continued to struggle at the plate and the Cardinals took full advantage of Pittsburgh’s poor pitching staff. We’ll see if we can build off that momentum with Friday’s best bets.
MLB Best Bet April 8: Oakland Athletics vs. Philadelphia Phillies Under 2.5 First 3 Innings (-135), available at BetMGM
I believe in the Phillies’ offense to put up some runs, but I think it’s going to struggle on their first trip through the lineup against Oakland ace Frankie Montas. I think the runs will come eventually for Philadelphia, as the Athletics’ bullpen is rather weak and a lineup that includes Bryce Harper as well as new additions Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber is going to hit eventually.
With Oakland, I’m not so sure that there’s going to be much scoring today. Aaron Nola is dominant at home in his career, with a 3.12 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 85 starts at Citizens Bank Park, and I like the Phillies to win the game, but at -190, there’s no value there. That’s why I’m taking the under 2.5 runs in the first three innings, mainly because of the dominant starting pitching that should be on display today.
MLB Best Bet April 8: Chicago White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers Under 8 (-115), available at BetMGM
With cool, wet conditions in the forecast for Detroit on Friday afternoon and both teams sending their aces to the hill, I look for this one to be fairly low-scoring. The Tigers were a solid defensive club near the end of last season, with seven of their final eight home games in 2021 cashing the under. Even though the White Sox have a solid group of hitters, they didn’t always hit Tigers pitching well in 2021, scoring three runs or fewer on seven occasions against Detroit.
This bet would have cashed 10 out of the 19 times these two clubs played last season, and the combination of the weather plus having starters Eduardo Rodriguez and Lucas Giolito on the mound means I’m taking the under here.
MLB Best Bet April 8: Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays Over 9 (-115), available at BetMGM
The Blue Jays are expected to do a lot of mashing this season, but their pitching remains a bit suspect. Jose Berrios didn’t exactly wow anyone down the stretch in Toronto, giving up three or more runs in five of his 12 starts after being traded to the Blue Jays last season. His performance wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t very good either.
Meanwhile, Rangers starter Jon Gray had a simply awful final two months of 2021, and now he’s facing what might be the best lineup in the American League. That’s not the way to build confidence for a successful pitching campaign, but it’s definitely the way to build a solid over bet.
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