It is the night before one of the best days of the sporting calendar — Opening Day.
To some people it means that spring is in the air, but to us it means that there will be something to gamble on, every single day, from now until October.
Opening Day is the start of a journey and I want to start this marathon with what worked for me last season, betting the First 5 (F5) lines.
Let's get to it.
New York Mets at Washington Nationals (-130) | O/U: 6.5
Probable pitchers: Jacob deGrom vs. Max Scherzer
1:05 p.m. ET
This game features the best pitching matchup of Opening Day. In fact, the two pitchers toeing the rubber, Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, have combined to win the last three National League Cy Young Awards.
The Mets just re-signed deGrom to a five-year extension, so that cloud of doubt won't be surrounding the right-hander on Day 1.
Even though the Nats have a potent offense, I'm sticking with what worked for me. Last year, my plan of betting the F5 under in every Jacob deGrom start worked way more often than not, and with Max Scherzer on the other side it feels like a good bet to start Opening Day.
The Bet: F5 Under 3.5 runs (-110)
Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies (-184) | O/U: 8.5
Probable pitchers: Julio Teheran vs. Aaron Nola
3:05 p.m. ET
The Phillies have completely re-made their offense, and I'm not just talking about Bryce Harper. With Jean Segura, J.T. Realmuto and Andrew McCutchen on the card, this team should back up Aaron Nola.
I expect the Phillies to come out of the gates strong against a mediocre pitcher in Julio Teheran.
The Bet: Phillies -0.5 F5 (-140)
Colorado Rockies (-145) at Miami Marlins | O/U: 8
Probable pitchers: Kyle Freeland vs. Jose Urena
4:10 p.m. ET
This is a matchup between two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum.
The Rockies had a terrific 2018 season while the Marlins are still tearing everything down.
Kyle Freeland will get the assignment for Colorado and he's a much better option than Jose Urena. Freeland should overmatch a weak Miami offense while the opposite is true for Urena, who got shelled on Opening Day last season.
The Bet: Rockies (-0.5) F5
