Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins MLB betting preview
Time: 4:10 PM
Venue: Target Field
Sportsbook odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Royals +1½ (-210) 8 (-115) -105
Twins -1½ (+175) 8 (-105) -105
Kansas City: Sinister-handed Danny Duffy had a breakthrough season in 2016 – going 12-3 with a 3.51 ERA – and will have his first opening day start of his professional career. The Royals suffered a case of the dreaded World Series Hangover, finishing the 2016 regular season with an 81-81 record and becoming the fourth straight World Series champions to miss the postseason the following year.
Minnesota: Ervin Santana will make his second consecutive opening day start. The right-hander was the Twins’ best 2016 starter with a 3.38 ERA. Minnesota has won two of their three opening day games against Kansas City; however, the Twins have not won on opening day since March 31st, 2008, when they defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3-2.
Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox MLB betting preview
Time: 4:10 PM
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Sportsbook odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Tigers -1½ (+135) 7½ (EV) -120
White Sox +1½ (-155) 7½ (-120) +110
Detroit: Dextral pitcher Justin Verlander will start for the Tigers on opening day for the ninth time in the last 10 years. Verlander held the White Sox to a .203 average with 28 strikeouts in 21 innings last season. Additionally, Verlander had his best season yet in 2016, going 16-9 with a 3.04 ERA and 254 strikeouts. The Tigers are expected to field the same starters at seven positions from Opening Day a year ago, but will have a different Opening Day starter in center field for the fourth straight year.
Chicago: Sinistral Quintana will make his first opening day start. The Colombian has had four consecutive seasons with at least 200 innings and 32 starts. Quintana tossed 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball against Team USA in the first round of the World Baseball Classic. The White Sox will rely on experienced batters Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu – the latter of whom is 11 for 29 with four home runs against Verlander, including two in 2016.
Cleveland Indians vs. Texas Rangers MLB betting preview
Time: 7:05 PM
Venue: Globe Life Park
Sportsbook odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Indians -1½ (+145) 8 (-105) -115
Rangers +1½ (-165) 8 (-115) +105
Cleveland: Right-handed Cy Young second runner-up Corey Kluber will make his third opening start in a row. Kluber has had three consecutive 200-inning/200 strikeout seasons. Kluber had a league-best 149 ERA+ and 3.26 Fielding Independent Pitching mark in 2016. Dominican professional baseball first baseman Edwin Encarnación – the Kevin Durant to the Indian’s Golden State Warriors – will make his regular season debut tonight.
Texas: Righty Yu Darvish will join a long line of different pitchers who have started for the Rangers on opening day. Moreover, this will be Darvish’s first full season since undergoing TJS in 2015. The Japanese pitcher had a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts last season, but he struggled with a sore shoulder three starts after coming back from the DL. He has only 244 2/3 innings since the start of 2014.