After a lengthy absence in the baseball world, things are ramping up and approaching a return to play. Luckily fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Washington Nationals are approaching their teams’ Opening Day on July 23rd. That being said, MLB lines released on SBD offer a chance for fans to get back into betting on Major League Baseball games.
Opening Day of the 2020 Major League Baseball season is July 23rd, where two contests will kick off the shortened 60-game season. Take a look at each matchup and how things shake out with the latest MLB lines from Sports Betting Dime:
New York Yankees (-128) versus Washington Nationals (+110) at 7:08 EDT
The first game of the 2020 big league season will take place at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, on the 2019 World Series Champions home turf. According to the MLB released lines on SBD, the Nationals(+110) are not favorites even in their home ballpark.
The biggest question here is going to be the depth and length of the pitching staff for each side. It is almost 100% certainly going to be Gerrit Cole, who is new to the pinstripes after signing a record-breaking contract this offseason. Cole comes from the Houston Astros, who just lost to the Nationals in the 2019 World Series, leaving a sour taste in Cole’s mouth who could be out for revenge.
On the opposing side of things, “Mad” Max Scherzer will most likely be toeing the rubber for the Nationals, meaning this could be a battle of pitching. But it is hard to count out the fact that the Yankees (-128) have a very deep lineup and have the edge on the betting line for this game.
With all of this time off between the COVID-19 pandemic raging on and stalled negotiations between the league and Major League Baseball Players’ Association, the Yankees had time to heal. As menial as that sounds since all teams had this, the Yankees had been bitten heavily by the injury bug, but players like Giancarlo Stanton should be ready to go by Opening Day.
Other players like Aaron Judge has been battling neck stiffness, and Aaron Hicks had Tommy John Surgery but is looking to be ready by Opening Day. Even with a close line, the outlook for the Yankees off the bat seems to be fantastic.
The betting value here seems to favor the Yankees, who are World Series favorites and looking to make a statement by beating the 2019 World Series Champs to kick off the 2020 season. With such a close call according to the released lines on SBD, the Yankees had the edge, but it will be close.
San Francisco Giants (+245) versus Los Angeles Dodgers (-290) at 10:08 EDT
The second game on Opening Day takes place on the west coast, where the 2020 World Series favorite Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Bay Area San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are the favorites based on the SBD World Series futures odds.
Looking at the released lines from SBD, the Dodgers (-290) are the clear favorites over the Giants (+245) as they should be. With the Dodgers pulling arguably one of the biggest blockbuster trades, getting former American League MVP Mookie Betts in a deal with the Boston Red Sox.
Having Mookie Betts and 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger in the same outfield would give almost any team an edge over the opponents. The Dodgers will send veteran ace Clayton Kershaw to the hill to square off with the NL West rival Giants.
The Giants have not made an official announcement, but it would be likely to see Johnny Cueto return to the mound in 2020 and open up the season. All-in-all, the Giants lineup is no match for the Dodgers star-studded lineup that should get the season off to a roaring start.
While the Dodgers feature such a strong lineup, the Giants are in a rebuild, and one of their trusted veteran players, Buster Posey, has opted out of the 2020 season. The Giants are relying on veterans nearing the end of their careers to get the team through while they rebuild, and they certainly are no match for the Dodgers.
These two division rivals will square off to kick off the 2020 season, and the Dodgers have a clear advantage and offer the most upside with the lines released on SBD. The value here is definitely to side with the Dodgers.
