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Three For Thursday – STLCards’ Best Baseball Bets & MLB Predictions

Justin Van Zuiden Thu 4/7 12:11pm PT
(Image Credit: Imagn)

Greetings, SAO readers! Each Thursday, I am going to bring you three of my favorite bets for the day in a quick, easy to read article that we’ll call “Three For Thursday.”

This Thursday is extra special because… it’s opening day for MLB betting on your favorite sportsbook! Let’s dig in and find some profitable betting picks!

Opening Day MLB Predictions

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs

The wind should be blowing out at Wrigley Field at a pretty good clip on Opening Day, and that’s bad news for the Cubs. Why, you ask? Well, the Cubs have a “pitch to contact” starter in Kyle Hendricks on the mound, while the Brewers have one of the best strikeout pitchers in baseball in Corbin Burnes going for them. Burnes will simply miss more bats than Hendricks.

More balls in play for the Brewers means more chances for offense in the favorable weather, so give me the run line here. I expect the Brewers to get some baserunners and hit a couple of multi-run home runs, while Burnes will limit action on the bases and limit the Cubs to a solo home run or two.

San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Madison Bumgarner simply isn’t a major league “ace” quality pitcher anymore. He has struggled against right-handed power bats for years, pitching to a 5.03 xFIP against RHBs a year ago. The Padres will load the middle of their lineup with their right-handed hitters, and I like them to win this game with Yu Darvish on the mound against a mediocre Arizona lineup.

If you’re into MLB player props, Manny Machado and/or Luke Voit to hit a home run are two of my favorite prop bets of the day.

New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals

The Nationals are coming off a woeful spring, and they simply lack thump in their lineup outside of Juan Soto. I can’t imagine teams allowing Soto to beat them, particularly early in the year.

Tylor Megill is a quality young starter that should hold down a listless offense, and I’m banking on a bit of a comeback year for Washington SP Patrick Corbin. There’s no doubt that he was dreadful in 2021, but the talent is there. This profiles as a 5-2 type of game for me, so give me the under nine.