PREDICTION MLB MONDAY 03-04-2017

MIAMI VS WASHINGTON

NL East rivals will make their 2017 MLB regular season debuts, when the Miami Marlins visit the Washington Nationals on Monday afternoon. The Marlins will be forced to pick up the pieces after losing their best player, Jose Fernandez, in the offseason to a boating accident. Second year skipper Don Mattingly will turn to slugger Giancarlo Stanton for leadership on a Miami team that finished three games below .500 overall last season. Christian Yelich is an emerging star in the league after posting career highs in homeruns (21) and RBIs (98) for the Marlins.

First year Miami pitcher Edison Volquez will head to the hill in the opener. Volquez was 10-11 with a 5.37 ERA for the Royals last season.
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The Washington Nationals won the second most games in the majors last season, but were bounced from the playoffs by the Los Angeles Dodgers. This offseason, Washington made some questionable moves with their eye on winning it all right now. The Nationals traded away three of their top pitching prospects to the Chicago White Sox for CF Adam Eaton. Bryce Harper regressed after winning the MVP in 2015 and finished last season with a .243 batting average to go along with 24 homeruns. 

Veteran skipper Dusty Baker will turn to dominant right-hander Stephen Strasburg on Monday. Strasburg was 15-4 with a 3.60 ERA over 24 starts in 2016.
Recent Betting Trends:
Marlins are 5-11 in their last 16 road games.
Nationals are 6-1 in Strasburgs last 7 starts during game 1 of a series.
Over is 9-2-2 in Marlins last 13 road games.
Over is 22-8-1 in Strasburgs last 31 starts overall.
Nationals are 8-1 in Strasburgs last 9 home starts vs. Marlins.
Free Betting Pick: OVER 7.5
Washington 3B Anthony Rendon (leg) is listed as questionable for this matchup. Last season, the Marlins ranked 25th in OPS and 4th in batting average. Washington ranked 12th in OPS and 17th in batting average a season ago. Take the over on Monday. Final Score Prediction, Washington Nationals win in high scoring game 6-4.

ATLANTA VS METS

On Monday afternoon, Citi Field will play host to the regular season debuts for the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. The Braves have been rebuilding over the past few seasons and are positioned to be more competitive. Atlanta finished in last place in the NL East with 68 victories last year and were 28th in runs scored at 4.03 runs per game. First baseman Freddie Freeman is one of the best hitters in the game and hit 34 homeruns last season.

Twenty-six year old righty Julio Teheran (7-10 3.1 ERA) will take the mound for the Braves. Teheran allowed just three runs over 30 innings versus New York in 2016.
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The New York Mets took dealt with numerous injuries last season and were unable to make it back to the World Series. The Mets finished second in the NL East with 87 victories and were shutout by Madison Bumgarner during a 3-0 Wildcard loss versus San Francisco. Being blanked by a pitcher of that quality is not an issue, but the Mets finished 26th in runs scored during the regular season. 

New York will give the ball to hard-throwing right Noah Syndergaard on Monday. Syndergaard posted a 2.60 ERA over 183 plus frames and won 14 games last year.
Recent Betting Trends:
Braves are 5-2 in Teherans last 7 starts.
Mets are 0-6 in Syndergaards last 6 starts during game 1 of a series.
Under is 7-3 in Teherans last 10 road starts.
Under is 4-1 in Syndergaards last 5 starts during game 1 of a series.
Braves are 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in New York.
Free Betting Pick: New York Mets -170
New York closer Jeurys Familia has been suspended for the first 15 games of the season. Last season, the Braves ranked 27th in OPS and 19th in batting average. New York ranked 17th in OPS and 25th in batting average a season ago. Look for the Mets to start the season off strong. Final Score Prediction, New York Mets win 5-2.

PIRATAS VS BOSTON

Interleague baseball will take place on Monday, as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox open up their seasons From Fenway Park. The Pirates failed to reach the postseason in 2016, snapping a streak of three consecutive trips. Injuries to key players were a big factor, but the Pirates haven’t been able to lure big-name free agents to bolster their solid core. The talented OF trio of Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, and Gregory Polanco need to stay healthy for the Pirates to be in contention in the NL Central Division. 

Twenty-six year old righty Gerrit Cole will get the nod for the Pirates on Monday. Cole owns a career 47-30 record and a 3.23 ERA.

The Boston Red Sox enter the 2017 MLB regular season as the team to beat in the AL East Division. Last season, the Red Sox clinched the division title with 93 victories and an offense that ranked first in the majors in runs scored. Twenty-four year old OF Mookie Betts exploded in 2016 for a .318 average to go along with 31 HRs and 118 RBIs. Veteran Hanley Ramirez hit 30 HRs and drove in 111 runs, while SS Xander Bogaerts is one of the top players at his position.

Boston will turn to 2016 Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello in the season opener. Porcello was a career best 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA last season.
Free Betting Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates +155
Pittsburgh OF Gregory Polanco (shoulder) is expected to be ready for this contest. Last season, the Pirates ranked 15th in OPS and 12th in batting average. Boston ranked 1st in OPS and 1st in batting average a season ago. Pittsburgh will come out of the gates strong behind their ace on Monday. Final Score Prediction, Pittsburgh Pirates win at great underdog price 5-4.

COLORADO VS MILWAUKEE

To kick off the season, the Colorado Rockies and the Milwaukee Brewers will get their first game of the season against each other. The Rockies closed out one great offensive season and are ready for the next while the Brewers are looking to bounce back from a not so great season. Taking the mound for the Rockies is Jon Gray, one of the best and most consistent pitchers in the rotation, and Junior Guerra for the Brewers who had fantastic games last season. 

The Colorado Rockies will take a look at their 25th season, being able to make 3 playoff appearances but no World Championships yet. In those years, the Rockies have a 1784-2042 record in the history of the franchise. On the other hand, the Brewers will take their 49th season in which the Brewers have seen 4 playoff appearances and not a single World Championship.

At the end of 2016, Junior Guerra was the best starting pitcher on the roster, leading the team with an impressive 2.81 ERA in his 20 games started. Guerra had a great record as well, giving the Brewers their best chance, with a 9-3 record and leading the team with a .750 chance of victory. 

Looking at Jon Gray his ERA wasn’t the best in the rotation but saw great performance hitting 4.61 ERA in his 29 games started. Giving a good chance at the Rockies to pile up runs with a 10-10 record on the season. Despite Gray’s higher ERA, Gray was able to come out of the 2016 campaign with a shutout.
Recent Betting Trends:
Rockies are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings.
Over is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Milwaukee.
Brewers are 5-1 in Guerras last 6 starts during game 1 of a series.
Rockies are 2-5 in their last 7 during game 1 of a series.
Free Betting Pick: Milwaukee Brewers -105
Coming into this game, both teams have made new arrangements and the Brewers have given Guerra the leading spot in the rotation. For the Rockies, the offense will need to take care of things while the pitchers settle in the season. In 2016 the Rockies were 2nd overall in offense, finishing with 845 runs and 204 home runs, the Brewers, on the other hand, finished the campaign with the 25th spot 671 runs and 194 home runs. Expect a great outing, but the Brewers to take the win with a much better pitcher on the mound. Final Score prediction Milwaukee Brewers win 5-3.

TORONTO VS BALTIMORE

Two teams known for banging the long ball meet for an opening series. They tied for second (89-73) in the AL East last season, and the Blue Jays eliminated the Orioles in the wildcard game.

Kevin Gausman, a 26-year-old righthander, takes the mound for the Orioles. He was 9-12 with a 3.61 ERA in 30 starts last season. He has a 3.97 career ERA and 1.28 WHIP.

This team relies more on power than pitching. Mark Trumbo crushed 47 home runs last season and drove in 108 runs. He returns in right field. Chris Davis mustered only a .221 batting average but blasted 38 HRs and had 84 RBI. Manny Machado was a force in the middle of the lineup as well, with a .294 / 37 / 96 slash line.

The Blue Jays have to replace the big bat of Edwin Encarnacion, who headed to Cleveland after hitting 42 HRs in Toronto last season. Josh Donaldson returns however, and he'll look to match last seasons .284 / 37 / 99 effort. Age may have slowed Jose Bautista's bat somewhat but he still hit 22 HRs last season. The Blue Jays would love to see him improve his .234 batting average (he's a .255 career hitter).

On the bump for the Blue Jays is Marco Estrada, a solid 33-year-old righthander. He was 9-9 with a 3.48 ERA last season, making 29 starts. He fanned 165 and walked 65, recording a 1.12 WHIP. His career record is 45-43 (3.86 ERA).
Recent Betting Trends:
Blue Jays are 5-1 in Estradas last 6 Monday starts.
Orioles are 3-7 in their last 10 Monday games.
Under is 15-6-1 in Blue Jays last 22 games following an off day.
Under is 7-0 in Orioles last 7 games following an off day.
Free Betting Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -130
Not a huge fan of taking away favorites on opening day but with Toronto having such starting pitching edge have no other choice. Blue Jays Estrada is dominant and Toronto offense does their part and gets easy win Monday. Final Score Prediction, Toronto Blue Jays win 5-3.