Top MLB Picks and Predictions Today (Bet Angels, Cardinals, Guardians to Win on Opening Day)

Happy Opening Day!

Baseball is back, and the BetSided team has you covered with previews and picks for each game on Thursday, April 7.

Here are some of our favorites, with all odds via WynnBET Sportsbook:

Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels Prediction and Pick

MLB’s new rule that allows Ohtani to stay in the game as a hitter even if he is not pitching makes this an intriguing game to bet on. 

Last season, Ohtani was extremely solid on the mound, going 9-2 with a 3.18 earned run average and striking out 10.8 batters per nine innings. That was overshadowed by his insane season at the plate, but the reigning MVP truly is a dual-threat. 

I like Ohtani in this matchup on the mound a bit more than Houston ace Framber Valdez, who was solid in his own right in the 2021 season. 

I think there is some value on the under in this game if both pitchers live up to their potential, but I’m going to side with the Angels as my best bet. L.A. should have a bit more offensive firepower with Trout now healthy, and I’m all about Ohtani on the bump, as I picked him to win AL Cy Young this season.

Lean: Angels Moneyline (-120) -- Peter Dewey

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.

Cleveland Guardians vs. Kansas City Royals Prediction and Pick

I like the Guardians to roll on opening day. While Bieber may have had a concerning Spring Training (7 earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched) after missing most of last season, I'm not going to read too much into it.

When he is healthy, Bieber is a Cy Young candidate, he is second on the oddsbaord at WynnBET for AL Cy Young this season, and I expect him to find success against a limited Royals lineup.

Meanwhile, the Royals brought back former ace Zack Greinke, who is entering the final stages of his career. He posted a 4.16 ERA last year for the Astros and I'm not high on his prospects in 2022. He allowed a career high 30 home runs last season and could be looking at a poor first start against big bats in the Guardians lineup like Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes.

LEAN: Guardians -120 -- Reed Wallach

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals Prediction and Pick

The Pirates seem content with failure and did nothing to make their team better this offseason. At least this makes predicting the output from Pitt’s offense a bit easier. The 2021 Pirates were the 30th ranked team in terms of runs per game, bases per game, RBIs per game, and slugging percentage. Frankly, they were the worst offense in the MLB. Their pitching didn’t help in the least and posted an ERA of 5.08 and a combined WHIP of 1.44. So, the Pirates are the worst of both worlds. They can’t hit, and they can't pitch.  

Meanwhile, the Cardinals ranked in the top 15 in most major categories in 2021 and arguably got a bit better this offseason. But only slightly. The Cardinals are another team that was pretty dormant in free agency. Therefore we can glean some information from last year’s stats. What I see is an above-average team with potential.

Unless something drastically changes, I will be auto-fading the Pirates on the run line in most games, including this one. 

Pick: Cardinals -1.5 (-105) -- Matt De Saro

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE

Check out the season long predictions for MLB from the BetSided team here!