St. Louis at Pittsburgh MLB Betting Report for Opening Day

Each year, Opening Day is an exciting moment for MLB fans as their teams emerge from the long winter and start playing meaningful games once again. When Opening Day dawns, all of the teams are 0-0, and they all face the same long march toward the World Series in October. Let’s take a look at the first matchup of the MLB betting season. The season’s opener traditionally features the St. Louis Cardinals, and they meet the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road at 1pm Eastern time. The Cardinals are starting Adam Wainwright on the mound, while the Pirates will roll with Francisco Liriano.

#OpeningDayPNC Countdown! We’re now only THREE days away! pic.twitter.com/djy1R99ZLn

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 31, 2016

St. Louis at Pittsburgh MLB Betting Report for Opening Day and Game Info

When: Sunday, April 3, 1 PM ET Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh TV: ESPN Stream: WatchESPN Radio: St. Louis / Pittsburgh Opening MLB Lines: TBA

Why Should You Bet on St. Louis?

There are a lot of people who think that the Cardinals are ready for a slide, but this is the group that won 100 games in the regular season, leaving the Cubs and Pirates (who both won more than 85 games) in wild card positions. The Cardinals did not make it to the World Series, and John Lackey is now pitching for the Cubs, but the team has Adam Wainwright back in the starting rotation, after missing almost an entire season with an Achilles tear, and Matt Holliday is healthy too. Yadier Molina should be back behind the plate in April after a pair of thumb surgeries. Wainwright is on the hill for the opener and should be ready to take on the Bucs.

Why Should You Put Your Money on the Pirates?

Pittsburgh will be rolling out Francisco Liriano as their starting pitcher. The Pirates have won 280 games in the last three regular seasons, second only in MLB to — you guessed it — the Cardinals. They feature the best outfield in MLB, anchored by center fielder Andrew McCutchen, already a rising star in the major leagues. Starling Marte (LF) could be an All-Star this year, while Gregory Polanco (RF) could be the most purely talented of the three. Gerrit Cole is another terrific starter along with Liriano, and this is an improved infield defense as well.

Expert Betting Pick and Final Score Prediction

I like the Pirates to ride the momentum of playing at home on Opening Day against their hated divisional rivals. I’m picking Pittsburgh to win, 5-3.