Wagering and Watching on Opening Day

For baseball fans, it doesn’t get any better than this, the official beginning of the season. All the teams playing at home have festive occasions and optimism is running high from coast to coast. For baseball bettors, the numbers crunching begins having 15 games to choose almost every five out of seven days for the six months. Here is a look at the five televised games on the worldwide leader to kick off Opening Day.

1:00 E - N.Y. Mets at Cincinnati – ESPN

Who are the kings of Opening Day, none other than the New York Mets. Dating back 41 years, New York is 30-11 for a jaw-dropping 73.2 percent winning percentage. Their chances today will be enhanced starting Johan Santana, who has been the best pitcher in baseball the last four years. How good, he leads the majors in ERA, win percentage, strikeouts, opponents batting average and is tied for most wins at 88 with Roy Oswalt. The Mets are -155 favorite at Betjamaica.com with a total Un7.5 and Santana is 95-30 (+35.2 Units) against the money line as a favorite of -150 or more. (Team's Record) The Reds Aaron Harang is coming off 17-loss season and his team is 19-8 as an underdog when he pitches the last two years.

2:00 E – Tampa Bay at Boston – ESPN2

It’s a rematch of last season’s American League championship. Tampa Bay will look to defend its title starting at a place they where they used to be soundly beaten. The Rays are 25-68 against Boston at Fenway Park; however they won four of six in September and October to help propel them to first ever playoffs and World Series. James Shields believes he’s a 20-game winner if he pitches better on the road and this will be excellent opportunity to test his belief. The Red Sox are -145 home favorites and with Ov8.5 total, with Josh Becket taking the mound. Boston was 32-12 (+14.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 last season and would like to reestablish dominance at home from the start.

4:00 E - N.Y. Yankees at Baltimore – ESPN

The New York Yankees will trot out one of their high-priced jewels when C.C. Sabathia takes the mound in Baltimore. The big left-hander will average 23 million over the next seven years wearing the pinstripes and the keynote target will look to help Yankees to return of playoffs. Sabathia comes back to the American League and is a -190 road favorite in the opener. The lefty is 5-0 in nine starts against the Orioles and will face Jeremy Guthrie. The rebuilding O’s were 12-34 in day games a season ago and try to change their luck in that area. Surprisingly, Baltimore has split last 18 meetings with New York at Camden Yards.

7:00 E – Chicago Cubs at Houston – ESPN2

Chicago Cubs fans are weary of “maybe next year” and want to see their team not just win another division. They will open up on the road against division foe Houston, with a great pitching matchup. Carlos Zambrano wasn’t his usual dominating self in the second half and the Cubs need him to return to being one of the best pitchers in the National League. Roy Oswalt had an unusual year for him. His ERA was running over five in June and had people wondering if the wear and tear of years was finally taking its toll. Instead, Oswalt found his groove and was 10-2 with 2.24 ERA in the second half. The money line has been back and forth with each team being a slight favorite. The Astros have taken eight of last 14 at home with the Under the play at 11-2-1.

9:00 E - Oakland at L.A. Angels – ESPN

With injuries to other starters, Joe Saunders drew the Opening Day assignment and he actually has earned it. Off an All-Star appearance and 17-win season, the left-hander has been one of the safest bets in baseball. In has career, Saunders is 32-15 and last season the Angels won 24 of 32 his starts (75 percent). The Halos are -150 money line home favorite with total of 8.5 and they are 19-5 when Saunders takes the ball and oddsmakes make total 8.5 to 10. Oakland made off-season moves to bolster anemic offense coming off their first back-to-back losing seasons since 1993-98, when they had six straight. Dallas Braden earns the start for the A’s, who were 40-20 UNDER as a road underdog of +100 or higher in 2008. These bitter rivals have split last 20 contests at the Big A in Anaheim.