Colorado Rockies at Miami Marlins
Kyle Freeland (17-7, 2.85 ERA) vs. Jose Urena (9-12, 3.98 ERA)
First pitch: 1:10 p.m. Pacific
LOSS Over/Under: 8
Without question, Freeland was one of the National League’s biggest breakout stories in 2018, stringing together an impressive 2.85 ERA — the best in franchise history — to go with his 17-7 record. He ended up finishing fourth in the Cy Young voting as a result of his stellar campaign.
Can he produce an encore in his third major league season? That remains to be seen but the left-hander will be in a position to succeed out of the gate. Miami is still sporting most of last year’s lineup, one that finished dead-last in baseball in team batting average (.228) and OPS (.643) against southpaws.
Meanwhile, Urena is getting his second straight Opening Day assignment. His season debut a year ago began with an inauspicious start but that experience figures to only help the 27-year-old in terms of handling nerves.
Outside of that, Urena looks to be trending up. He ended last season strong, winning all five of his September starts while etching a 1.20 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. We should also benefit from him pitching during the daytime, as his afternoon splits throughout his career easily dwarf his numbers in the evening.
The line is either 7.5 or 8 depending on your book. I was fortunately able to grab it at 8, but if you’re stuck with that 7.5 number, I still recommend nabbing this under wager. UNDER 8 (-125)
Results
2019 MLB (0-1-0) Overall Record: 0-1-0