Colorado Sportsbooks Welcome Bets on the Rockies and MLB Opening Night

After months of dealing with contentious labor strife and the coronavirus threat, Major League Baseball will open their shortened 2020 season on Thursday night.

On opening night, some of the best teams in baseball highlight the sport’s return. The New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Dodgers, all World Series contenders, play on Thursday night.

The return of MLB gives Colorado sportsbooks their first taste of wagering on a major US sport and a local professional franchise. Colorado bettors have eagerly anticipated the Rockies’ first game against the Texas Rangers at the new Globe Life Field.

New York Yankees at Washington Nationals (Thursday, 7 p.m. EST)

The first game of the 2020 MLB season is an absolute blockbuster. The Yankees, headlined by their free agent offseason prize, pitcher Gerrit Cole, faces off against ace Max Scherzer and, last season’s World Series champions, the Nationals.

While the pitching matchup takes the spotlight, both teams feature offenses that can score runs by the handful. For New York, the break allowed slugging outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to get over nagging injuries. Washington is welcoming back young superstar Juan Soto to the lineup after missing first two weeks of summer camp for unknown reasons.

Even with the two potent offenses, Colorado sports betting sites have uniformly set the total at 7.5 runs. Bet Monarch currently offers the best odds at -103 for the over total. Fox Bet’s under on the game provide the best value for bettors at -105.

For the moneyline bet, the sportsbooks have set the Yankees as a large favorite. New York’s best odds are located at FanDuel -138 and BetMGM -139. If you are interested in a Washington moneyline play, Bet Monarch is offering +130 on the underdog.

Most sportsbooks have installed spread bets for the 2020 season. The Nationals are getting 1.5 runs from each sportsbook against the Yankees. BetMGM is offering -139 on a Nationals spread bet, while the Yankees are getting +115 on a -1.5 runs bet.

San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers (Thursday, 10 p.m. EST)

The Los Angeles Dodgers, the favorite to represent the National League in the 2020 World Series, host their rival, the San Francisco Giants on opening night. The Dodgers will run three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw to the mound against the Giants’ Johnny Cueto.

If you are looking for the best lineup in baseball, it is hard to argue against the Dodgers’ talented group of hitters. Not only does LA have last year’s MVP Cody Bellinger, but they added 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts this offseason.

San Francisco don’t match up well with the Dodgers as they continue their rebuild efforts after winning three World Series over a five-year span starting in 2010.

The spread bet for the Dodgers and Giants offers a variety of interesting bets. BetMGM is giving San Francisco a whopping 2.5 runs at -125, with the Dodgers at minus 2.5 runs at +105. All other sportsbooks are offering a spread of 1.5 runs.

The moneyline bet does not offer much in the way of value for the Dodgers. At DraftKings and Bet Rivers, Los Angeles has moneyline odds of -295 for a straight win. The Giants’ best odds for a straight win rests at BetMGM at +290.

For the total runs scored, three sportsbooks set the total at 7.5 runs, with the other three at 8 runs. For the over 7.5 runs, DraftKings and Bet Rivers offer -117 for bettors. Bet Monarch has set the odds for an over 8 total at -102.

Colorado Rockies at Texas Rangers (Friday, 8 p.m. EST)

The Colorado Rockies open their 2020 season as the first guests in the Texas Rangers’ new ballpark. For the Rockies, ace German Marquez takes the mound against the Rangers’ Lance Lynn.

In 2019, Marquez once again pitched much better on the road than at Coors Field. His road ERA last season was 3.67 compared to a 6.26 ERA in Denver. Starting the season in Texas, against a team that likes to strikeout, could see Marquez posting double-digit strikeouts.

Lynn somehow navigated his first year in Texas with one of the best seasons of his career. At Globe Life Park, well known as a launching pad, Lynn posted an impressive 3.50 ERA. If the 33-year old continues the momentum for 2019 and encouraging returns from summer camp, Lynn could stifle the Rockies’ big bats.

The coronavirus took its toll as each team lost a superstar to positive tests. For the Rockies, it appears that right fielder and leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon will be ready for opening day. Same goes for Rangers’ slugger Joey Gallo, who registered both positive and negative test results forcing him to miss time.

One of the biggest unknown bets for the Rockies’ first game is the total runs wager. Even with the over/under set at a whopping 9.5 runs, bettors are unsure how the new ballpark will play. So, this could be a recipe for a low scoring game, although both teams are known as run-scoring juggernauts.

Fox Bet is offering +100 on the over 9.5 runs and -118 on the under. The Rockies are also receiving 1.5 runs at Fox Bet at -170.

The best moneyline value on the Rockies is offered at DraftKings as Colorado +123 is a slight underdog over Texas at +139.