This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
All lines courtesy of the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Detroit Tigers 
+185 vs. New York Yankees 
(Tyler Alexander vs. Gerrit Cole)
Besides liking the Tigers just in a general way, I don't see why Gerrit Cole should be listed as a huge favorite right now, especially on the road. He simply hasn't been pitching very well recently, allowing three homers and six earned runs in 9.2 innings to start the year. It's hard to predict how effective he's going to be this afternoon vs. a pretty good Detroit lineup hitting in their own park. Meanwhile, Tigers pitcher Tyler Alexander was able to shut out the good Red Sox lineup through five innings in his season debut and also was quite effective towards the end of last season, allowing more than two earned runs just once over the final six weeks. He also fared well in his only appearance vs. the Yankees, allowing one run over three innings in late April last year. This is a generous price on the home Tigers in a game that figures to be competitive.
St. Louis Cardinals 
(-110) at Miami Marlins 
(Adam Wainwright vs. Jesus Luzardo)
Jesus Luzardo is a very talented pitcher who was very highly regarded with Oakland, but he struggled mightily last year, and surprisingly found himself traded to the Marlins in a late-season deal for Starling Marte. Just the fact that Oakland was willing to cut bait with him so early (even for a good player like Marte) sends up a bunch of red flags, but Luzardo has looked very good this spring, and was brilliant in his season opener vs. the Angels, striking out 12 batters over just 5.0 innings. That said, I don't think he should be listed at a pick'em vs. Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals here. Wainwright has been pitching extremely well for a long time now (aside from his clunker vs. the Brewers last week), while the Cardinals definitely have the better offense and good bullpen. If it matters, Wainwright made one start vs. the Marlins last year, and looked good, allowing just two runs over six innings. Decent value at the pick'em price.
Houston Astros 
F5 -0.5, -105 vs. Los Angeles Angels 
(Framber Valdez vs. Patrick Sandoval)
Same situation as yesterday's winning Astros pick. Framber Valdez is excellent, so pitching edge to the Astros, who also have the better offense, in addition to the home-field edge. Yesterday was actually Houston's home opener, where they won 8-3 behind a pair of homers from the returning Yordan Alvarez. So the Astros now have all their big hitters back in the lineup, and also have a bit of momentum, while the Angels were missing both Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon from last night's game. Either player may not be available for tonight's game. Rendon missed yesterday with a stomach bug, so he may not be feeling at 100% even if he does play. Pretty definitive edge to the Astros, so it's fair to expect them to have a lead after five innings. The full game run line is another good option at the current +135 price.
Seattle Mariners 
F5 -0.5, +100 vs. Texas Rangers 
(Robbie Ray vs. Jon Gray)
This game marks the home debut of Seattle's big free-agent signing (and last year's Cy Young winner) Robbie Ray. He's had mixed results through his two starts this year, but he should find T-Mobile Park to be a more favorable home park to pitch in than he had in Toronto or Arizona, and I think the Mariners have an underrated lineup and are definitely one of the better teams in baseball right now. As long as Ray can keep his walks under control (always his main problem), there's a good chance Seattle can take the lead and win this game. Good team to follow in general.
