Opening Day is upon us!
The New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers kick off of the action at 3 p.m. EST on Thursday with Carlos Rodon taking the mound against Freddy Peralta.
Oddsmakers have the Yankees favored in this game, but departures from last season’s team that made a World Series appearance and injuries to two key stars have certainly changed the ceiling of this New York squad.
Here’s a look at the odds, players to bet in the prop market, probable pitchers and my prediction for this Opening Day matchup.
Brewers vs. Yankees Odds, Run Line and Total
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Run Line
- Brewers +1.5 (-166)
- Yankees -1.5 (+140)
Moneyline
- Brewers: +130
- Yankees: -155
Total
- 8 (Over -105/Under -115)
Brewers vs. Yankees Probable Pitchers
- Milwaukee: Freddy Peralta (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
- New York: Carlos Rodon (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Brewers vs. Yankees How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, March 27
- Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Yankee Stadium
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN
- Brewers record: 0-0
- Yankees record: 0-0
Brewers vs. Yankees Best MLB Prop Bets
Brewers Best MLB Prop Bet
- Freddy Peralta OVER 5.5 Strikeouts (-165)
Last season, Peralta punched out 200 batters in 173.2 innings, clearing 5.5 K’s in 21 of his 32 starts.
He also started the season strong in 2024, picking up at least seven K’s in all but one start in March and April. He’s worth a shot against a depleted Yankees lineup compared to last season.
Yankees Best MLB Prop Bet
- Aaron Judge OVER 0.5 Walks (-165)
Judge has led the American League in walks in two of the last three seasons, and he led all of baseball with 133 walks in the 2024 campaign. Now, with Giancarlo Stanton hurt and Juan Soto with the New York Mets, Judge may have an even bigger season when it comes to walks in 2025.
Simply put, the Yankees don’t have the bats to protect Judge in the order, and it may make more sense to a lot of teams to simply pitch around him. At this price, Judge is a great bet on Opening Day.
Brewers vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick
Last season, the Brewers dominated in Peralta’s starts, winning 19 of those 32 games while he posted an 11-9 record and 3.68 ERA.
The Yankees actually posted the same record in Rodon’s starts, but his peripheral numbers weren’t nearly as good as Peralta. The lefty had a 3.96 ERA and 4.39 FIP despite posting a 2.48 ERA over the first month of the season.
The Yankees are a much worse team than last season with Stanton and Gerrit Cole hurt and Juan Soto now in a Mets uniform.
Meanwhile, I think Peralta is one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball, and he did toss a gem (six innings, one run) on Opening Day last season.
Since I like Milwaukee’s starter better, I’ll gladly take it at plus money to win the first five innings.
Pick: Brewers First 5 Innings Moneyline (+120 at DraftKings)
