We’re mere days into the 2026 MLB season, and there’s already some must-watch action on the diamond. All-Star pitchers such as Aaron Nola, Tyler Glasnow and Bryan Woo are all expected to take the mound. There’s also plenty of contenders set to face off, including Tigers-Padres, Rangers-Phillies and Guardians-Mariners.
With so many matchups on deck, bettors will have ample opportunity to put down some wagers. Before the start of Saturday’s contests, here are three MLB bets worth placing on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Athletics vs. Blue Jays over 8.5 runs (-102)
We’ll kick things off with an intriguing afternoon showdown in Canada, where the reigning American League champs started things off on a high note. Andres Gimenez delivered a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the ninth on Friday, giving Toronto a 3-2 season-opening victory. The only downside? Closer Jeff Hoffman blew a two-run lead during the top half of the inning. It’s safe to assume that he, and setup man Tyler Rogers, are unlikely to pitch this evening. That leaves the Blue Jays thin in this one when it comes to bullpen depth.
That’s not optimal on most nights, especially at the very start of the season. High-priced acquisition Dylan Cease is set to make his team debut on Saturday. The right-hander has often struggled with control issues; he notched a 1.33 WHIP last season. A talented Athletics lineup is capable of running up the pitch count early as well. On the flip side, the visitors will hand the ball to left-hander Jeffrey Springs. In 2025, Toronto batters posted the league’s fourth-highest OPS vs. southpaws (.755). Mere hours after Friday’s dramatics, an offensive outburst feels more than likely.
Giants ML (+109)
It’s been a tough start to the season for San Francisco, and that’s putting it lightly. The Giants still have yet to score a run, getting shut out in two straight games against the Yankees. This is never going to be an elite offense, but that kind of performance at any point in the year is unacceptable. A lineup that possesses former All-Stars in Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman should be a bit more potent. It doesn’t help that New York threw out two terrific arms in Max Fried and Cam Schlittler.
The Pinstripes will hand the ball to Will Warren for Saturday’s series finale. The right-hander’s rookie campaign was a mixed bag. Despite solid advanced metrics, he was very inconsistent last season. That was especially true on the road, where he posted a dismal 5.52 ERA. For the Giants, Tyler Mahle will be on the bump in this one. Injuries have held back the righty throughout his nine-year MLB career. However, he’s effective when healthy. Yankees batters Jazz Chisholm, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton are a combined 1-of-17 when facing Mahle. That bodes well for San Francisco’s chances at earning an upset.
Astros -1.5 (+141)
Two games in, and two straight losses for the Astros. Multiple defeats happen to even the best clubs, but dropping a pair to the Angels of all teams? Not ideal. During this stretch, Houston has only managed to plate two total runs. That’s unexpected for a lineup that still has plenty of star power. With that being said, it’s probably just a matter of time until this group starts heating up. What better time to do so than against Reid Detmers? Los Angeles’ starter has struggled mightily in this spot previously. Over 43.2 innings vs. Houston, he owns a ghastly 7.83 ERA.
For the home team, it’ll be Cristian Javier on the mound. Injuries have limited the 29-year-old throughout his career. However, when healthy, the Dominican has shown flashes of greatness. Over 37.2 innings, the righty delivered a mediocre 4.62 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. However, his 3.65 FIP suggests that was partially due to bad luck. Javier owns a 2.93 ERA over nine appearances against the Angels as well. In his last outing against the Halos, back in August, Houston’s hurler tossed six no-hit innings. With a pitching advantage and a deeper lineup, this feels like a nice bounce-back opportunity for the Astros.
