MLB season opens with dueling Aces

Mar 31, 2008 / By Nick Bailey

The San Diego Padres host the Houston Astros Monday night in the 2008 MLB season opener for both clubs.

The Padres are a -150-moneyline favorite at Sportsbook.com while the over/under total is 7.

Both teams will be starting their aces, as the Astros will have righthander Roy Oswalt on the mound and the Padres will start RHP Jake Peavy, last season’s NL Cy Young Award winner.

Oswalt finished the 2007 campaign with a 14-7 record and a 3.18 ERA in 33 appearances (32 starts). He begins the season on the mound for a franchise-record sixth time, and owns a 7-1 mark with a 2.27 earned run average over 11 career games (nine starts) against the Padres. Oswalt faced the Padres twice in 2007, going 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA.

Peavy is making his third straight start on Opening Day. He led the league in wins, strikeouts and earned run average last season, compiling a 19-6 mark with a 2.54 ERA and 240 K's through 34 starts.

He is 6-4 lifetime with a 2.23 earned run average in 12 starts against the Astros. Peavy went 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two starts against Monday's opponent last season.

Houston won the 2007 season series with San Diego by a 4-3 count after the teams split six meetings the year before.

Houston is 5-1 SU in its past six, 5-2 SU in its past seven on the road, and 4-2 SU in its past six on the road against San Diego.

San Diego is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home.

There is a big “under” trend: The total has gone under in four of the past five meetings overall, under in five of the past five meetings in San Diego, and under in four of Houston's past five.

The game starts at 10:05 pm ET and can be seen on ESPN.

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