New York at Washington

This will be an emotional opener for Washington, raising its first World Series banner. The Nationals had a storybook run in October, but like many champions, they lost some key personnel in the offseason, including All-Star third baseman Anthony Rendon, Brian Dozier, and Matt Adams. Max Scherzer gets the call, but he had a losing record at home last year and turns 36 this week. He faces a powerhouse New York offense that caught a break with the three-month MLB shutdown, which allowed sluggers Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge to heal from injuries. 29-year old Gerrit Cole takes the mound, who is in his prime and is coming off another dominating season (20-5, 2.50 ERA), fanning 326 batters in 214 innings. Cole has been strong on the road over the last three seasons at 24-13, with 3.14 ERA. The Yankees have a bullpen edge, as well, and are 57-24 as a favorite. Play the New York Yankees.