Brian Howard highlighted Sandy Alcantara as a possible bounce-back candidate for his second start against the Mets. Alcantara had a tough first outing against Pittsburgh, who Howard noted specifically match up well against his sinker and fastball combination. Despite this matchup disadvantage, Alcantara still looked strong overall beyond the result. Although Howard personally expressed hesitancy because the Marlins lineup gives little confidence compared to expectations, he noted Alcantara's talent and suggested considering Miami as underdogs in this spot if inclined. However, Howard emphasized caution, ultimately advising bettors to probably just avoid wagering on this game.

Bryce Hunt is confident in the No Run First Inning (NRFI) bet for the Mets and Marlins matchup on April 1st. He pointed out early-season strength of pitchers vs batters and the hitters' challenges in timing this early in the year. Miami starter Sandy Alcantara already looked excellent on opening day against Pittsburgh, generating 16 whiffs while sitting at 97 mph, solid slider usage and effectiveness early before tiring. Kodei Senga for the Mets had limited action last year due to injury but had a great second half in 2023 with his four-seam, cutter, and splitter combination ("ghost fork"). Bryce views Miami as having a weak offense, failing to score a first-inning run in their opening games despite their early 3-1 record. He expects both pitchers to handle opposing lineups easily through the first inning.

Scott Reichel strongly believes bettors and fantasy players should take advantage of Sandy Alcantara's inability to hold runners on base. Despite Alcantara's historically solid performance and Cy Young credentials, Scott noticed Pittsburgh stealing four bases against Alcantara on Opening Day and specifically cited Ke'Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz as examples. He advises closely monitoring stolen base props against Alcantara moving forward as his consistent weakness in holding base runners may create valuable betting and fantasy opportunities.

Derek Carty identified value in betting Sandy Alcantara over 5.5 strikeouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates at +120 odds. With Alcantara getting favorable handedness matchups against six opposing hitters, the projected likelihood of him exceeding the strikeout total is set at 51%, translating to significant expected value ($11.43 EV).

Eric Lindquist advised betting under 4.5 hits allowed for Sandy Alcantara facing the Pirates, explaining Sandy is returning from Tommy John surgery and a stint on the IL, thus limiting his pitch count to approximately 90 pitches. While acknowledging Sandy's past Cy Young-caliber performances, Lindquist believes these restrictions combined with a weak Pirates lineup prone to heavy swings and minimal consistent hitting make the under 4.5 hits allowed bet attractive, particularly at plus-money odds. He further cited historically pitcher-friendly conditions at Miami's home park as supportive.

Mark Zinno thinks the first five innings under is a strong play in the Pirates vs Marlins matchup on Opening Day. He highlighted Miami's starter, Sandy Alcantara, as having a short leash this spring and limited innings heading into the season, suggesting he won't pitch deep into the game. Zinno also noted Miami's bullpen deteriorated significantly following last year's trade deadline, going from surprisingly decent to one of the weakest. Given Marlins' bullpen issues, Zinno strongly implies that if Alcantara exits early, they lose an important pitching edge, creating value on the under through five innings rather than a full game wager where the bullpen becomes a liability. This compounds with Pittsburgh countering with Paul Skenes, a strong pitcher expected to limit Miami's already weak offense.