This is a 9* play on the Rockies.

It's opening day. For the most part over the first two weeks, I'm basing my selections on starting pitching. That's not enitrely what we look at, but until we can get a good luck at each team, each pitcher and get a "feel" for what's going on, this is the approach that we take.

Colorado would clearly love to knock off the defending champs here on Opening night.

Coors Field is the great equalizer for starting pitchers, so we don't give Kershaw a big advantage here.

In fact, Kershaw enters the new season off a terrible spring in which he has allowed 14 runs off 17 hits over his final 7 1/3's innings of work.

In nine career starts against the Dodgers, German Marquez is 2-1 with a 2.54 ERA, striking out 58 over 56 2/3's innings of work.

Great value on the home side here!

Good luck, NP