The set-up: Here's something no one has heard in over 100 years! The Cubs open the new season has defending champs! The curse is finally over but there is no rest for the weary, as the Cubs open their 2017 season with a three-game series in St. Louis against the Cardinals. This rivalry ranks among the most bitter in baseball and it's only intensified lately, with the Cubs now owning 'top dog' status in the NL Central, a division the Cards once dominated. Adding fuel to the fire was Dexter Fowler signing a five-year deal with St. Louis over the winter and leaving Chicago, just like Jason Heyward jilted the Cardinals to sign with Chicago prior to the 2016 season.

The pitching matchup: Jon Lester will make his second Opening Day start for the Cubs. He finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting last year (19-5, 2.44 ERA) and was the MVP of the NLCS. He is 7-5 with a 1.87 ERA in 12 career starts against St. Louis (teams are 7-5). He dominated the Cards last season, going 2-0 with an 0.87 ERA in three starts (Cubs were 3-0). Carlos Martinez opposes the veteran Lester and at 25-years-old, will be the youngest Opening Day starter for St. Louis since Joe Magrane in 1989. Martinez posted 20 quality starts (out of 31) and won a career-best 16 games in 2016 (16-9, 3.04 ERA),.

The pick: The Cards are coming off their first postseason miss since 2010 and would love to spoil the Cubs' 2017 debut but Martinez hasn't had much success against the Cubs, going 3-3 with a 4.67 ERA in 19 games against them, including nine as a starter (team is 5-4 but his ERA is 5.08). Martinez may have been 16-9 last season but t Che were just 17-14 in his starts and actually lost money (minus-$130). As for Lester, the Cubs went 24-8 (plus-$1047) in his 32 starts, including going 12-2 in his 14 starts after the All Star break. Make Chicago an 8* Play