2009 Baseball Article Archive
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Below is a listing of articles appearing on Doc’s site sorted by date.
AL Divisional Series Predictions: Yankees Vs. Twins
by Robert Ferringo - 10/7/2009
Congratulations Minnesota! You just won a modern October classic against Detroit on Tuesday to earn the American League Central crown and a ticket to the "real" playoffs. Your prize is…wait for it...a trip to the Bronx to face the best team in baseball.
Read more about Yankees-Twins MLB Playoff Series Predictions.
NL Divisional Series Predictions: Cardinals Vs. Dodgers
by Robert Ferringo - 10/7/2009
It all just seems too easy, right? Of the three playoff series that begin today the two teams that seem to be penciled in to the League Championship Series are the New York Yankees (over the Twins) and the St. Louis Cardinals over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Read more about Cardinals-Dodgers MLB Playoff Series Predictions.
NL Divisional Series Predictions: Phillies Vs. Rockies
by Robert Ferringo - 10/7/2009
One of the best bets in all of baseball over the last decade-plus has been that the NL Wild Card team is going to spring an upset in the Divisional Series. Over the last 12 years the NL Wild Cards have gone an impressive 8-4 in the NLDS and that includes a stellar 5-2 mark in the opening round over the last seven years. And one of those losses for the WCs took place last year when the Phillies bushwhacked the upstart Milwaukee Brewers.
Read more about Phillies-Rockies MLB Playoff Series Predictions.
AL Divisional Series Predictions: Angels Vs. Red Sox
by Robert Ferringo - 10/6/2009
For the majority of this decade the American League has been a big game of scissors, paper, rock. The New York Yankees (rock) can't beat the Los Angeles Angels (paper). The Angels (paper) can't beat the Boston Red Sox (scissors). And the Red Sox (scissors) can't beat the Yankees (rock).
Read more about Angels-Red Sox MLB Playoffs Preview.
MLB Handicapping: Minnesota Looks for Magic on Second Straight Night
by Robert Ferringo - 10/6/2009
An emotional Monday Night Football win by Minnesota over Green Bay last night the Metrodome will likely be the staging point for another rowdy, bare-chested, beer-infused mob this evening for perhaps an even more emotional Major League Baseball playoff game.
Read more about Tigers Twins Predictions.
MLB One-Game Playoff Preview: Tigers at Twins
by Trevor Whenham - 10/5/2009
It took forever, but the last month of the baseball season has finally provided some drama. The dullest pennant drive in memory has wrapped up with a tie in the AL Central between the Twins and the Tigers. That means that we get to watch the cruelest event in sports on Tuesday afternoon - the one game baseball playoff. Baseball is all about long series that eventually prove the best team, so these one game series are very difficult to assess and handicap.
Read more about MLB Tigers at Twins Preview.
MLB Betting: Cy Young Odds And Analysis
by Trevor Whenham - 9/25/2009
The most exciting races in the league aright now are clearly those for the Cy Young awards. Both the American and National Leagues have wide open award chases that are going to come down to the last couple of starts from the main contenders. Here's a look at how both break down:
Read more about Cy Young Odds And Analysis.
MLB Handicapping: Down the Stretch They Come
by Ron Endres - 9/9/2009
Those words remind me of an announcer at my favorite place to be, the racetrack.
I am not at the track, but instead I am watching the exciting MLB pennant chases
as they near the finish line. The last regular season games will be played on Sunday, Oct. 4. That means that all the teams have less than 25 games left to play.
Read more about MLB Stretch Run.
World Series Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 9/3/2009
Back in February I sat down and made some predictions on which World Series futures provided value and which ones really didn't. There were some good picks - I boldly supported the Yankees and Phillies, said the Cubs were a terrible deal a 7/1, and tabbed the Giants as a nice longshot at 40/1. There were also some disasters as well - most notably, I said 'it's not hard to like the Mets'. Oops.
Read more about World Series Predictions.
Dave Busk Previews the Weekend's Top MLB Series
by Dave Busk - 8/28/2009
These two teams just met last weekend with the Rockies taking three of four and now they lead the Giants by three games in the Wild Card chase. We get a great pitching matchup in Game 1 of the series with Ubaldo Jimenez and Tim Lincecum squaring off before getting another rematch from last week in Game 2 with Jason Marquis facing Barry Zito, who walked six Rockies in his last start before his bullpen walked a additional seven.
Read more about Dave Busk MLB Preview.
MLB Handicapping: Vulnerabilities of the Contenders
by Trevor Whenham - 8/26/2009
We're about to head into the home stretch of the baseball season. This is when things really get exciting - for some teams, anyway. Many teams are just waiting for the season to come to a merciful end, but by my count there are 15 teams - eight in the AL and seven in the NL - that can legitimately hold out hopes of making the playoffs.
Read more about MLB Contender Problems.
Dave Busk Previews the Weekend's Top MLB Series
by Dave Busk - 8/21/2009
We're hitting the stretch run of the 2009 MLB season. I will write a preview every Friday for the rest of the season to touch on the important series during the weekend that involve teams either in the hunt for the division or the Wild Card. I have been red hot on the bases, winning seven of 10 days and have posted five straight free MLB picks on my page.
Read more about Dave Busk MLB Preview.
MLB Handicapping: How To Handle the Dodgers
by Trevor Whenham - 8/19/2009
A month ago the Dodgers were in the driver's seat. They had the best record in the majors, and a very secure nine-game lead in their division. Though things aren't totally disastrous now, the story is very different. L.A. has won just 10 of their last 25 games, their divisional lead has been cut in half, and both the Yankees and the Angels have a better record now.
Read more about Dodgers Slide.
MLB Handicapping: Betting on Bad Teams
by Dave Busk - 8/18/2009
We're in mid-August and with attention turning to the small group of teams in the chase for their division or a Wild Card ticket to the postseason the money lines are always increasing for these teams. There is still a flip side for teams that have no pressure left - it's already certain that when the last day of the regular season arrives on the schedule that their season will be over. Lets take a look at some of those teams and the different directions they are going.
Read more about Betting on Bad MLB Teams.
Dave Busk Previews the Weekend's Top MLB Series
by Dave Busk - 8/14/2009
Some big series get underway this weekend in MLB so I will take a couple of minutes to talk about these series that will finish off on Sunday. Plenty of money-making opportunity this weekend along with some good television.
Read more about Dave Busk MLB Preview.
MLB Handicapping: Look Back At Trade Deadline Deals
by Robert Ferringo - 8/10/2009
This happens all the time in fantasy baseball: two teams make a blockbuster trade, everyone in the league starts burning up the message boards about how one side got molested and what an unfair deal it is, the teams that made the deal start hurling insults back and after about a three-day shelf life the trade gets forgotten.
Read more about MLB Trade Deadline Impact.
MLB Betting: Will Jays Let Alex Rios Go?
by Matt Severance - 8/10/2009
The Toronto Blue Jays have a fascinating decision to make before approximately 1:30 ET time on Tuesday afternoon. You see, the Jays recently put outfielder Alex Rios on waivers last week, and he was claimed, reportedly, by the Chicago White Sox.
Read more about Alex Rios.
MLB Betting Systems - Chase Betting
by Matt Severance - 8/7/2009
I have been commissioned by Doc's to write a story about MLB betting systems, specifically chase betting. The question is whether I agree with this betting system. I suppose I do, but with a few exceptions.
Read more about MLB Betting Systems.
List of Oldest Ballparks in MLB
by Victor Ryan - 8/7/2009
The last 20 years has been a golden age of stadium construction in North America. It began with the dazzling Skydome in Toronto in 1989 and was followed by Camden Yards in Baltimore in 1992, the first of the "retro" parks that now proliferate Major League Baseball. Now, there are only eight stadiums that predate that time. The following is a list of the oldest ballparks in MLB.
Read more about List of Oldest Ballparks in MLB.
MLB Betting: Red Sox, Yankees Have Same Chink in Armor
by Matt Severance - 8/5/2009
Everything seems right in baseball at the moment, as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, ESPN's two favorite teams, enter play Wednesday separated by just one and a half games in the American League East and with both teams at least three games ahead of the closest wild-card pursuer.
Read more about Yankees and Red Sox.
MLB Betting: Will Nationals Sign Strasburg?
by Matt Severance - 8/5/2009
There seems to be little question that San Diego State pitcher Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 overall pick of the Washington Nationals in June, is going to ask for a contract that is way off the charts for any draft pick in history.
Read more about Stephen Strasburg.
MLB Betting: Fallout From Peavy Trade
by Matt Severance - 8/4/2009
Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams is easily the biggest gambler among all the GMs in Major League Baseball. Williams seems to come up with a creative trade each season, and his track record has been very good despite taking on what looked to be some questionable pieces at times.
Read more about Jake Peavy.
Why I Play So Many Games
by Robert Ferringo - 8/4/2009
There is an often espoused theory in gambling that the best players are the ones that only play a few games and that the more you play against the house the more you are going to lose. The idea is that a "pro" should only pick and choose exactly those precious few spots that lend him an advantage over the books. And anyone that plays over this imaginary - and unspecified - number of games is a sucker headed for the poorhouse.
Read more about Multiple Games.
MLB Betting Strategies
by Matt Severance - 7/31/2009
If you check on Sportsbook, you will see that baseball comes in way behind pro and college football and pro and college basketball in terms of betting action. I agree it's not quite as cut and dried as the other sports.But you need to cure that betting fix during those summer months when your only option among the Big 4 sports is baseball. So hopefully a few basic MLB betting strategies from Doc's can turn you into a winner.
Read more about MLB Betting Strategies.
MLB Wild Card Tiebreakers
by Matt Severance - 7/31/2009
With the calendar about to turn to August, it's definitely time to focus on the wild-card standings in Major League Baseball. So here is how the wild-card tiebreakers work:
Read more about MLB Wild Card Tiebreakers.
MLB Handicapping: Phillies Happ Exceeding Expectations
by Dave Busk - 7/30/2009
In spring training, the common theme was that the Phillies would maybe have to land a starter to bolster their chances to repeat as champs. What has happened within their system over the last five months just shows you how half a season can change your team.
Read more about J.A. Happ.
MLB Handicapping: Red Sox Struggles
by Trevor Whenham - 7/28/2009
The Boston Red Sox probably would rather pretend that July just never happened. At the start of the month they had the second best record in the majors, and they were 2.5 games up on the Yankees. By July 27 things had turned around - they were 2.5 games behind the Yankees, and they were falling like a rock. It hasn't been pretty.
Read more about Red Sox Struggles.
Worst Franchise in MLB? Washington Versus Pittsburgh
by Trevor Whenham - 7/28/2009
The Washington Nationals are a truly pathetic franchise. How pathetic are they? Well, their almost as pathetic as the Pittsburgh Pirates. Or maybe that should be the other way around? It's so hard to tell because both teams are so incredibly bad, and in possession of such dim futures, so it's really hard to judge which is worse.
Read more about Worst MLB Franchise.
MLB Betting: Pete Rose Reinstatement Odds
by Matt Severance - 7/27/2009
Betting on whether Pete Rose gets back into Major League Baseball … is that irony or what? But it's what you can do now at WagerWeb in the wake of reports that Commissioner Bud Selig is "seriously considering" possible reinstatement for Rose, 20 years after the all-time hit king was banned from baseball for life for betting on it while manager of the Cincinnati Reds (but never supposedly against his team).
Read more about Pete Rose Reinstatement.
MLB Betting: Are Astros For Real?
by Matt Severance - 7/23/2009
What is it with the Houston Astros after the all-star break? No team seems to surge post-break in recent years like the Astros, and it's happening again. Stuck in last place in the NL Central at 19-28 and nine games out of first at the end of May, Houston just swept St. Louis and is now a game behind the first-place Cardinals entering play Thursday.
Read more about Houston Astros Betting.
MLB Trade Predictions
by Matt Severance - 7/23/2009
It's never easy to predict any trade in Major League Baseball because of all the misinformation out there nowadays. A random blogger can post something, and suddenly it becomes a rumor that a GM must address.
Read more about MLB Trade Predictions.
How Do MLB Standings Work?
by Matt Severance - 7/22/2009
Most everyone is pretty familiar with how the standard Major League Baseball standings work - after all, it's not like the NHL where there are extra categories like shootout losses. But we can all use a refresher on some of the more subtleties of MLB standings, so that's why we're here today.
Read more about How Do MLB Standings Work.
MLB Team Owners
by Jay Horne - 7/22/2009
When it comes to the baseball diamond it's not hard to make headlines. A player goes on a hot hitting streak or a pitcher throws a couple of shutouts then they take the spotlight in the newspapers and TV shows. How teams perform on the field reflects back to the players and coaches. A lot of times coaches are given credit for a team's performance and those are not always good praises.
Read more about MLB Team Owners.
MLB Handicapping: Oddsmakers Giving Nationals Too Much Respect
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 7/21/2009
The Washington Nationals trotted out one of the most misguided rosters in Major League history this season. Their pitching staff ranks amongst the worst of all time. Through 92 games the Nationals were 26-66, 40 games under .500, 27 games out of first place and came out of the gates after the all-star break by losing five straight games.
Read more about Washington Nationals Betting
MLB Handicapping: Martinez and Schmidt
by Trevor Whenham - 7/21/2009
It's deja vu all over again. A few years ago Jason Schmidt and Pedro Martinez were among the elite pitchers in the league. Various hardships - and the inevitability of age - have made them mostly irrelevant recently. After long roads back, both guys have made their return to the big leagues in the same week.
Read more about Martinez and Schmidt
MLB Handicapping: Time to "Sell" on the Rockies
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 7/21/2009
Mid-season managerial changes in baseball are generally about proving a point. Very rarely do they actually result in the kind of rebirth that the Colorado Rockies are experiencing under interim manager Jim Tracy.
Read more about Colorado Rockies Betting
MLB Betting: Crucial Three-Week Stretch for White Sox
by Matt Severance - 7/20/2009
The Chicago White Sox are far from a perfect team, but they also play in a far-from-perfect division, so the 47-44 Pale Hose are just a game-and-a-half behind the first-place Detroit Tigers in the AL Central, with the Twins a half-game behind Chicago.
Read more about White Sox Pennant Run
MLB Handicapping: Top Priorities for Every Team
by Trevor Whenham - 7/16/2009
With the baseball season at the halfway point, now is a good time to assess where teams are at and what they need to do from here. With that in mind, here's a look at a top priority for all 30 teams in the coming weeks:
Read more about MLB Priorities
MLB Handicapping: Best Road Pitchers
by Trevor Whenham - 07/15/2009
The betting public, as a general rule, is predictable - unless there is a really clear reason not to they are probably going to favor the home team. That means that among the smart bettors' biggest allies are strong road pitchers that fly under the radar.
Read more about MLB Best Road Pitchers
MLB Handicapping: Where Could Roy Halladay Land?
by Trevor Whenham - 07/15/2009
I have enjoyed few in things in baseball more over the last few years than watching Roy Halladay dominate for Toronto. It's time, though, for the Blue Jays to come to terms with a sad truth - it is time for them to trade their ace. He's the best pitcher in baseball right now, and with a year and a half left on his contract at a reasonable price his value will never be higher.
Read more about Roy Halladay
MLB Betting: Who Goes First, Halladay or Holliday?
by Matt Severance - 07/14/2009
The two presumed biggest names on the MLB trade market before the non-waiver July 31 trade deadline figure to be Toronto ace Roy Halladay and Oakland outfielder Matt Holliday.
Read more about MLB Trade Props
MLB Betting: All-Star Game MVP Predictions
by Matt Severance - 07/14/2009
Thinking of betting on Milwaukee's Prince Fielder as the MLB All-Star Game MVP in the wake of Fielder winning the Home Run Derby on Monday? Well, Fielder is getting nice value at BetUS at +1000 to win the Ted Williams MVP Award, but know that only two players have won both the derby and All-Star Game MVP in the same year: Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991 and Garrett Anderson in 2003.
Read more about MLB All-Star Game MVP Predictions
MLB All-Star Game Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 07/13/2009
This year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game raises an important question in regards to handicapping philosophy: do you bet against the streak? The American League has won 11 consecutive times over the National League in the All-Star Game, discounting the ludicrous tie that occurred in Milwaukee in 2002.
Read more about MLB All-Star Game Preview
MLB Handicapping: Never Count Out Marlins
by Robert Ferringo - 07/10/2009
The Florida Marlins just keep coming. The Marlins, which actually appear to be some manner of angry marlin-piranha hybrid, simply do not give up. And the second that you doubt this team or think that they will go belly-up they Unleash The Fury and lay a Moby-Dick-on-Captain-Ahab beat down on your ass.
Read more about Florida Marlins
MLB Handicapping: Rotation Gaps
by Trevor Whenham - 07/10/2009
It goes without saying that good pitchers are useful for baseball bettors. They can be the reliable bread and butter that allows a long-term profit to be made. There is another way to find potential profit when a team has stud starters, though.
Read more about MLB Rotation Gaps
MLB Betting: Cubs Should Now Vote for Pedro
by Matt Severance - 07/09/2009
Earlier this week, I wrote that the Chicago Cubs were counting too much on the return of third baseman Aramis Ramirez to mask all the other flaws on the team. You can't really call three games a trend, but in the three the team has played this week with Ramirez back in the lineup, the Cubs lost two and were held to just one run in each of those losses.
Read more about Cubs - Ryan Dempster
MLB Handicapping: Stay Far Away From Mets
by Matt Severance - 07/08/2009
I wouldn't say to give up totally on those New York Mets futures that you may have jumped on early this season, but I certainly wouldn't buy any right now with how the team is going. New York is still a very reasonable 15/2 to win the National League pennant on Bodog, which are the sixth-lowest odds on the site among NL clubs (behind the Dodgers, Phillies, Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals).
Read more about New York Mets Struggles
MLB Handicapping: Inside Look at A.L. Stadiums
by Dave Busk - 07/08/2009
With the summer wind rolling into ballparks across the country I will talk this week about how the heat and the wind affect some of the American League ballparks. The one thing that most parks have in common is that the ball will travel better in the day then at night, but it is a bit more complicated than that and I will talk about a few things here that you might not know about some of these fields.
Read more about MLB AL Stadiums
MLB Mid-Season Awards
by Robert Ferringo - 07/07/2009
We're not yet to the all-star break but just about every team in the Major Leagues has played at least 81 games. So in my eyes we've reached the "halftime" of the MLB season. I thought it was time for some 2009 MLB Mid-Season Awards:
Read more about MLB Mid-Season Awards
MLB Handicapping: Pitching Key to Astros Surge
by Robert Ferringo - 07/07/2009
After watching the Houston Astros get hammered 22-0 in two losses this weekend at San Francisco it would be hard to convince someone that they were watching one of the hottest teams in baseball. Over the last month Houston has been the best team that no one is paying any attention to.
Read more about Hot Astros
MLB Betting: Tigers Too Flawed to Win Central
by Matt Severance - 07/07/2009
As recently as mid-June, it appeared the Detroit Tigers were the class of the American League Central. However, recently, the Tigers' struggles have let the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox back in the race.
Read more about Detroit Tigers Prospects
MLB Handicapping: Revisited MLB Pennant Predictions
by Ron Endres - 07/07/2009
MLB teams have now reached the mid-point of their seasons. Once a team has played it's 81st game, it is time to start counting backwards. The MLB season has been 162 games since the early 60s. Prior to that, there was a 154-game slate with plenty of doubleheaders. Then greed set in. There was the addition and eventual expansion of the League Championship Series, and then the addition of the Division Series. Now we have a baseball season that is bookended by snowfall.
Read more about MLB Pennant Predictions
MLB Handicapping: Teams Ready To Give Up On Season
by Robert Ferringo - 07/07/2009
Did anyone really care that Scott Hairston was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Oakland A's last week? Anyone? In fact, did the transaction even make it out of the MLB blotter and into your local sports section? Probably not.
Read more about MLB Quitters
MLB Betting: Tuesday-Thursday Series Predictions
by Matt Severance - 07/07/2009
Hopefully we can have a better week forecasting our MLB series than last, where we missed on three of the four. Of course, we are always going to go with the underdog, because that's where you can make some money, and we did nail the Mariners at +190 against the Red Sox.
Read more about MLB Series Predictions
Baseball Handicapping: Most Important MLB Players
by Trevor Whenham - 07/07/2009
Injuries are a very tough thing to deal with in baseball. Some guys are so crucial to teams that their absence is more than a team can overcome. Others might seem that way but really aren't that big of a deal after all.
Read more about Important MLB Players
MLB Betting: Friday-Sunday Series Predictions
by Matt Severance - 07/03/2009
OK, we had a bit of a stinker with our Tuesday-Thursday series recommendations, but remember we are giving you what is the best value and not necessarily predicting the outcome. The Mariners weren't able to surprise the Yankees despite beating CC Sabathia. If you would have told me Seattle would have beaten Sabathia before the series started, I really would have expected a Mariners pay off in that set in the Bronx.
Read more about MLB Series Predictions
MLB Betting: Cubs Counting Too Much on Ramirez?
by Matt Severance - 07/02/2009
The Chicago Cubs have been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this season, entering play on Thursday a game under .500 and closer to NL Central doormat Pittsburgh than to division-leading Milwaukee.
Read more about Aramis Ramirez
MLB Handicapping: How to Handle Manny's Return to Dodgers
by Trevor Whenham - 07/01/2009
The circus comes to L.A. on Friday. That's when the disgraced and seemingly clueless Manny Ramirez makes his return to action for the Dodgers after serving a 50-game suspension for a failed drug test. The return will obviously set off a media firestorm, so we will be subjected to even more ridiculous 'insights' than we have had to hear from experts over the course of the last two months. That will be incredibly annoying.
Read more about Manny's Return to Dodgers
MLB Handicapping: Seattle Surging With Small Ball
by Robert Ferringo - 07/01/2009
Don Wakamatsu may not be having the same level of impact that Ichiro Suzuki had in his first season in Seattle, but he's still doing pretty damn well. "Wacky," as absolutely no one but me calls him, has been the man behind the scenes of the Seattle surge through the first half of the season.
Read more about Mariners Small Ball
MLB Handicapping: Young Pitchers
by Trevor Whenham - 07/01/2009
Pitching is getting to be a young man's game. All you have to do is look at the lists of statistical leaders in any of the major categories and you'll see a surprising number of guys that are 25 or younger. Pitching seems to be a cyclical thing - older pitchers were largely the dominant ones before, and they will be again.
Read more about Handicapping Young Pitchers
MLB betting: Tuesday-Thursday Series Predictions
by Matt Severance - 06/30/2009
It's the final day of June, which means it's the final month without football - if you count reporting to training camp as the start of football season. Of course we'll start hitting gridiron topics hot and heavy soon (the weekly survivor pool column will be back this fall, for example), but we'll continue to dole out the advice on baseball right through November, too.
Read more about MLB Series Predictions
MLB Handicapping: How Returning Players Impact Betting Choices
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 06/29/2009
Players not on the field have been making just as much news as the ones currently playing on the diamond. Whether it is missing critical time on the disabled list or 50 games on the suspension list, teams throughout Major League Baseball are scrambling as they await the return of key components.
Read more about MLB Returning Players
MLB Handicapping: NL Central a Three-Horse Race
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 06/26/2009
For as many teams as the National League Central has, six, the amount of contenders to win the division is even more unusual. Even deep into June Las Vegas has pegged three teams, the Cubs (+125), the Cardinals (+175) and the Brewers (+275) as more than capable of winning it.
Read more about NL Central Division Race
Factor Umpires into Your MLB Wagers
by Trevor Whenham - 06/25/2009
If people wanted to get an edge betting on baseball they would probably be best served looking somewhere where few people bother to pay any attention - the umpires. More than any other officials in any sport, the home plate umpire can directly impact the outcome of a game. Their strike zone can determine how effective the pitchers are going to be, and the speed and way in which they call the game can affect the tone and outcome of the game.
Read more about Umpires and MLB Betting
MLB Handicapping: Disappointing Pitchers
by Trevor Whenham - 06/25/2009
If there is one recurring theme so far in this baseball season it has been disappointing pitchers. Whether it is because of injury or poor performance, there have been many cases this year of guys who have had inexplicably bad performances. Some guys, like Cole Hamels, have worked their way out of it. Some have had good seasons marked by inexplicably terrible outings - Johan Santana comes to mind there. Others, take Chien-Ming Wang and Daisuke Matsuzaka for example, are in a deep hole that they can't seem to find their way out of.
Read more about Disappointing MLB Pitchers
MLB Handicapping: Phillies are Road Warriors
by Trevor Whenham - 06/25/2009
I'm not sure I've ever seen anything as strange as the record that the Philadelphia Phillies have put together this year. They have played reasonably well this year - their .536 record is good enough for a 1.5-game lead in their division, as of this writing. It's how they have amassed that record that is is puzzling. They have the best road record in the league at 24-10.
Read more about Phillies Home Woes
MLB Handicapping: Stadium Quirks Provide Challenges for Totals Bettors
by Robert Ferringo - 05/13/2009
In certain Major League Baseball parks the answer to the question "open or closed?" can be the key determinant in the answer to the betting questions "'over' or 'under'?"
Read more about MLB Stadiums and Totals Betting
2009 College World Series Handicapping
Trevor Whenham - 06/19/2009
The College World Series is one of the most entertaining, under-appreciated spectacles in all of sports. The setting is iconic, the format is great,and it always seems to be jam-packed with action and bizarre happenings. For proof of the potential for excitement you need to look no further than Thursday night.
Read more about College World Series Handicapping.
MLB Handicapping: Comparing the Yankees and Red Sox
by Trevor Whenham - 06/18/2009
To be blunt, the Red Sox have made the Yankees their bitches this year. The domination has been well documented - they have played eight times so far, and the Red Sox have won all eight. It hasn't been particularly close, either - Boston has won by an average of three runs per game. Based on the one-sided contests it would be easy to assume that the Red Sox are the class of the AL East by quite a margin right now. That would be a handy conclusion for bettors to work with, but only if it's true. So, is it? Here's a comparison of the two teams on several fronts:
Read more about Comparing the Yankees and Red Sox
MLB Handicapping: Totals Results Have Been Lopsided All Season
by Robert Ferringo - 06/17/2009
In my opinion one of the main stories of this Major League Baseball betting season has to be the bizarre and seemingly unexplainable issue with scoring and totals throughout this early season. At the beginning of the season, when you usually expect teams and players to struggle to find their groove, The Game looked like Beer League Softball. But then in mid-May it was as if someone turned off the lights and suddenly hitters were swinging in the dark.
Read more about MLB Totals Results
MLB Handicapping: Impact of Jake Peavy Injury
by Matt Severance - 06/16/2009
The San Diego Padres weren't going to contend this season even with Jake Peavy, so it's a dead-certain lock that the Pads sink to the bottom of the NL West for good now that Peavy is out at least a month with an ankle injury. After all, no starter on the team has a winning record or an ERA within shouting distance of Peavy's.
Read more about Jake Peavy Injury
MLB Betting Tips: Bullpens And Bankrolls
by Trevor Whenham - 6/16/09
Most bettors make a big error when they are handicapping baseball - they forget about the bullpens. Handicapping the starting pitchers is obviously important, but it's not enough. In this era it is far from unusual to see pitchers last just five or six innings before passing over the ball. That means that one-third or more of most games - and a crucial third at that - are in the hands of the bullpen.
Read more about MLB Bullpen Betting
MLB Totals Betting In The Post-Steroid Era
by Robert Ferringo - 6/15/09
In case you haven't noticed, Major League Baseball has been partying like it's 1909. Scoring is down, 'under' is the operative betting word, and the offensive eruptions of the Steroid Era have gone the way of the Model T. This new performance-reduced game may be more environmentally friendly but it sure isn't very aesthetically pleasing. Yet, as we scan back through the annals of our former national pastime we'll find that although the reasons change the ebb and flow of scoring numbers have been cresting and falling for over a century. Different names and different reasons, but the math has always followed a similar pattern.
Read more about MLB Steroid Totals
MLB's Totally Best And Worst Arms
by Trevor Whenham - 6/15/09
The pitcher can have more impact on the number of runs scored in a game than anyone else in baseball, so it only makes sense that you would consider the pitcher at least as much as anything else when you are handicapping totals. And the kinds of pitchers that make bettors happiest aren't necessarily good or bad - they are just consistent.
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MLB Betting: Monday Series Prices
by Matt Severance - 6/15/09
So long, NBA and Stanley Cup Finals. I'm sad to see basketball and hockey end, (although I think NHL training camps open in less than 60 days already) but with NFL teams a good month or so from reporting to training camp, it's now arguably the quietest time of the year in sports betting. So what better time to beef up on your baseball?
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Baseball's Top 5 Most Profitable Pitchers
by Trevor Whenham - 6/11/09
When you think about pitchers that reward bettors with consistent wins and heavy profits it's tempting to think of the big names - Santana, Halladay, Sabathia and so on. Johan Santana and Roy Halladay are making people money but they fall far behind the best and brightest of the financial performers his year. What is striking about this list of the top five pitchers against the spread that we are about to look at is how unlikely it is - the names range from the unexpected to the highly unlikely.
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Inconsistent Rays Reach Key Stretch
by Matt Severance - 6/10/09
The next few weeks could really determine if it’s time to get off the Rays’ bandwagon as interleague play returns.
Read more about Tampa Bay Rays
MLB Handicapping: Royals Lack of Offense Presents Fade Opportunities
by Robert Ferringo - 06/09/2009
It wasn't supposed to be like this for the Kansas City Royals. See, at the end of the feel-good stories the forever-struggling nerd is supposed to get the girl, outsmart the "better" preppy jocks, and restore everyone's faith in humanity. And in the world of Major League Baseball there may be no bigger nerd than the Royals.
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MLB Handicapping: Beleaguered Mets Face Tough Stretch
by Robert Ferringo - 06/08/2009
I have no problem proudly proclaiming that I'm a diehard New York Mets fan. Someone has to be, right? But even someone that's been following them for more than 20 years like myself is having a hard time figuring out whom the hell the guys in blue and orange are these days.
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MLB Betting: Monday-Wednesday Series Predictions
by Matt Severance - 06/08/2009
We're back to preview two MLB series that begin on Monday and offer the best value for your betting dollar (all odds from BetUS, only the first three games of the series count towards these wagers):
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MLB Betting: Friday-Sunday Series Predictions
by Matt Severance - 06/05/2009
Well, we had an OK week when it came to series betting. We totally whiffed on the Royals over the Rays and Brewers over the Marlins, but we nailed the Reds (+125) over the Cards in that series' first three games, while the Cubs-Braves series was rained out in Game 3, rendering that invalid (although Chicago should have won the first two games if not for blowing a 5-0 eighth-inning lead in Game 1).
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2009 MLB Futures Betting - MLB Futures Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 06/05/2009
Now that we are a couple of months into the baseball season it's a good time to assess where we are and how far we have come, and where there might be value in the World Series and league championship futures. This is a good time to look for value in those markets - we have a decent sense of what teams have to offer, but the betting public still isn't paying enough attention to baseball to have bet the value out of the odds.
Read more about MLB Futures Betting and Predictions.
MLB Handicapping: Five Young Pitchers With Betting Value
by Robert Ferringo - 06/04/2009
This year a variety of factors have resulted in more Random Dudes not only making starts but also sticking in rotations through the first two months of the season. Injuries, ineffectiveness, and one of the most brutal schedules of recent memory have all conspired against pitching staffs across the league and led to numerous opportunities for young guns on the bump.
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MLB Handicapping: Five Young Pitchers to Be Wary Of
by Robert Ferringo - 06/04/2009
Before he was sent back down to the minors, Pitcher Brett Cecil was a profitable 3-1 and had earned his backers a solid +210. But having watched every one of his starts I can honestly say I have no idea how this guy was at all successful in Major League Baseball. And since Toronto sent the lefty back down to the minors after his last start I would say that they agreed with me.
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MLB Betting: Big Unit Goes for No. 300
by Matt Severance - 06/03/2009
It's not too often here at Doc's Sports that we will preview an individual baseball game, but Wednesday night's San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals matchup is worthy of its own story despite the fact the Giants are at .500 and the Nats have the worst record in baseball.
Read more about Randy Johnson.
MLB Handicapping: Time To Jump Back On Cleveland Bandwagon
by Robert Ferringo - 06/02/2009
The Cleveland Indians started this Major League Baseball season as everyone's sleeper in the American League Central. Hey, even I was drinking the Kool Aid and I dabbled with a small futures bet on the Tribe at 'over' 82.5 wins. Yet, here we are into baseball's third month and this team is squarely in the basement of their own division.
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MLB Betting: Tuesday Series Prices and Predictions
by Matt Severance - 06/02/2009
Well, things are looking good for those of you who listened to me and took the Reds in their series against the Cardinals that began on Monday. Cincy was getting +125 for the series and took Game 1, meaning they just need a win tonight from Bronson Arroyo or Wednesday from Johnny Cueto to earn some money.
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MLB Betting: Early-Week Series Prices and Predictions
by Matt Severance - 06/01/2009
With the NBA and NHL down to their final series, it's really time to focus your betting on baseball for the next few months. With that said, I will try and provide you some insight on early week and weekend series prices and where the best values might be.
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MLB Handicapping: Ranking the Divisions
by Robert Ferringo - 05/28/2009
While each Major League Baseball team is a separate entity it can sometimes be helpful to take a wider view of them as members of tribe: their division. You can then get some idea of the relative strength of teams and divisions by comparing how they do against opposing tribes. And in the long run you can pinpoint some inflated and underrated clubs based solely on how they fare outside of the clubs in their own division.
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MLB Betting: Thursday-Saturday Series Predictions
by Matt Severance - 05/28/2009
In what should be a semi-regular feature during the summer months, I'm going to take a look at upcoming baseball series and share my inclinations when it comes to betting the series prices at various books.
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MLB Handicapping: Reds Embark On Crucial Stretch
by Robert Ferringo - 05/28/2009
Whether it's a sleeper team off to a hot start or an alleged contender playing lackluster ball through this 2009 Major League season you can hear those words vibrating through clubhouses and corridors across the MLB landscape. And for the Cincinnati Reds the youth of this season is both a blessing and a curse.
Read more about Cincinnati Reds Road Trip
Interleague Play Wreaks Havoc For 'Over' Bettors
by Robert Ferringo - 05/27/2009
It was just a disgusting offensive display put on by our Major Leaguers over the weekend as the start of Interleague Play brought on a plague of double plays, empty at bats and stranded base runners. The result was a scoring standstill and some hideous baseball that left totals players dizzied and displeased.
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MLB Handicapping: Don't Trust Padres To Continue Hot Streak
by Trevor Whenham - 05/27/2009
The Padres are the hottest team in baseball. I have had to read that sentence over a hundred times because it just doesn't seem right. But it is. They had a 10-game winning streak snapped yesterday. Ten wins is impressive at the best of times, but especially for a team that had only won 13 of their first 35 before this crazy streak started.
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Baseball Betting: How to Handicap MLB Basement Teams
by Trevor Whenham - 05/22/2009
When it comes to assessing whether a team is bad or just struggling I use one number as a quick indicator - .450. A team with a winning percentage below that mark just isn't very good. Decent teams can struggle and find themselves below .500 for a stretch of time, but .450 is a different story.
Read more about MLB Cellar Dwellers
MLB Handicapping: Interleague Play Betting System
by Robert Ferringo - 05/22/2009
The American League dominates Interleague Play like Dick Cheney dominates Muslims. The Defenders Of The Designated Hitter hold a modest 1,536-1,420 edge in the 12-year history of MLB cross-dressing. But over the last five seasons they have won the head-to-head matchup each season while going an outstanding 702-557 (.559 winning percentage) overall.
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MLB Handicapping: Common Mistakes by Newcomers
by Trevor Whenham - 05/21/2009
We're entering a dangerous time of year for casual sports bettors. Basketball is slowing down in frequency if not intensity. So is hockey. College sports are a distant memory. The NFL is months away. For the next several months baseball is the biggest, and basically only, game in town for sports bettors. That's good news if you are prepared for it. If you aren't, though, then it can be very expensive.
Read more about MLB Handicapping Mistakes.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Brad Lidge Profile
by Dave Busk - 05/20/2009
Most of you know that Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge didn't blow a save all of last year, and that he posted some pretty ridiculous numbers. Most of you are probably wondering what has happened to him this season since he hasn't been playing well. Well, as a local viewer that sees most of his games, here's the breakdown:
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MLB Handicapping: Worst Bullpens in Baseball
by Robert Ferringo - 05/20/2009
It's the bottom of the ninth inning, one out. You've got Cleveland at -145 thinking that reigning Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee is going to have his Good Stuff tonight in Kansas City. You were right. You're up 5-1 and you've already mentally spent the $500 that you're going to pick up from this score.
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Interleague Play Begins Friday
by Ron Endres - 05/20/2009
Interleague Play was introduced to Major League Baseball in 1997. One of my all-time favorite baseball people, former Milwaukee Brewers owner Bill Veeck, predicted in 1963 that MLB would someday have Interleague Play. The concept did not take hold until the 1990s. At that time it was an effort to renew the public's interest in MLB following the 1994 Player's Strike.
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Baseball Handicapping: Top Teams Against Lefties
by Robert Ferringo - 05/18/2009
Across cultures and throughout history left-handed people have been seen as an oddity, or as someone or something sinister. According to or friends at Wikipedia, "the left hand symbolized the power to shame society, and was used as a metaphor for misfortune, natural evil, or punishment from the gods." Yet, if you are a pitcher in the Major Leagues being left handed generally means millions of dollars and an extensive baseball career.
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MLB Handicapping: Stadium Quirks Provide Challenges for Totals Bettors
by Robert Ferringo - 05/13/2009
In certain Major League Baseball parks the answer to the question "open or closed?" can be the key determinant in the answer to the betting questions "'over' or 'under'?"
Read more about MLB Stadiums and Totals Betting
MLB Betting: Odds and Predictions for Ryan Zimmerman's Hitting Streak
by Matt Severance - 05/13/2009
The Washington Nationals are lousy this year, but that takes nothing away from what third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is doing.
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MLB Handicapping: Look For Value By Fading Over-Hyped Teams
by Robert Ferringo - 05/11/2009
It seems as if everyone, from media bobbleheads to (mousy bettors) has spent the first six weeks of the Major League Baseball season looking for This Year's Tampa Bay Rays. Everyone wants to be the driver of the bandwagon for the next surprise team in the Majors and they want the prestige and the profit that comes from getting on that horse early.
Read more about MLB Betting Value
MLB Handicapping: Blue Jays Should Provide Value All Year
by Robert Ferringo - 05/07/2009
Over the last seven years very few teams in the major leagues have consistently outperformed their preseason expectations like the Toronto Blue Jays. Each year they are tagged as being subpar and each year they manage to compete with the Big Boys in the A.L. East and find a way to win 80 games.
Read more about Blue Jay's Value
Bettors: Don't Overreact to Manny Ramirez Drug Flap
by Robert Ferringo - 05/07/2009
California wild fires, fueled by fierce ocean winds, are ravaging Southern California. But it was fuel of a different sort that led to Mannywood going up in flames today.
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Manny Ramirez on Performance Enhancing Drugs? Dodgers Futures Odds to be Affected
by Trevor Whenham - 05/07/2009
It seems like no player in baseball is clean anymore. In news that has to be described as shocking, Manny Ramirez has reportedly tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and is going to be suspended for 50 games starting immediately. Ramirez has been off to a truly blistering start this year - he's hitting .348 with six home runs and 20 RBI - and he has helped the Dodgers to the best record in baseball.
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MLB Betting: Can Early Hot MLB Teams Challenge for Pennant?
by Trevor Whenham - 05/06/2009
Things just don't make sense in the American League right now. In fact, it's a little bizarre. All three divisions have lovable losers leading the way, and all three of those teams - the Blue Jays, Mariners, and Royals - look like they could have some staying power.
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MLB Handicapping: Fade Road Teams at Tail End of Long Trip
by Robert Ferringo - 05/05/2009
Everyone loves a road trip. It's as American as apple pie and nuclear warheads. It's the source of the great strength of this wacky community alliance we have in the Great U.S. of A - the freedom of mobility.
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MLB Handicapping: Strange Week With Two-Games Series
by Robert Ferringo - 05/04/2009
I'm not sure how it happened, but this week we're looking at mini-series in the Major Leagues. Two-game sets are apparently all the rage this week and I can't recall another period in which this was the case. However, I also feel like this "scheduling quirk" is actually going to have a significant impact on this week's action and how we should plan on playing it.
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MLB Handicapping: Getaway Day
by Robert Ferringo - 05/01/2009
One of the unique betting situations that you find in Major League Baseball is Getaway Day. Yet, where there is conflict there is opportunity, and Getaway Day offers an interesting one for players.
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MLB Totals Betting: Braves Top List of 'Under' Clubs
by Robert Ferringo - 04/30/2009
Atlanta's Turner field has gone from being "The Launching Pad" to "The Lily Pad". The Braves can't score. I almost feel like they won't or simply don't want to score, but then I realize that's about as ridiculous as John Rocker or public education in Georgia.
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MLB Betting: Angels Value at Lowest Point in Years
by Robert Ferringo - 04/29/2009
In biblical terms, the number 666 is the Number of The Beast and foreshadowing of evil. For the Los Angeles Angels it was the number 89.5 that was the harbinger of doom for their 2009 Major League season.
Read more about MLB Angels Struggles
MLB Handicapping: Nine Pitchers with Value
by Robert Ferringo - 04/23/2009
Today I also wrote a story about how Zach Grienke has gone from a blind "Play Against" pitcher to someone that is nearly a blind "Play On". The Royals righthander's transformation from scrap heap to stud starter has been a remarkable one. But as I look around the Majors right now I'm actually seeing a lot of guys that I'm used to betting against throwing very well and winning games.
Read more about Pitchers with Value.
MLB Betting: Greinke Solid Arm for KC
by Robert Ferringo - 04/23/2009
A few short years ago, whenever I saw the name "Zach Greinke" on the list of probable starters for a given day's games I only had one thought: payday.
Read more about Zach Greinke.
MLB Prop Betting
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 04/23/2009
Watching a baseball game you have money on can be incredibly trying. Nine inning games that can stretch on for hours can be a marathon of nerves. There is another option, though, if you are looking to wager on baseball and want a faster result. First inning and first run prop bets provide near instant gratification (or dismay) and they can also provide great value if you play them right.
Read more about MLB Prop Betting.
MLB Handicapping: How To Handle Increased Run Totals at Yankee Stadium
by Robert Ferringo - 04/21/2009
In case you have been in Bali for the last week and hadn't heard, the Yankees opened up their shiny new multi-billion dollar stadium this weekend and found out that the place was an absolute launching pad. The Yankees and Indians combined to slug 20 home runs through a four-game set, establishing a new record for most home runs hit in a ballpark's first four games, and they managed to tally 59 combined runs in those contests, good for an average of about 15 runs per game.
Read more about Increased Scoring at Yankee Stadium
MLB Betting: Time to Blindly Fade the Yankees
by Robert Ferringo - 04/21/2009
If you ask me, the New York Yankees have bigger problems than whether or not their new stadium is a launching pad. Like the Romans, the Mings, and the great Ford Motor Company, the Yankees are about to endure the fall of their dynasty.
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Finding Value In The Spurs-Mavs Series
by Josh Nagel - 4/17/09
Here is a look at a key series that is taking place in the Western Conference between the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, including a prediction on the winner:
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Yankees Open New Stadium As Heavy Chalk
by SPORTSBETTING.COM - 04/14/2009
Sportsbetting.com reported that the Yankees took over 75 percent of the action wagered on their first two games in a new stadium, with the ‘over’ taking 65 percent of the action or greater in each contest. Look for these trends to continue as the Yankees remain the most public wager in the Majors. And when you throw in their new stadium and the big names that they are trotting out on the hill each day I think that we should also expect a lot of -200 lines or higher this year out of the Bronx.
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Will New Stadiums Help Yankees and Mets?
by Trevor Whenham - 04/16/2009
It's new ballpark season in New York - the Mets opened their new stadium on Tuesday, and the Yankees do the same on Thursday. As there always is with new stadiums, there is a great deal of hype surrounding both buildings. Tickets for the opening homestands for both buildings are hard to come by, and the crowds are going to be loud and crazy.
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MLB Handicapping: Struggling Aces
by Trevor Whenham - 04/15/2009
If there is an overriding story that has developed so far in this young baseball season it's the number of aces or top-of-the-rotation pitchers that have been decidedly lousy out of the gate. There have obviously been exceptions, but it seems so far that it's a safe assumption to blindly bet against any ace. The list of casualties is like an all-star roster. Let's take a look at a few of the bigger names:
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The Verducci Effect for MLB Handicapping
by Robert Ferringo - 04/14/2009
I believe in mystics. I believe in psychics and clairvoyants, crystal ball gazers and fortune-tellers. I put my faith in Faith, as well as in oracles, shaman and clerics. I believe in Luck and in Karma, and I relish in sadistic heathen rituals, long-forgotten ancient rites and bizarre and perverse ceremonial expressions.
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Time to Fade Previously Solid MLB Totals Trend
by Robert Ferringo - 04/14/2009
Hangover Handicapping is for those days when you either don't have the time, inclination, or sobriety to sit down and really concentrate on breaking down matchups and fully handicapping games before you bet them. Instead, you use Hangover Handicapping, which is just a simple, general sport-specific guide that you can throw your money down on with about 10 seconds of handicapping.
Read more about MLB Totals Trends.
MLB Handicapping: Four Overrated Pitchers
by Trevor Whenham - 04/07/2009
We're at an interesting point in the baseball season. What happened in the spring is almost totally irrelevant for a bunch of reasons, but the season is just brand new so we can't spend much time talking about what has happened so far this year. All that leaves us, then, is wild prognostication and boldly confident speculation. Most of what is said at this time of year doesn't turn into much, but that doesn't make it any less fun to think about.
Read more about MLB Overrated Pitchers.
IC's Free 2009 MLB Futures Pick
by Indian Cowboy - 4/3/2009
I'm no Robert Ferringo (who is lights out in baseball), but for the summer, I cap the American League (totals only) and the WNBA. Part of the process in handicapping baseball in the preseason is to jump on the bandwagon of teams that you believe are undervalued. Given that I follow just the fifteen teams in the AL, my "future" wagers are limited. But I believe there is good value with one particular team given the current line for its win total.
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MLB Handicapping: How Fantasy Baseball Can Help with MLB Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 04/01/2009
The baseball season is about to start. That means that thousands of baseball geeks are studying hard and getting ready to draft their fantasy baseball teams. I can't say with certainty, but I would guess that most serious sports bettors aren't also serious fantasy sports players - doing either one well takes up a lot of time, so it can be hard to do both.
Read more about Fantasy Baseball and MLB Handicapping.
MLB Handicapping: Value Can be Found Early in Season
by Trevor Whenham - 04/01/2009
Though some places still have snow on the ground, baseball's opening day is almost here. For bettors who approach it carefully, that can mean real profits. Between the Final Four, the race to the playoffs in the NBA and the NHL, and all the drama in the NFL, a lot of people aren't really thinking about baseball yet.
Read more about MLB Early Season Value.
Baseball Betting System: Pythagorean Expectations
by Robert Ferringo - 04/01/2009
Pythagoras is a famous Greek philosopher (can someone name me a non-mythical famous Greek who wasn't some kind of philosopher?) and mathematician. He is most famous for his triangle theory but he turned out to be a pretty bitchin' dude and he believed that numbers were the foundation of life and the ultimate reality. He believed that through math "everything could be predicted and measured in rhythmic patterns or cycles." In other words, he was kind of a latter day Bill James.
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Baseball Betting: MLB Teams to Follow
by Robert Ferringo - 03/31/2009
My enemy is my enemy, until he is my friend. And my friend is my friend, until he is my enemy. I am fond of saying this about handicapping as a way to describe how one day you might be desperately rooting for a team to come through for a big play. Their coach, their players, and everything their franchise embodies becomes your best friend and your religion, at least for a few hours. You live and die with that team as if you had been a lifelong fan and pull for them to come through for you.
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MLB Betting: AL and NL MVP Props (Odds and Predictions)
by Matt Severance - 03/31/2009
I'm here to hopefully give you a little guidance for your betting dollar on the 2009 American League and National League MVPs, and I'll start with this: Don't you dare put down any money on a pitcher.
Read more about Bodog MLB MVP Props.
MLB Betting: Four Teams to Keep an Eye On
by Trevor Whenham - 03/31/2009
It seems hard to believe, but Opening Day for MLB is just days away. As we get through the final days of seemingly endless spring training, all we can really do now is set and manage expectations for teams. Spring training doesn't really mean much, but what we have seen and heard from Florida and Arizona has helped to shape out opinions of teams.
Read more about Hot MLB Betting Teams.
MLB Betting: Could Be Historic Season for Pittsburgh Pirates
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 03/31/2009
Without hesitation the Las Vegas bookmakers have once again made the Pirates the team to beat for this upcoming regular season.
Read more about MLB Pirates Record for Futility.
MLB Betting: Which Manager Will be Canned First?
by Matt Severance - 03/31/2009
In this economy, it feels a little distasteful to bet on a guy losing his job, but when Bodog posted odds on the first Major League Baseball manager to go this season, I couldn't resist. And, hey, it's not like they don't get paid the remainder of their multi-million dollar contract.
Read more about Bodog Manager Props.
Doc's Sports 2009 MLB Preview
by Ron Endres - 03/30/2009
My earliest memories of baseball date back to the spring of 1952. Dad pulls up in front of the local soda shop and comes back to the car with a newspaper. He shows me the headlines on the sports page. It reads, "Harvey Kuenn signs for $50,000 with the Detroit Tigers".
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MLB Handicapping: Will Giants Rotation Make Them a Contender?
by Matt Severance - 03/27/2009
The San Francisco Giants easily have the worst batting order in the league heading into 2009. Don't believe me? Here is their projected batting order:
Read more about San Francisco Giants.
MLB Handicapping: Six Young Pitchers to Watch
by Matt Severance - 03/26/2009
Determining which "young pitcher to watch" is a pretty open-ended description, so what I am going to give you here is a pitcher with little-to-no MLB experience who could be the difference in his team reaching the playoffs - or the youngster himself could even be a factor in postseason success.
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World Baseball Classic: Round 2 Preview
by Victor Ryan - 03/14/2009
Here is a preview of Round 2 of the World Baseball Classic with updated odds to win the tournament from Superbook.
Read more about World Baseball Classic Round 2.
MLB Season Win Totals Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 03/12/2009
Now that we are in the midst of spring training and we are starting to think about baseball again, most sportsbooks have posted their season win totals for major league baseball. These are by far my favorite season-long props. Not only are they a lot of fun and occasionally soft and profitable, but thinking about them also forces you to start thinking about baseball in a real way again so that you are ready for the season when it rolls around. As always, there are all sorts of the numbers that were interesting to me as I looked around and thought about them. Here's a look:
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MLB Season Props Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 03/12/2009
Sportsbook.com has a dizzying number of baseball statistic totals available this year. You can bet on what the leader will accomplish in more than a dozen major statistical categories. What I particularly like about these is that you don't have to pick which player is going to be the best - that's too much of a crapshoot. Instead, you just have to decide how well the leader is going to do. There are so many factors that go into that that it is endlessly interesting to think about. Here's a look at nine of the most interesting props in my mind along with some predictions:
Read more about MLB Season Props Predictions.
Manny Ramirez Resigning Makes Dodgers Dangerous in NL
by Trevor Whenham - 03/12/2009
It took forever and was way more like a soap opera than anyone needed it to be, but in the end Manny Ramirez ended up in the place where it most made sense for him to be. Manny loves playing in L.A., Dodgers' fans love him, and the league certainly doesn't hate the exposure of having their most entertaining star in the world's entertainment capital. On an anecdotal basis it's obvious that having Ramirez is much better for the Dodgers than not having him.
Read more about Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers.
MLB Betting: 2009 A.L. Central Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 03/09/2009
I think it's safe to say that the American League Central has been the most unpredictable division in baseball over the past four seasons. Whether it was the Chicago White Sox's surprising run to a World Series title in 2005, Detroit's stunning jump from bottom feeder to A.L. Champion in 2006, Cleveland's resurgence in 2007, or the incredible Twins run last season, the Central has never been short on shocking storylines.
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MLB Betting: 2009 NL Central Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 03/09/2009
There are six teams in the National League Central, a.k.a. "The Worst Division In Baseball", so I'm going to keep this introduction brief. I mean really brief. As in the only thing that I have to say is this:
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MLB Betting: 2009 NL East Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 03/06/2009
Despite much ado about this division over the last two years, the National League East has been a pretty stable bet through the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Philadelphia is the top dog with the Mets being one of the more overrated contenders in the National League. The Braves and Marlins are there to serve as spoilers and fight over third place, with the Nationals solidly pulling up the rear, and one of those three "second tier" clubs will end the season as one of the most profitable surprises in the National League.
Read more about NL East Preview.
MLB Betting: 2009 A.L. East Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 03/06/2009
The American League East is obviously not for the birds. So much ink gets spilled opining about the Red Sox, Yankees and the suddenly upstart Devil Rays that I wanted to focus on the "other" teams in the East: Toronto and Baltimore. Because the Big Three get so much attention I feel like the real value lies in backing the Blue Jays and Orioles.
Read more about A.L. East Preview.
MLB Handicapping: Giants and Royals Two Teams on the Rise
by Trevor Whenham - 03/06/2009
Last year's Tampa Bay Rays, and teams like the Marlins, the Rockies, and the Twins before them, have made it very attractive for baseball fans to try to figure out which team will be the next to rise from the depths of the league to the top in just one year. It's obviously an imprecise science, but that doesn't stop people from wanting to try.
Read more about MLB Teams on the Rise.
MLB Betting: 2009 NL West Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 03/05/2009
Our long national nightmare is over: Manny Ramirez has found a home and he and the Dodgers have kissed and made up.
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MLB Betting: Phillies Underdogs to Repeat
by Trevor Whenham - 03/05/2009
The Philadelphia Phillies are the defending World Series Champions, they looked very good doing it, and most of their players have returned from last year. The only core player who is gone is Pat Burrell, and you could easily argue that they have upgraded left field by bringing in Raul Ibanez in his place. So the Phillies should be able to repeat, right? Not so fast. They aren't even favored to win their division, never mind the World Series.
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MLB Spring Training Betting Advice
by Trevor Whenham - 03/05/2009
After a long winter for baseball fans, games are finally back again. Spring training is seductive for true baseball fans - it looks and feel like the real thing for people who are hungry for any action they can get. For bettors who aren't cautious and thoughtful, though, spring training can be a disaster. If you treat spring training the same as you do the regular season then you almost certainly won't be successful. Here's a look at four ways that spring training games differ from real action:
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MLB Betting: 2009 A.L. West Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 03/04/2009
The American League West is a grab bag of baseball philosophies and styles and has a little something for everyone that likes to watch or wager on our (former) National Pastime. There are softball-type sluggers, grind-it-out small ballers, speed-and-defense demons, and, well, then there's the Mariners.
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Baseball Betting: World Baseball Classic Group Betting
by Victor Ryan - 03/04/2009
The World Baseball Classic returns tomorrow and with it the gift of competitive baseball in early March. The inaugural Classic, won by Japan in 2006, provided plenty of surprises and showed how competitive international baseball has truly become. The following is a look at each of the four first-round pools with odds provided by Bodog.
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MLB Betting: Home Run Leader Props With Odds and Predictions
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 03/04/2009
The annual battle to be the major's home run king is one of the most followed contests of the Major League season right up there with pennant and wild card races. While the magic home run record (61, 70 or 73 whichever one you believe) is probably out of grasp for this era of sluggers the battle for the major league lead is as wide open as ever thanks to the recent MLB crackdown on performance-enhancing drugs.
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Baseball Betting: World Baseball Classic MVP Betting
by Matt Severance - 03/04/2009
Somewhat surprisingly, Bodog lists not a slugger like Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz or Ryan Braun as the favorite to be named the Most Valuable Player of this year World Baseball Classic, but instead two pitchers from Team USA.
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MLB Betting: Pitchers to Watch in 2009
by Trevor Whenham - 03/04/2009
Spring training is underway, but it's really too early for us to learn anything from what we see or who wins. This time of year is mostly useful for speculation, distilling rumors, and looking forward to the start of the real season. With that in mind, here's a look at six pitchers I will be closely watching this season. All of them are in different phases of their career, but all have one thing in common - they are poised for a breakthrough.
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World Baseball Classic Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 03/03/2009
The second World Baseball Classic is just around the corner. It's not a perfect tournament - the timing isn't great, and baseball doesn't perfectly lend itself to a short tournament like this. Still, it's a more compelling event than a lot of things and, as importantly, you can bet on it. Here's a look at how the WBC breaks down from a betting perspective (odds are from Bodog) with my World Baseball Classic picks and predictions:
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World Baseball Classic Betting
by Doc's Sports
World Baseball Classic betting promises to be as popular as ever during the second incarnation of the worldwide event. The World Baseball Classic features 16 teams and 39 games. The WBC starts on March 5th and the finals are held in Los Angeles on March 21st, 22nd, & 23rd at Dodger Stadium.
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World Baseball Classic Odds
by Doc's Sports
If you came to this page you are probably looking for World Baseball Classic odds. Doc's Sports provides you with the most current odds for World Baseball Classic games. Below you will find up-to-the-minute odds for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. The tournament runs from March 5-23 and the venues will be at seven different locales across the globe.
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World Baseball Classic Schedule
by Doc's Sports
Below you will find the complete schedule for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. The WBC runs from March 5th, 2009 through March 23rd, 2009. The tournament is held at seven different sites all across the globe. There are four World Baseball Classic first round sites where countries located within close proximity to one another will play each other in a round robin format.
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2009 MLB Futures Betting - MLB Futures Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 02/20/2009
Baseball is a game of nuance. It's a game of minutia. It's a game of infinite mathematical permutations acting themselves out, precisely, in the beauty of a natural environment. It's a sport so finely spun and so carefully crafted that each separate game is a symphony of subtlety.
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World Series Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 02/04/2009
It might look and feel like the middle of winter, but pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training in just over a week. That means that now is a good time to look at the World Series futures odds to see what teams make sense, and which ones are totally out of whack. Here's a look at some of the more interesting futures prices (all odds are from Bodog) along with some World Series predictions:
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College Basketball Betting: Weekly Atlantic 10 Report
by Christopher G. Shepard - 01/14/2009
The Duquesne Dukes and Xavier Musketeers, who moved into the No. 15 spot in the AP poll this week, are both 2-0 and five teams are 1-0 after the first week of conference play as tough Atlantic 10 matchups continue this week on the road to the A-10 Championship at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City from March 11-14.
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