The MLB regular season wraps up its first month of play this Wednesday night, making it a good time to take a closer look at some of the early betting trends. The biggest surprise so far has been the Milwaukee Brewers with a 20-7 start through Tuesday night's games. That has been good enough to open an early 6.5-game lead over favored St. Louis in the NL Central Division title race.

While it is still way too soon to predict whether or not this dominance will hold up, the Brewers have shown some solid balance so far with the second-best team ERA in the National League (2.59), and they are ranked fifth in the NL in hitting with a .255 team batting average. Bettors who have jumped on Milwaukee's bandwagon through its first 27 games have been rewarded with a +$1,428 return on the moneyline bet. This is far and away the best return of any of the 30 MLB teams. The Brewers have been especially profitable on the road with most of money piling up from an impressive 11-1 record through their first 12 road games.

The second-best return belongs to the Atlanta Braves at +$927. The Braves are 17-8 in their first 25 games and holding a 2.5-game lead over the surprising New York Mets in the NL East. Just as a side note, the 15-11 Mets have the third-best return on the moneyline at +$640.

The Braves currently have the best team ERA in the NL at 2.32. When you combine this with a lineup that is ranked 14^th in the league in total runs, it sets up the perfect storm for a play on the "under" when it comes to wagering on totals. Low and behold, the total has stayed under in 15 of their first 25 games. This is the kind of trend that could have some staying power unless their bats suddenly decide to get hot, which is easier said than done.

Sticking with MLB total lines, if you are looking for a solid team to bet the on for the"over" then take a closer look at the Minnesota Twins. They are off to a very respectable 12-11 start that has brought a healthy return of $526 on the moneyline, but $100 wager on the over in their first 23 games would have yielded a profit of $1,360 with 18 of the games going over the closing line.

Another team that has provided a solid return on the total line so far has been the San Diego Padres. Molded in the same fashion as the Braves with decent pitching and little offense, the total has stayed under in 20 of their first 28 games for a profit of $1,340 on a $100 bet. This trend should also have some staying power with one of the worst overall lineups in the majors providing little or no run support for the fifth-best pitching staff in the NL.

Kentucky Derby Sleeper

This Saturday marks the 140^th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Regarded as the biggest single event in the horse racing season, a full field of 20 horses is expected to be in this year's "Run for the Roses".

Bovada's early odds for Saturday's race show California Chrome as the 11/5 favorite with Wicked Strong listed second at 15/2. Things fall off from there with Danza listed third at 12/1, and if you move a bit further down the line you will find Intense Holiday sitting at 16/1 odds to win.

These odds are all subject to change after Wednesday's post positions are announced and the real money starts to pour in for this race, but as long as Intense Holiday's odds remain fairly long he is my sleeper pick for this race. I discussed handicapping this field with a Las Vegas insider the other day, and he remains extremely high on this horse, especially if he draws an outside post. The wider the better as he loves to run from the outside. Intense Holiday is trained by one of the best in Todd Pletcher. He is expected to be ridden by John Velazquez after coming off a strong second-place showing in the Grade II Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on March 29. This followed a victory in the Grade II Risen Star on Feb. 22 at the same track.

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Read more articles by Dave Schwab