MLB Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Baseball Wagers 5/9/2016

by Victor Ryan - 5/9/2016

The Chicago Cubs continued their buzzsaw run through the big leagues with a perfect 7-0 week , which saw the betting returns on the North Siders improve to +13.8 units for the season. Meanwhile, a couple of clubs with sub-.500 records on the season managed to turn a rare profit last week that was good enough to put them among the five hottest bets in MLB.

At the other end of the spectrum were the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels. They went a combined 1-11 last week and cost bettors 11.2 units.

Below is a closer look at the hottest and coldest bets in Major League Baseball.

Best MLB Bets (season to date)

Chicago Cubs (24-6, +13.8 Units)

Chicago White Sox (22-10, +13.1 Units)

Philadelphia Phillies (18-14, +10.3 Units)

Texas Rangers (18-14, +6.6 Units)

Baltimore Orioles (18-12, +6.6 Units)

Best MLB Bets (week of 4/2 through 4/9)

Chicago Cubs (7-0, +7.3 Units)

Cleveland Indians (5-1, +4.0 Units)

Seattle Mariners (5-2, +3.6 Units)

San Diego Padres (4-3, +2.7 Units)

Tampa Rays (4-3, +2.6 Units)

The Cubs are a straight juggernaut. Their perfect week included a three-game sweep of the playoff-contending Pirates and a four-game sweep of the Nationals, who many consider the Cubs' biggest threat in the NL. Chicago, which leads the big leagues in both runs scored (6.1 per game) and ERA (2.48), sports an incredible +3.4 average run differential. Next up for the Cubs are three games against San Diego and three against the Pirates, all at Wrigley.

The Indians had an excellent homestand last week with a sweep of the Tigers and then taking two of three from the Royals. The pitching staff, which includes a well-regarded rotation that had struggled the first month of season, posted a 3.05 ERA last week. The bullpen continued to be reliable, while All Star outfielder Michael Brantley showed signs of life last week after returning from injury. Next up for the Indians is a three-game set in Houston followed by three at home against Minnesota.

Robinson Cano's monster start to the season has propelled the Mariners to the top of the AL West. He was batting .305 through Sunday's action while leading the majors in both home runs (12) and RBI's (33). The Mariners also sport the league's fifth-best ERA (3.08), thanks largely to a big-time bullpen and one-two punch of Felix Hernandez (2-2, 2.21) and Tajuan Walker (2-2, 1.97). Next up for Seattle is a six-game homestand that includes three against Tampa and three against the Angels.

The Padres and Rays crack the top five for the first time this season. San Diego took two of three from Colorado and beat the Mets twice in a four-game set while a heavy underdog to turn a tidy profit. The Padres, which got another solid start from prospect Colin Rea, posted the league's second-lowest ERA (2.54) last week. Next up for the Friars is a three-game set at Wrigley followed by four in Milwaukee.

The Rays split a pair with the Dodgers and then swept three from the struggling Angels in Anaheim to post a profitable week. Tampa Bay (15-13) is now just 2.5 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East. Keying the Rays success has the pitching staff. It ranks sixth in ERA (.346) while opponents are hitting just .226, which is the third lowest in the league.

Next up for the Rays is a three-game set in Seattle followed by three against Oakland at home.

Worst MLB Bets (week of 4/2 through 4/9)

Detroit Tigers (0-6, -6.4 Units)

Los Angeles Angels (1-5, -4.4 Units)

Oakland A's (1-5, -4.3 Units)

Minnesota Twins (1-5, -3.4 Units)

Atlanta Braves (1-5, -3.2 Units)

Worst MLB Bets (season to date)

Minnesota Twins (8-23, -15.2 Units)

Houston Astros (12-20, -12.6 Units)

Atlanta Braves (7-23, -11.3 Units)

New York Yankees (11-18, -8.9 Units)

Los Angeles Angels (13-18, -6.6 Units)

The Tigers had an impressive first month to the season, but the wheels came off last week when being swept by both the Indians and Rangers. Detroit posted MLB's second-highest ERA (6.90) while scoring the third-fewest runs (22). Given that stretch, manager Brad Ausmus admitted Monday he may be on the hot seat. However, it would seem the Tigers lineup is too potent for many stretches like this. You can chalk it up to simply a bad week, but things don't get much easier. This week they play the Nationals for three and the Orioles for four, all on the road.

Speaking of wheels coming off, things aren't looking good in Anaheim. Last week the Angels lost two of three to lowly Milwaukee and were swept by the Rays. To add injury to insult, ace Garrett Richards went on the 15-day DL and shortstop Andrelton Simmons is expected to miss time after spraining a thumb on Sunday. Albert Pujols (.190, 6 HR, 18 RBIs) also continues to struggle. Next for the Angels are three-games at home against St. Louis followed by a three-game set in Seattle.

The A's, Twins and Braves continue to be regular members of the bottom-five.

Good luck this week.

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