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MLB Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Baseball Wagers

by Victor Ryan - 6/7/2016

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber

The Texas Rangers, who have been the best bet in baseball this season, had yet another sizzling week to continue boosting profits. Meanwhile, the playoff-contending Pirates have been a money-pit of late for bettors. Here is this week's look at the hottest and coldest bets in baseball.

Hottest MLB Bets (5/30 through 6/7)

Texas Rangers (6-1, +6.6 Units)

The Rangers are 10-2 in their last 12 games. For the season, Texas has profited bettors a league-high 19.1 units. Leading the Rangers has been its fabulous trio of youngsters: RF Nomar Mazara (.319, 10 HR, 27 RBI) and middle infielders Roughned Odor (.273, 8 HR, 28 RBI) and Jurickson Profar (.370 BA, 1.013 OPS).

Texas--which won six times as an underdog the past eight days--boasts above-average starting pitching, a top-shelf bullpen and one of the deepest lineups in the bigs. This has the looks of a World Series team. Look for the profits to continue.

Texas has a four-game set in Oakland this week followed by three in St. Louis.

Cleveland Indians (6-2, +4.5 Units)

It was a tough start to the week for the Indians as they dropped two of three to the Rangers and lost Marlon Byrd to a PED suspension. But the Tribe quickly got back on track by sweeping four from the Royals and by beating the Mariners Monday night to turn a tidy profit for the week. Cleveland ranks 7th in scoring with 4.8 runs per game and also sports the league's eighth-lowest team ERA (3.72).

Cleveland plays two more in Seattle this week followed by three at the L.A. Angels.

Toronto Blue Jays (5-2, +3.6 Units)

The Blue Jays are finally playing up to expectations as they've gone 9-3 in their last 12 games. They are now just 3.5 games back of Baltimore in the AL East. Surprisingly, it's been largely the pitching that's carried Toronto and not its potent lineup. The Blue Jays have registered the second-most quality starts (39) with a team ERA of 3.72, the seventh-lowest in the bigs.

This week the Blue Jays play three in Detroit and host Baltimore for a four-game set.

Coldest MLB Bets (5/30 through 6/7)

Pittsburgh Pirates (2-5, -4.2 Units)

The Pirates dropped three of four in Miami and lost two of three to the Angels over the weekend. This is the first real rough patch this season for the Bucs, who are still waiting for former MVP Andrew McCutchen to get on track offensively. Pittsburgh has added reinforcements, however. On Wednesday, top pitching prospect Jameson Taillon will make his MLB debut against the Mets.

After hosting the Mets for three, St. Louis will come to town for a three-game weekend set.

Philadelphia Phillies (2-6, -4.1 Units)

Backers of the Phillies were handsomely rewarded the first two months of the season, but those profits are now whittling away. Philadelphia is just 2-9 in its last 11 games, which includes being swept by both the Nationals and the Cubs.

This week the Phillies host the Cubs for three then hit the road for a three-game set with Washington.

Atlanta Braves (2-6, -3.4 Units)

Atlanta's season-long struggles show no signs of letting up. The second-worst bet in baseball this season at -18.1 units, the Braves were most recently swept by the Dodgers and fell to the lowly Padres in the opener of a three-game series on Monday. Looks like recently-fired manager Fredi Garcia wasn't the problem after all. Atlanta is dead-last in scoring (3.1 RPG) and has the league's seventh-highest team ERA (4.50 ERA). Hey, at least they have five of the first 80 picks in this week's MLB Draft.

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