Baseball Handicapping Articles

Miguel Cabrera Odds to Win the 2014 AL MVP with MLB Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 3/28/2014

Miguel Cabrera has a knack for breaking records. Two years ago the Detroit Tigers’ first baseman became the first triple-crown winner in over 45 years and then followed up that historic performance by nearly winning it again the very next year. Now, Cabrera is looking to become only the second man in baseball history to win three straight MVP awards and the first since Barry Bonds won four straight beginning in 2001.

Los Angeles Angels Odds to Win 2014 World Series
by Alan Matthews - 3/27/2014

In a Washington Nationals preview I wrote here at Doc's two weeks ago, I mentioned that I loved the Nats even more to win the NL East than I did previously not because of what they did in the spring to that point but due to key injuries suffered by their top competitor, the Atlanta Braves.

2014 MLB Regular Season Props Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 3/27/2014

The MLB season officially kicked off on March 22 with an opening-day matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks in Sydney, Austria. The real season, however, does not begin until Monday, March 31, when most teams will begin play.

MLB Handicapping: Atlanta Braves Have Lots of Questions Heading into Season
by Robert Ferringo - 3/26/2014

Last winter was one of the mildest on record in many parts of the country. Snow was sparse. Cold was transient. And jokes about global warming were freely flowing. Flash-forward to this winter, still ongoing in many parts of the country no matter what that drunken groundhog has to say about it. This winter has been a frozen hellscape of twisted ice and shattered dreams. It has been a frozen nightmare of apocalyptic doom, with humans caught in the crossfire of the sky’s unrelenting assault on the ground.

2014 AL Central Picks with MLB Betting Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/25/2014

The American League Central has established itself as the new Weakest Division in Baseball. The Detroit Tigers are head and shoulders above a group that can best be described as inconsistent, underperforming and overmatched.

Mike Trout Odds to Win the 2014 AL MVP with MLB Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 3/24/2014

Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels center fielder, burst on to the MLB radar two seasons ago during a sublime, sophomore campaign that overshadowed, and downright trumped, the arrival of legendary hitter Albert Pujols. Trout’s, at the time, surprising production shifted the media attention toward the young player and gave him the headlining role on the team while heaping all the pressure on the struggling Pujols.

Chicago White Sox Odds to Win 2014 World Series
by Alan Matthews - 3/21/2014

Is the American League Central up for grabs this season? The Detroit Tigers remain the prohibitive favorites to win a fourth straight division title, but they don't look anywhere near as good as last year. Gone are pitcher Doug Fister and slugger Prince Fielder. Ian Kinsler is in at second base, but that's pretty much a wash with Omar Infante, last season's Detroit starter. The Tigers have a major question mark at shortstop with Jose Iglesias now potentially out for the season, left field with Andy Dirks likely out half the year, and third base with rookie Nick Castellanos perhaps not ready for big-league pitching.

2014 AL West Picks with MLB Betting Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/20/2014

When people talk about the most heated division rivalries in baseball, they will quickly rattle off the obvious feuds: Red Sox-Yankees, Dodgers-Giants, and Reds-Cardinals. But if you are looking for an area featuring an underrated amount of animosity, look no further than the American League West.

Texas Rangers Odds to Win 2014 World Series
by Alan Matthews - 3/20/2014

What we like to do here at Doc's is get you the betting information you need ASAP. Thus, we started 2014 MLB previews in early February when the first futures spring odds were released. Obviously, the one problem with doing that is that catastrophic injuries can occur, and one did to the Oakland A's, who opened as slight favorites to win the AL West for the third straight season but aren't any longer.

2014 AL East Picks with MLB Betting Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/19/2014

If I were MLB commissioner for a day, the first thing that I would do is shuffle up all of the divisions. Actually, I would institute a rule where every year all of the divisions are determined by a blind draw, essentially reshuffling the deck every season.

Washington Nationals Odds to Win 2014 World Series
by Alan Matthews - 3/14/2014

I'm going to cut right to the chase here. I love the Washington Nationals to win the National League East this season. I'm not supposed to use the word lock in these stories because there's obviously no sure thing in sports betting, and injuries can change things. However, I'd call the Nats all but a you-know-what now, and it has nothing to do with what they've done this spring but more of what has happened to the Atlanta Braves, the defending division champions.

Pittsburgh Pirates Odds to Win 2014 World Series
by Alan Matthews - 3/13/2014

When did everyone start grading a team's offseason, no matter the sport? It probably traces to those college football recruiting rankings after National Signing Day or when Mel Kiper Jr. started grading the NFL Draft selections back when it used to be mostly ignored on ESPN. Regardless, you can find grades for every sport these days. I mention this because you rarely find any consistency among the experts when it comes to offseason Major League Baseball grades. I said “rarely,” not “never”. I have not found a single legitimate site that has given the Pittsburgh Pirates anything but an F. And I wholeheartedly agree.

MLB Handicapping: Pitching Rotations with Most Uncertainty
by Trevor Whenham - 3/13/2014

There is nothing more important in baseball than the starting rotation. A strong rotation can hide a lot of problems for a team and lead them to unexpected heights. Rotational woes, though, can sink an otherwise solid team. As the regular season nears, here are three rotations that I have serious concerns about:

2014 Boston Red Sox Odds to Win the AL East with MLB Picks and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 3/12/2014

Before the start of the 2013 season, most sportsbooks had Boston listed as a moderate longshot to even win the AL East let alone the World Series as a result of a disastrous 2012 campaign in which the team imploded under the direction of Bobby Valentine to a record of 69-93. The Red Sox used that offseason to redesign themselves under the direction of new skipper John Farrell, and the result was a 97-65 record and another world title for this storied franchise.

2014 NL West Picks with MLB Betting Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/11/2014

Los Angeles is one of the strongest favorites to win their division of any team in the Major Leagues. Emboldened by a $7 billion television contract last year, the Dodgers have been on a whirlwind two-year spending spree. And unlike some teams in recent years – I’m looking at you Marlins and Blue Jays – the Dodgers have spent wisely, made savvy trades, and built up one of the top rosters in baseball.

2014 NL East Picks with MLB Betting Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/11/2014

The Dodgers will dominate the National League West. The Cardinals will control the National League Central. But as the Major League season readies itself for launch, one of the biggest questions in the Senior Circuit is which team is the front-runner in the National League East?

2014 NL Central Picks with MLB Betting Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/11/2014

Once the laughingstock of the National League, the NL Central has become the deepest and most talented division in the Senior Circuit. Three teams won 90 or more games in 2013, and I suspect that this summer’s division race will be another three-team dogfight between St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

2014 New York Yankees Odds to Win the AL East with MLB Picks and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 3/10/2014

The Yankees missed the playoffs last year for just the second time since the 1995 season after going 85-77, which was only good enough for third place in the ultra-competitive AL East. They were 12 games in back of Boston in the division and 6.5-games out of the final wild card spot in the AL.

2014 Tampa Bay Rays Odds to Win the AL East with MLB Picks and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 3/10/2014

Joe Maddon will be entering his ninth season at the helm, and during his tenure with Tampa Bay his team has posted five straight winning seasons and four stints in the playoffs, including a trip to the World Series in 2008. Last season the Rays finished second in the AL East at 90-72. They went on to win a tie-breaker against Texas for the final wild card spot in the AL and then they beat Cleveland in that one-game playoff. Tampa Bay’s run in the postseason came to a swift and bitter end with a 3-1 loss in the ALDS to rival Boston.

MLB Handicapping: Spring Training Surprises
by Trevor Whenham - 3/7/2014

We’re not quite a third of the way through Spring Training already. While it is far too early to have really learned a whole lot that will be useful during the season, it is worthwhile looking at some of the surprising early developments. There is obviously no guarantee that what was unexpected now will have any bearing on what happens in the future, but it can give us a head start on spotting surprising teams early in the season — in a positive or negative way.