Baseball Handicapping Articles

Tracking the Nationals: MLB Picks and Handicapping for Washington Baseball
by Dave Schwab - 4/15/2015

Specialization on a single team when it comes to wagering on MLB games can be a viable betting strategy. For the second season in a row, Doc’s Sports has asked me to put this theory to the test by focusing all my handicapping efforts on the Washington Nationals. I will also be releasing free weekly picks for their games with the use of Doc’s Unit Betting System. My ultimate goal is to return a solid profit on these unit plays over the course of the MLB season.

MLB Handicapping: Staying Ahead of the Oddsmakers for Early-Season Profit
by Jason Sharpe - 4/15/2015

The main reason I have been able to live in Las Vegas as a successful professional sports bettor the past eight years is because I am always working on my craft and trying to improve as a handicapper. The best way to learn what you're good or bad at is to keep daily records on all of your bets. I will also jot down notes on my thought process when it comes to handicapping, and I will go back and study these notes and review my past records as well. By doing this I've noticed that I usually see my best results during the early parts of a sports season.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/14/2015

The Kansas City Royals were supposed to take a big step back this season after losing James Shields and a few other key players from last season's American League champions. I still think they will, but the Royals entered Tuesday as the only unbeaten in MLB. However, the team has now lost starting outfielder Alex Rios to a fractured left hand. His official timetable isn't known, but clearly that's going to be a while.

MLB Handicapping: Time to Panic for Teams with Slow Starts?
by Trevor Whenham - 4/14/2015

Teams have played only somewhere between six and eight games in this very young baseball season. That means that they have at least 156 left to play. In other words, what has happened so far really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. That being said, since we spent so much of the offseason thinking about what we expected to see from teams, it’s never too early to check in and see what squads have not been what we thought they were.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/13/2015

The biggest injury of this early baseball season (not counting spring training) has hit the Cleveland Indians as excellent catcher Yan Gomes will miss perhaps two months with an MCL sprain. His right leg was jolted violently by Detroit outfielder Rajai Davis, who slid hard on a force play and clipped Gomes' right leg during Saturday's game.

MLB Series Odds with Expert Picks and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 4/13/2015

The new MLB season is underway, and the great thing about this sport is that there is any number of ways to wager on the games. While most bettors will focus their handicapping efforts on each day’s games, Monday offers the perfect opportunity to wager on the outcome of an entire series.

Betting Odds and Free Picks for MLB Props for Monday
by Dave Schwab - 4/13/2015

The new MLB season enters its second week of play this week, and in conjunction with Monday night’s matchups Bovada has released a number of player props to add even more action to the games. I have gone through all of these player props to come up with my top three plays of the night.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Sunday, April 12, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/11/2015

I'm calling my shot right now: the Minnesota Twins will be the worst team in the American League this season (although the White Sox look like it so far). OK, I guess that's not going out on a huge limb. However, now 40 percent of the team's rotation is out for a while. Projected No. 2 Ervin Santana was recently suspended 80 games for a positive drug test and now likely No. 3 Ricky Nolasco has been placed on the disabled list with an elbow injury.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, April 11, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/10/2015

What's the record for the fastest in a season a closer was pulled from his role? I'm sure there's a statistic for that somewhere, but I'm guessing the Toronto Blue Jays just broke the mark. Manager John Gibbons announced the move Thursday, one day after Brett Cecil blew a save by allowing three runs in the bottom of the eighth to the Yankees.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Friday, April 10, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/9/2015

Could be a long season in Tampa Bay. The Rays have some good young pitching, but a couple of them remain out with injuries. It's the offense that looks to be a problem, and the team is going to struggle even more to score for the next two weeks or so. The Rays are expected to put their primary designated hitter John Jaso on the disabled list perhaps on Thursday.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, April 9, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/8/2015

What is it with the San Francisco Giants in the odd-numbered years this decade? They have won the World Series in each even-numbered year and missed the playoffs in 2011 & '13. I expected them to miss out again this season, and it sure appears like already the karma gods are against the Giants. Starting pitcher Matt Cain has landed on the disabled list, fellow starter Jake Peavy is expected to join him and so might first baseman Brandon Belt, who will undergo an MRI on Wednesday after straining his right groin Tuesday.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, April 8, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/7/2015

Two national TV games for live betting on Wednesday's schedule, both on ESPN2: Red Sox at Phillies and Padres at Dodgers. It's also the first day this season that every team is in action -- barring weather troubles of course. I want to give you a statistic from the Toronto rotation. There has never been a rotation that made it through the season without a start from a pitcher between the ages of 25 & 35.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, April 7, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/6/2015

Welcome to my first "Five To Follow" story of the 2015 baseball season, where I will recommend five games per day with day-before opening lines to hopefully get you an early betting advantage either through pitching or hitting trends, possible stars sitting out on getaway days or where injuries could play a big factor in the result or line -- some opening lines could be TBA because of injury, and you usually won't see an early total for games at Wrigley Field because of the unpredictability of the wind.. You can look for this story previewing games every Tuesday-Sunday (Mondays are usually the slowest days of the week).

Betting Odds and Free Picks for MLB Props for Monday
by Dave Schwab - 4/6/2015

A new season of MLB action is officially underway, making it a perfect time to take advantage of a number of special season prop bets as released by BetOnline. These props cover everything from the “over/under” for how many no-hitters will be thrown to the top batting average for any player in the league.

MLB Handicapping: Overrated Teams
by Trevor Whenham - 4/6/2015

The start of the baseball season each year is filled with such optimism and hope. In many cases, there is too much of both. The betting public gets too excited about teams, futures odds get driven down lower than they should, and casual bettors give the teams too much credit in their betting — and lose money as a result. Here, as we enter the long, glorious regular season, are five teams that are overrated based on their futures price (odds to win the World Series are from Bovada):

MLB Handicapping: Pitchers with Betting Value
by Trevor Whenham - 4/6/2015

I have a favorite thing to do at the start of every baseball season — which is where we find ourselves right now. I like to look around the rosters for pitchers I am excited about. I’m not talking about the superstars or the guys who have had proven success. I’m looking for guys who are poised to take a big step forward this season. The reason is simple — when you are right about these guys there is massive value, and major profits, to be had.

MLB Betting Advice: Handicapping Madison Bumgarner Season Win Total
by George Monroy - 4/4/2015

Madison Bumgarner may be the greatest postseason pitcher in the last 30 years—and that statement might be selling his accomplishments short. The San Francisco Giants ace capped off another title run with two World Series victories, five scoreless innings in a Game 7 save, and an MVP award to take his accomplishments into a realm that few pitchers can even enter.

MLB Odds to Win Each Division with Expert Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 3/30/2015

A week from now we’ll be able to watch baseball games that matter. And we’ll be able to watch it for the next seven months or so. As we get ready for another long, glorious season, this is a good time to take a look at each division. There are, of course, futures odds for each division. Here’s a look at each division, and some thoughts on the hunt for MLB division futures betting value (All odds are from Sportsbook.ag):

Clayton Kershaw Props Odds and Predictions for 2015 Season Wins
by George Monroy - 3/26/2015

Clayton Kershaw is coming off one of the most dominant performances that a pitcher can muster up—21 wins, only three losses, a 1.72 ERA, while also leading the majors in 44 different categories—and the only other players who can claim such a historical season over the last two decades have been Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson. Kershaw was that good in 2014. And the scary part is that the reigning National League MVP is still only 27 years old.

2015 Al Central Predictions with Odds and Expert MLB Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 3/13/2015

The Detroit Tigers will try to become the first team since the 1999 Cleveland Indians to win five straight American League Central titles. They were able to hold off Kansas City by just two games last year to make it three in a row. But with the Tigers grasping desperately at one last World Series run and the rest of the league gaining ground quickly we could see a Central that is up for grabs late in the summer.