Baseball Handicapping Articles

MLB Predictions: 2013 RBI Head-To-Head Props Odds
by Alan Matthews - 3/5/2013

We all know that Roger Maris' home-run record was shattered by Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. We also pretty much know all three of those guys were juicing because, hey, "chicks dig the long ball." What is a bit surprising to me is that a player from baseball's steroid era didn't more seriously threaten the major-league single-season RBI record of 191 set by Hack Wilson in 1930 (155 games).

MLB Handicapping: How World Baseball Classic Will Affect Upcoming Season
by Trevor Whenham - 3/5/2013

The World Baseball Classic is underway. As a handicapper, I don’t find the Classic itself particularly interesting. It would be if it was what it was designed to be, but the American team is a shadow of what it could be, the Japanese don’t have a single Major Leaguer on the roster, and injuries have made a still-impressive Dominican team less than what it could be. It’s like an all-star game that few show up for — an extended Pro Bowl.

MLB Betting Predictions: 2013 Home Run Head-To-Head Odds
by Alan Matthews - 3/1/2013

Spring Training games are well underway in Florida and Arizona, and the 2013 Major League Baseball season begins four weeks from Sunday with Houston’s debut in the American League against Texas. Thus, the books are starting to really roll out the player props for the season.

MLB Spring Training Handicapping: Teams with Betting Value
by Trevor Whenham - 2/26/2013

Performance in Spring Training isn’t a very good indicator of what is going to happen in the regular season. The reason is obvious — the games don’t count, so teams aren’t always motivated to win them. It’s more important to do what is needed to get ready for the season than to win. That means different teams field different lineups, with some veterans playing a lot while others barely play at all.

2013 World Baseball Classic Picks and Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/26/2013

I was one of those who thought that Major League Baseball’s decision to debut the World Baseball Classic was a great idea seven years ago. The NBA and NHL get popularity boosts with the Olympics (and to a lesser extent the World Championship), but Major League Baseball didn’t have that type of event. Sure, baseball was in the Olympics, but no major-league stars could play because it was in the summer. And now it’s no longer an Olympic sport, with the final baseball competition (and softball) being staged at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

2013 MLB Predictions: Home Run Leader Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 2/25/2013

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that I was 0-for-2 in picking the 2012 home run leader in Major League Baseball. Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera led MLB with 44 dingers on the way to the first Triple Crown in the sport in 45 years. In my spring home run leader story, I wrote that while Cabrera was going to see more pitches with Prince Fielder hitting behind him, Comerica Park hurt Cabrera’s chances a bit and that because Miggy was such a high average hitter that he wouldn’t be swinging for the fences as much as other sluggers.

MLB Handicapping: Astros Move to AL West
by Trevor Whenham - 2/20/2013

Fifteen years after the Milwaukee Brewers left the American League to join the NL Central, that division is losing a team back to the American League. The Houston Astros are heading to the AL West — arguably the toughest division in baseball right now.

MLB Handicapping: Teams Poised for Huge Turnarounds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/18/2013

In 2011 the Baltimore Orioles won 69 games. Oakland was only slightly better with 74 wins. Neither win total is particularly impressive. Last year, though, both teams climbed from the depths of misery to the playoffs. Oakland won the AL West, and Baltimore easily claimed a wild-card berth. Despite the challenges of building a winner in the major leagues, a turnaround of that variety is far from uncommon. Teams that make those moves can be wildly profitable for bettors who can spot them early — they can deliver real value until the public notices they are a much-improved team, and they can offer real value in the futures markets as well.

Remaining MLB Free Agents Still Could Shape Playoff Teams
by Alan Matthews - 2/8/2013

Perhaps the best four words in sports, especially for those living in cold-weather climates (enjoying that blizzard Northeast?), are: “pitchers and catchers report.” And, indeed, the first pitchers and catchers will report for Spring Training on Sunday, with the Cleveland Indians and Colorado Rockies getting things started. The full squads will have reported to every team by next weekend, and Spring Training games begin Feb. 22.

MLB Odds and Predictions: World Series Game 3 Props and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 10/26/2012

Well, I can bask in the glow of taking the San Francisco Giants to beat Tigers ace Justin Verlander in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series, but that prediction of Detroit winning the Fall Classic in six games isn’t looking too sharp at the moment with the Motor City Kitties down 2-0.

MLB Odds and Predictions: World Series Game 1 and Series Props
by Alan Matthews - 10/23/2012

There really can’t be much argument that Detroit’s Justin Verlander is the best pitcher in baseball (even though he won’t repeat as AL Cy Young winner). Yet it’s because of Verlander that the Tigers won’t have home-field advantage vs. San Francisco when the World Series begins Wednesday.

MLB Odds and Predictions: New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers, Game 3
by Alan Matthews - 10/16/2012

When I previewed Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday between the Tigers and Yankees, I wrote that I liked the Tigers in the series but wanted to hold off a bit just in case a big injury occurred. Boy did it, and now the Yankees look like they are toast.

MLB Predictions: Tigers at Yankees Game 1 ALCS Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 10/13/2012

The Detroit Tigers no doubt enjoyed having Friday off after they eliminated Oakland in Game 5 of the ALDS on Thursday night. The Tigers flew back to Detroit after that game (landing around 8 a.m. local time) and watched the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees battle into Friday night for a spot opposite in the Tigers in the American League Championship Series, with Game 1 on Saturday night in the Bronx. Detroit got back on a plane around 11:30 p.m. Friday to fly to New York after the Yanks finished off the Birds 3-1 in Game 5 of that series.

MLB Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 10/8/2012

With all due respect to the Oakland A’s, who have had a tremendous season, I guarantee you that the Detroit Tigers preferred to face the A’s as the AL West champs in the division series over the Texas Rangers. Despite having a worse record than Oakland, Detroit got to host the first two games of their ALDS series (this year only) and took big advantage by winning both to send the series to Oakland with the A’s having to win three straight starting Tuesday – including beating Justin Verlander in a possible Game 5 – to advance to the ALCS.

MLB Odds and Predictions: Friday’s Wild-Card Playoff Games
by Alan Matthews - 10/4/2012

There wasn’t a whole lot of drama surrounding the National League playoff race. It had been long assumed that the Atlanta Braves wouldn’t catch Washington in the NL East and would take the top wild-card spot. The St. Louis Cardinals made it a little interesting at the end as they didn’t clinch until the penultimate night of the season, but there never was a ton of doubt that St. Louis would get in.

Bold MLB Baseball Postseason Predictions
by T.O. Whenham - 10/4/2012

The long baseball regular season that acts as a bridge from the spring to the fall has come to an end. On Friday the playoffs start — albeit a strange and unfamiliar playoffs with another team there for each league. As we get ready for the annually fantastic month of fall ball, here are eight bold predictions about how I see things turning out:

MLB Handicapping: Odds State One-Game Playoff is One To Avoid
by Ricky Dimon - 10/2/2012

Has any Major League Baseball team been snakebit in October more often than the Atlanta Braves? At least in the last six decades or so, definitely not. If the Cubs are the lovable losers then the Braves are the lovable losers of postseason play. They’ve been to the playoffs 15 times since 1991 and have won the World Series only once (1995). The Braves have lost six consecutive playoff series dating back to the 2001 NLCS, including three in a decisive final game (all three of those at home).

MLB Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 10/1/2012

How hard do you think the books are rooting for the New York Yankees this week? The Yanks were the preseason favorites to win the American League East, but that race will go down to the wire with the surprising Baltimore Orioles, who were huge long shots to win the division back in the spring. Currently on Sportsbook.ag, the O’s are +150 to win the division with New York at -200.

MLB Handicapping: Teams that Have Clinched During Final Week
by T.O. Whenham - 9/28/2012

We are heading into the last week of the baseball season. There is still quite a bit to determine for the postseason. In the National League, though, we know four teams — Washington, Cincinnati, San Francisco, and Atlanta — that are heading to the postseason no matter what. Once a team has clinched its playoff spot, bettors need to pay close attention to how it is approaching the rest of its games. Some teams will continue to play with full intensity after they have clinched, others will hardly even try, and still others will let up on the gas a little but still play with intensity.

MLB Odds and Predictions: Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers Series
by Alan Matthews - 9/27/2012

Back in Spring Training, I certainly had circled this weekend’s Angels-Rangers series as one that stood out above almost all others this season. After all, the Rangers were the two-time American League Champions and added Japanese sensation Yu Darvish this offseason. Los Angeles owner Arte Moreno was tired of watching Texas finish above his club in the AL West and spent more than $300 million on C.J. Wilson, the former Rangers ace, and Albert Pujols.