Baseball Handicapping Articles

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Friday, May 6, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 5/5/2016

What, you thought we had seen the last of the PED suspensions this season? This broken system actually catches players in spring training, but it's not released until a long appeals process is finished. The Marlins' Dee Gordon, for example, dropped his appeal last week and that's why it came out when it did. The MLBPA wants it this way so a false positive doesn't ruin some guy's reputation.

MLB Handicapping: How to Bet on Surprising White Sox
by Trevor Whenham - 5/5/2016

There are always a few surprises in baseball as April turns into May and baseball shifts into a higher gear. This year few teams are any more surprising than the White Sox. We knew that there was going to be a very good team in Chicago, but it was supposed to be the one that plays in Wrigleyville. The Cubs are indeed as advertised the best team in baseball at this point, and they are showing no signs of slowing down. What's truly shocking, though, is that the White Sox are just one win behind them - they have 19 to the 20 for the Cubs.

MLB Betting Advice: Reasons for the Cardinals Struggles
by Trevor Whenham - 5/5/2016

Death, taxes and a strong Cardinals team. Those are the three things we have been able to rely on consistently in the last decade or so. We're still less than 20 percent of the way into the baseball season, so it's too early to draw any meaningful conclusions, but so far the pride of St. Louis isn't having the success that we are used to seeing. A team that has averaged 96 wins the last three years, and which faced an aggressive 87.5 season win total before the season began, is out of the gate at just 14-14.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, May 5, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 5/4/2016

Most closers are a dime a dozen, but it's pretty amazing how much difference a dominant one can make. And the Cincinnati Reds had one of the most dominant in league history, at least in terms of his fastball, the past few years in lefty Aroldis Chapman. But he of course was traded to the Yankees this offseason with the Reds rebuilding. The Cincinnati bullpen was pretty good with him as the back-end anchor. Now? Terrible.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, May 4, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 5/3/2016

It's not often you would say a team is likely better off with someone making $17 million a year being lost for the season, but I'm guessing the Boston Red Sox aren't all that upset that fat man and distraction Pablo Sandoval will need season-ending shoulder surgery. What an utter bust he has been, and Boston doesn't have insurance on the five-year, $95 million free-agent deal it gave Sandoval in November 2014.

Expert MLB Betting Advice: Weekly Baseball Bullpen Report
by Victor Ryan - 5/3/2016

In this day and age, a dominant bullpen can send a club to great heights. We witnessed that with the two most recent World Series appearances by the Royals, which was largely predicated on the bullpen's three-headed monster patrolling the seventh through ninth innings. It's more of the same this year for the Royals as they sport MLB's third-best bullpen ERA at 2.33.

Free MLB Picks for Best Props Odds: Tuesday May 3, 2016
by Chris Vasile - 5/3/2016

We are exactly one month into the 2016 MLB season and there have already been plenty of storylines to go around. We have seen a rookie setting an MLB record for home runs in his first handful of at-bats and a pitcher who has been darn near untouchable and having already recording a no-hitter. We have also seen the NL West division being absolutely terrible up to this point.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, May 3, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 5/2/2016

He won't do it because that would mean forfeiting millions of dollars, but it's time for former AL MVP Josh Hamilton to listen to his body and retire. He was rehabbing a left knee injury but aggravated the problem after just one game in the minors this weekend. Rangers GM Jon Daniels said Sunday that Hamilton was given a cortisone shot -- he got one initially back in January -- after experiencing recurring discomfort in the knee while running the bases Saturday while playing for Double-A Frisco.

MLB Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Baseball Wagers
by Victor Ryan - 5/2/2016

With a month of the MLB season now in the books, there are a couple of notable storylines emerging for bettors. One of these is the fact the second-most profitable bet in baseball this season has been the surprising Philadelphia Phillies, who won six straight last week to improve to +10.5 Units for the year. Only the upstart Chicago White Sox at +11.3 Units have been a better investment this season.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, April 30, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/29/2016

Does Major League Baseball have a performance-enhancing drug problem again? Last week, Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello was hit with an 80-game suspension for testing positive for PEDs. Then on Thursday, Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon, the reigning NL batting and stolen base champion, also was hit with an 80-game ban.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Friday, April 29, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/28/2016

If you have read these stories over the past few years, you know how much the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry irritates me. As I'm sure you can guess, I'm not from the Northeast. It's a great, passionate rivalry, no doubt. But the way ESPN and the MLB Network fawn over every game often makes me want to barf. But I would be remiss if I didn't say the two play for the first time this season on Friday at Fenway Park. And of course the first two games are on the MLB Network and the finale is on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Ugh. The Yankees have won the season series the past two years.

Free MLB Picks for Best Props Odds: Thursday April 28, 2016
by Chris Vasile - 4/28/2016

There are some strange happenings going on in the majors this season already. The Atlanta Braves have seemingly forgotten how to hit home-runs, the Blue Jays offense is MIA, both Chicago teams are leading their respective leads and the Dodgers are on the verge of getting swept at home by the Miami Marlins. Strange times indeed.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, April 28, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/27/2016

Let me preface this by saying I doubt it, but could we see something in baseball this season that we haven't since 2004? The last qualifying player (so 502 plate appearances) to finish a season with more home runs than strikeouts was Barry Bonds that year with 45 bombs and 41 whiffs. Before that, the last to do it was Hall of Famer George Brett in 1980.

MLB Betting Advice: Teams in Trouble
by Trevor Whenham - 4/27/2016

The baseball season is just 20 games or so old. In human terms it has ditched the diapers but is still too young to care about girls. A whole lot can and will change between now and the postseason. For at least four teams, though, I already can't shake the feeling that the season is all but over - that the last 140 games is just about playing out the string.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, April 27, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/26/2016

When the season opened, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was considered the No. 2 overall prospect in baseball -- behind the Dodgers' Corey Seager -- and he was also the +250 favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year honors. That's not happening. The massively struggling Buxton was sent to Triple-A by the Twins on Monday, and they had to do it. He hit just.156 in 17 games with 24 strikeouts in 45 at-bats.

Free MLB Picks for Best Props Odds: Tuesday April 26, 2016
by Chris Vasile - 4/26/2016

Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Over the course of the 162-game season, there will be highs and there will be lows. What matters is how you handle them. A winning streak can be over in the blink of an eye and a losing streak, well, let me tell you, it could take a while to get out of, and it isn't pretty.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, April 26, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/25/2016

Some fairly significant injury/suspension news over the weekend. Toronto lost first baseman Chris Colabello for an 80-game drug suspension, which might put the Jays in the market for a lefty-hitting guy who can play there (Cardinals might be a match) or as a DH. Colabello was a revelation last year in hitting .321 with 15 homers and 54 RBIs but was batting just .069 this season.

MLB Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Baseball Wagers
by Victor Ryan - 4/25/2016

This week's look at the hottest and coldest bets in Major League Baseball includes a couple of teams with high expectations entering the season that have instead have been a drain on bankrolls as well as two teams from the American League that continued to exceed expectations with another profitable seven days. Let's get started.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, April 23, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/22/2016

On Thursday's Opening Line Report, I threw it out there that it wouldn't surprise me if a former NL Cy Young winner threw a no-hitter that day against one of the expected worst teams in the National League. Alas, I went with Clayton Kershaw against Atlanta. While Kershaw was very good against the Braves, on Thursday night in Cincinnati reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta of the Cubs threw the first no-hitter of the season and his second in his past 11 regular-season starts.

MLB Betting Trends: Best Over and Under Bets for Wagering
by Aaron Smith - 4/22/2016

We're about 15 or 16 games into the Major League Baseball season for most teams. The biggest surprise of the season thus far is probably the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles were picked by many to finish last in the American League East. They sit at 10-4 so far this year thanks to a lot of close wins in the late innings.