Baseball Handicapping Articles

45th-Year Anniversary - MLB Picks Special
by Doc's Sports - 3/8/2016

Major League Baseball betting is one of the most profitable sports investments that a gambler can undertake. Whether it is re-investing the money that you made from basketball and winter sports or boosting your bankroll before football season, MLB baseball betting is the perfect avenue for solid, consistent profit while passing the time in those long summer months.

MLB Handicapping: How Last Year's Postseason Teams Might Fare in 2016
by Trevor Whenham - 3/3/2016

Spring training is underway, and with each sun-soaked pitch anticipation grows for the regular season. As we get ready for the long, glorious march to the playoffs, this is a good time to look back at the 10 teams that made the postseason last year. It is a near certainty that all 10 won't be back this year. So, which ones are more likely to return than not? And which ones should bask in the memories of last season because they won't be making new ones? Let's take a look: (Odds to win their division are from BetOnline)

MLB Handicapping: How Best Betting Teams Last Year will Fare in 2016
by Trevor Whenham - 3/3/2016

If there is one thing that handicappers know all too well it's what happened last year is far from guaranteed to happen again this year. If we could be sure that history would repeat itself we would all but rich. Things change, though - either the way teams play or the way the public perceives them or both. There were eight teams last year that offered a fairly healthy return on moneyline betting in baseball last year (The Angels and Diamondbacks were also both profitable, but only by a narrow margin). Let's take a look at those eight teams and their chances of being strong betting teams again this year:

Early Spring Training MLB Betting Tips and Wagering Advice
by Trevor Whenham - 2/26/2016

As a general rule I hate preseason sports. The NHL's warmup season is sad. The NBA's is pointless. The NFL is frustratingly pathetic. I wouldn't watch any by choice, and I certainly wouldn't bet on them. Baseball is different, though. The games don't matter any more than the other sports, and the rosters are as much of a mix of stars playing for as little as possible and other guys who are playing too much as any sport, but spring training has a magic that the other sports can't even come close to replicating.

MLB Handicapping and Wagering: Key Rookies to Watch
by Trevor Whenham - 2/26/2016

We have been blessed with some seriously impressive rookies the last several years in baseball. Buster Posey, Mike Trout, Jose Abreu, Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant and others have stepped in and looked like veteran studs right out of the gate. They have made their teams better and have delivered real value to bettors that can trust their level of play without doubting their inexperience.

MLB Home Run Props Picks for Most Homers on the Season from One Player
by Dave Schwab - 2/26/2016

The crack of a bat can be heard all over MLB spring training sites in both Florida and Arizona as teams get back to work in preparation for a new season of baseball. BetOnline has jumped into the mix with a full set of futures odds for all 30 teams as far as their chances to win their division, league pennant and the 2016 World Series.

2016 MLB Home Run King Futures Betting Odds and Expert Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 2/24/2016

People love a slugger, and in this era we certainly aren't short of guys who can launch a ball into orbit. It isn't like the glory days of Bonds, Sosa and McGwire, but then the pharmaceutical usage isn't what it was, either. With so many good hitters out there, the race for the home run title couldn't be more competitive or wide open. That makes home run futures just fascinating. As we head into the start of spring training, here are some of the most interesting futures prices offered by BetOnline:

MLB Betting Advice 2016: Toughest Aces to Judge
by Trevor Whenham - 2/24/2016

Aces are supposed to make handicapping baseball easy. They are the best pitchers on their team, and they are supposed to overpower opponents and deliver profits for bettors. It's supposed to be easy, but oftentimes it's not. Sometimes aces give us reasons to doubt them - or at least to question whether we should trust them as much as we might want to.

Cubs, Red Sox and Other MLB Top Storylines for 2016
by Chris Vasile - 2/24/2016

Welcome to the 2016 MLB season, where the journey is 40 games too long and games only start getting interesting after the trade deadline. I say that as a fan of the Blue Jays, who were the epitome of mediocre last season as the trade deadline approached. On July 28, the team announced the Troy Tulowitzki deal, and the next day they got themselves back to .500 (51-51) following an 8-2 victory over the Phillies. Less than 24 hours after that, the Jays traded for ace pitcher David Price.

MLB Betting and Handicapping: Pitching Rotations to Bank On in Early Season
by Trevor Whenham - 2/15/2016

There is not much more important to baseball handicapping than the starting rotations. Good pitching can make a good team great, while sketchy pitching can rob any team of momentum. The betting public, fortunately, isn't always the best at evaluating how strong rotations really are. They can figure out the really good ones and the really bad ones, but they often underestimate those in between.

MLB Handicapping and Betting: Two Under-the-Radar Teams to Bet on Early
by Trevor Whenham - 2/15/2016

As the baseball season creeps towards a start, it's the time of year when all we can do is stare at rosters and try to imagine what is possible. I've been looking at the American League a lot recently. As I have done that - combining roster study with win totals and futures in a search for value - two teams have been really standing out to me. The more I look at them, the more I think they have a good chance to exceed what the odds tell us the expectations are and deliver some nice profits to believers.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, October 3, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 10/2/2015

Anyone who thought that when baseball added a second wild-card spot it was a bad idea simply needs to look at this weekend and how potentially crazy things could get as proof that it was a spectacular idea, one of Bud Selig's last good ones. I don't have a dog in the fight between the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins for the AL's second wild-card spot. Don't have a preference for which team makes it. The Angels bring star power, while the Astros and Twins are at least a year ahead of schedule in terms of contending.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Friday October 2, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 10/1/2015

I'd say that new MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has done a nice job so far in place of Bud Selig, who really hadn't done anything of substance in years. Selig coasted his way to retirement. But some disappointing news from Manfred on Wednesday in that he said he was against adding the designated hitter to the National League. That's ridiculous. If the leagues were still separate, then fine. But there's at least one interleague series every day of the week now (barring off days, obviously).

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, October 1, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 9/30/2015

Now we officially know what one National League Division Series will be: New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, a TV network's dream. The Mets clinched the NL East a while ago, and the Dodgers clinched their third straight NL West title on Tuesday night behind a dominant Clayton Kershaw. And the lefty apparently is lined up to face New York's Jacob deGrom in Game 1 on Oct. 9.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, September 30, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 9/29/2015

Great news for the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday as shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who has been out since Sept. 12 with a small crack in his left scapula, took batting practice for the first time since suffering the injury and says he will "absolutely" be ready for the playoffs. Tulo is batting only .232 since coming over from Colorado in that stunning July trade, but the team is 30-8 with him in the starting lineup. No doubt the Jays would like to shake the rust off him a bit, so you will probably see him play a couple of games later this week barring some sort of setback.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, September 29, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 9/28/2015

In some ways, this is the best week of the baseball season to bet. Because you can really take advantage of teams that have nothing to play for. An example: the National League playoff field is set. Well, the Dodgers haven't officially clinched the NL West as of Monday but are about to. They would thus have squat to play for the rest of the week. Ditto the Chicago Cubs, who are all but locked into the second wild-card spot in the NL.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, September 26, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 9/25/2015

Saturday afternoon's Bay Area interleague game between the Giants and A's in Oakland means nothing in terms of the playoff race. But it's by far the most interesting game on the schedule thanks to a cool move by the A's. That's because former A's teammates Tim Hudson and Barry Zito -- part of Oakland's terrific Big 3 in the early 2000s with Mark Mulder -- will square off. Hudson has been a part of the Giants' rotation all season and is retiring after this year.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Friday September 25, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 9/24/2015

Could be a wild day at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon as the Cubs' magic number to clinch their first playoff berth since 2008 was at two entering Thursday. Chicago was off Thursday, so if the San Francisco Giants were to lose on Thursday night in San Diego, the Cubs could clinch simply with a victory on Friday. If the Giants win, then the Cubs can't do it in front of the fans and would have to potentially wait until San Francisco's result on Friday night.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, September 24, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 9/23/2015

Apparently the dysfunctional Miami Marlins aren't going to wait until the offseason to decide on a manager to replace interim skipper and former general manager Dan Jennings. Reports are that the Marlins have spoken to both Manny Acta and Dusty Baker. Acta previously managed the Nationals and Indians, while Baker led the Giants, Cubs and Reds. Baker is a great regular-season manager but not in the playoffs. And I think Jennings may want to get his resume handy.

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 9/22/2015

So let's talk about Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke -- still can't really call him the team's ace because of Clayton Kershaw. Greinke can opt out of his contract after this season and obviously will because he's having the best year of his career and will command some $200 million extension. I do think he stays with the Dodgers because he credits L.A. pitching coach Rick Honeycutt with his success. Greinke is 18-3 with a 1.65 ERA this year.