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2012 World Series Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2011

The World Series hasn’t even been over for a week as I write this. The dust hasn’t even settled yet. Tony La Russa has retired on top of the world. Nolan Ryan still hasn’t smiled, and may never do so again. Most fans are trying to figure out how they had never heard of a guy as good as David Freese.
Read more about World Series Predictions.

MLB Odds and Predictions: Where Does Albert Pujols Land?
by Alan Matthews - 10/31/2011

It has already been a tumultuous offseason for the world champion St. Louis Cardinals, with manager Tony La Russa surprisingly retiring on Monday rather than come back to defend the Cards’ title. Yet I guarantee you that any Cardinal fan would take the trade off of losing La Russa but being able to bring back franchise icon Albert Pujols, who is now a free agent for the first time in his lock Hall of Fame career.
Read more about MLB Odds and Predictions: Albert Pujols.

2011 World Series Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 10/18/2011

We have our World Series pairing — Texas and St. Louis. This pretty much couldn’t have worked out better for me — Nolan Ryan has always been my favorite player, and I’ve been a huge Tony La Russa fan since the Bash Brothers days. That means that I can’t lose — as a fan if not as a bettor.
Read more about World Series Predictions.

World Series Picks: Rangers vs. Cardinals Betting Odds
by Darin Zank - 10/18/2011

It's not the most glamorous of World Series matchups, but it’s a meeting of two pretty good teams and could feature a lot of scoring when the American League champion Texas Rangers take on the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals starting with Game 1 Wednesday night in St. Louis. Here's a quick breakdown of these two teams, the various matchups and our fearless World Series picks
Read more about World Series Picks: Rangers vs. Cardinals.

Texas Rangers vs. Detroit Tigers – ALCS Odds and Betting Predictions
by Darin Zank - 10/7/2011

The defending American League Champion Texas Rangers are one more series victory away from returning to the World Series. The Detroit Tigers are four wins away from making it back to the Series for the second time in the last six seasons. So it's Texas and Detroit in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series, which starts with game 1 Saturday in Arlington.
Read more about Texas Rangers vs. Detroit Tigers.

MLB Picks: Diamondbacks vs. Brewers NLDS Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 9/30/2011

The most surprising of all playoff-bound baseball teams of this season is the Arizona Diamondbacks, who, after finishing last in the NL West the last two seasons, won the division this year. The Milwaukee Brewers, meanwhile, parlayed a couple of key off-season pitching pick-ups with a couple of MVP-type seasons from Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder into the NL Central championship.
Read more about MLB Picks: Diamondbacks vs. Brewers.

MLB Picks: Tigers vs. Yankees: ALDS Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 9/30/2011

The American League regular season ended with a bang Wednesday night, with late-night drama in Baltimore and Tampa. Now the AL playoffs begin with a battle of division champions as the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees hook up for a best-of-five divisional-round series starting Friday night in the Bronx.
Read more about MLB Picks: Tigers vs. Yankees: ALDS Odds.

AL Wild-Card Race Predictions: The Final Day of MLB Season
by Darin Zank - 9/28/2011

On Sept. 2 the Boston Red Sox led the Tampa Bay Rays by nine games in American League Wild-Card standings. Since then the Sox have lost 17 of 24 games, while Tampa has won 16 of 24. So as we go into the final day of the regular season the slumping Sox and surging Rays are tied atop the Wild-Card standings.
Read more about AL Wild-Card Race Predictions.

MLB Picks: Giants at Diamondbacks Series Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 9/23/2011

It's last-gasp time for the San Francisco Giants as they try to defend their World Series title of last season. Meanwhile, it's almost champagne time for the Arizona Diamondbacks, as they close in on clinching the National League West title. Combine those two storylines and you've got the makings of some good baseball when the D-Backs host the Giants for a three-game series at Chase Field starting Friday night.
Read more about MLB Picks: Giants at Diamondbacks.

MLB Odds: Rays at Yankees Series Predictions and Baseball Picks
by Darin Zank - 9/20/2011

The New York Yankees lead the American League's East Division as they close in on securing the top seed in the upcoming American League playoffs. The surging Tampa Bay Rays are trying to track down the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild-Card race. So there's a lot at stake as the Rays and Yanks meet for a key four-game series in the Bronx starting Tuesday night, which includes a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday.
Read more about MLB Odds: Rays at Yankees Series Predictions.

2011 World Series Matchup Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 9/19/2011

The field has been narrowed in this year's chase for a World Series championship, so our attention has returned to World Series futures odds. And while some of us might consider the prices on the Philadelphia Phillies or New York Yankees to win the Fall Classic too short to play, we might want to take a shot on a better payout by picking the World Series matchup. Fortunately, 5Dimes is offering World Series odds for just that proposition.
Read more about World Series Matchup Odds and Predictions.

MLB Picks: Rays at Red Sox Series Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 9/15/2011

There aren't many playoff races still going on in baseball, but we might have one in the battle for the American League Wild-Card berth. Not too long ago the Boston Red Sox seemed like shoo-ins for the playoffs. But with six losses in their last seven games, they seem intent on making things interesting.
Read more about MLB Picks: Rays at Red Sox Series Odds and Predictions.

MLB Picks: Phillies vs. Brewers Betting Predictions and Odds
by Darin Zank - 9/8/2011

The Philadelphia Phillies are going to win the National League's Eastern Division, and they're closing in on clinching the best record in the NL. The Milwaukee Brewers, meanwhile, are trying to sew up the NL Central Division title. So, in what could be a preview of the upcoming National League Championship Series, Milwaukee hosts Philly for a four-game series at Miller Park beginning Thursday night.
Read more about MLB Picks: Phillies vs. Brewers.

MLB Handicapping: Lack of Pennant Races
by Trevor Whenham - 9/8/2011

When it comes to baseball, September is supposed to be the month of thrilling pennant races. On that front this year is pretty much a total failure. Sure, the Angels are working their hardest to make a race of it with the Rangers. Beyond that, though, there is precisely nothing to push us to the edge of our seats.
Read more about MLB Handicapping: Lack of Pennant Races.

MLB Handicapping: The Return of Stephen Strasburg
by Trevor Whenham - 9/2/2011

The most hyped young player is recent history is poised to make his return to the major leagues after an elbow injury last season required surgery and forced him out of action for more than a year. A Tuesday night game in Washington against the Dodgers that would have meant nothing to fans in Washington or around the country has suddenly turned into the hottest ticket in sports. That’s when Strasburg — barring any last-second setbacks — will return to the rotation for the first time since Aug. 21 of last year.
Read more about MLB Handicapping: The Return of Stephen Strasburg.

MLB Handicapping: Yankees vs. Red Sox Battle for AL East
by Trevor Whenham - 8/26/2011

Stop me if you have heard this one before — the Yankees and the Red Sox are locked in a tough battle for the championship of the AL East, though both teams are playoff bound. It’s deja vu all over again. The Red Sox have a slim lead, but 100 wins is in the grasp of both teams, and they are both going to be well positioned to make the World Series. They play a three-game series next week that will be both important and informative, and then they play the second to last series of the year against each other. Those six games could easily decide who wins the division and who gets home field advantage if they have to play each other again in the playoffs.
Read more about MLB Handicapping: Yankees vs. Red Sox Battle for AL East.

MLB Handicapping: Betting on September Baseball
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 8/25/2011

Betting on September and October regular season baseball is an entirely different animal than the first five months of the baseball season. Contenders have their playoff roster finalized with all their deadline deals in the books and pretenders are making their annual September call ups as position battles take place for 2012.
Read more about MLB Handicapping: Betting on September Baseball.

MLB Picks: White Sox at Angels Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/23/2011

An interesting series opens tonight in Anaheim as the White Sox visit the Angels in a matchup of big-market, high-salary teams trying to stay in their division races with about 35 games or so to go in the regular season for each. The Halos enter on a four-game winning streak but are still 4.5 games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West.
Read more about MLB Picks: White Sox at Angels.

2011 World Series Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 8/23/2011

Making predictions is a big part of this job. Sometimes they go very well, while other times I wish I could take it all back. Back in March I was in Arizona at Spring Training for the month, and I tried to turn the excitement of being there into some World Series predictions. Now that we are heading into the home stretch of the season, it’s a good time to look back at what I thought then, how they have held up, and what I wish I had said instead in some cases. Without further ado, here are my updated World Series predictions (odds are from Bodog):
Read more about World Series Predictions.

MLB Handicapping: Can Arizona Diamondbacks Stay in First?
by Trevor Whenham - 8/19/2011

In March I twice sat in the beautiful new spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Scottsdale to watch them play. Both times I was left with the same strong impression — this is a very lousy baseball team. I certainly didn’t think they were a playoff team. Heck, I didn’t think they were a .400 team based on how they looked. Part of what makes baseball so endlessly fascinating, though, is that strange things can — and often do — happen. Manager Kirk Gibson has managed o capture some real magic, and this team that looked like it had a world of issues has suddenly turned into a powerhouse that is on a collision course with the playoffs. Bizarre.
Read more about MLB Handicapping: Arizona Diamondbacks.

MLB Picks: Giants at Braves Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/16/2011

If the San Francisco Giants miss out on the playoffs – and thus defending their World Series title -- by a single game, be it finishing second to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West race or to the Atlanta Braves in the Wild-Card standings, they may point to Monday’s loss in Atlanta. The Giants, despite playing without Carlos Beltran and losing Pablo Sandoval to injury in the first inning, were able to rally from a 2-0 deficit and take a 4-2 lead into the ninth. Before the game, it was ‘iffy’ whether Giants All-Star closer Brian Wilson would be available to pitch because of a sore back, but he was eventually given the OK. Bad decision.
Read more about MLB Picks: Giants at Braves.

MLB Trade Deadline: The After Effects
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 8/10/2011

The MLB non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone. More trades may still be made up until Aug.31, but bettors have now had more than a week to digest the new-look rosters a lot of MLB teams are boasting. Here are a list of the big movers and shakers from last week, and even some teams that stood pat and what this means to them the rest of the way. We will label teams that have value as “BET” and ones that are overpriced to “GO AGAINST”.
Read more about MLB Trade Deadline: The After Effects.

MLB Picks: Angels at Yankees Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/9/2011

The Los Angeles Angels are 1.5 games behind first-place Texas in the American League West entering play on Tuesday, so the Halos probably aren’t even pondering the AL Wild-Card race. But if they have any hope of having the Wild Card as a possible fall-back option should they not catch Texas, the Angels almost have to have an unlikely sweep of the Yankees in the series that starts tonight. Wild-Card leading New York is up seven games on second-place L.A. in those standings with just fewer than 50 games to go. These two do meet for three games in Anaheim starting Sept. 9. This opens a tough 10-game stretch for the Angels, with three in the Bronx, three at Toronto and four vs. the Rangers.
Read more about MLB Picks: Angels at Yankees.

MLB Picks: Yankees vs. Red Sox Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 8/5/2011

The Boston Red Sox have had the upper hand in their matchups with the New York Yankees so far this season, taking eight of nine games in the series. So the Yanks will be looking to even things out a bit when the two teams get together for a three-game set at Fenway Park beginning Friday night.
Read more about MLB Picks: Yankees vs. Red Sox.

MLB Picks: Yankees at White Sox Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/2/2011

Every time the Chicago White Sox seem to look like a challenger in the American League Central, the team goes on a losing streak to fall back in the division. That’s the case right now as after reaching the .500 mark for the first time in weeks, the Pale Hose have lost three straight to fall to 52-55 and 4.5 games back of the first-place Detroit Tigers. The New York Yankees, meanwhile, are going the other direction, having won four in a row to get within a game of Boston in the AL East. The Yanks have by far the best run differential in Major League Baseball at +151.
Read more about MLB Picks: Yankees at White Sox.

MLB Picks: Pirates at Phillies Odds and Betting Predictions
by Aaron Smith - 7/29/2011

The biggest news of the week in baseball probably should have been Ervin Santana’s no-hitter, but in most circles it has been overshadowed by the blown call in the 19th inning of the Pirates loss to the Atlanta Braves. The Pirates are still within shouting distance of first place in the National League Central, but that loss was definitely a tough one to swallow. The Phillies continue to pile up the wins. Philadelphia has the best record in the majors at this point. These teams are both from the same state, and this game hasn’t meant much in the past because of the Pirates recent woes, but this year it is an entirely different story.
Read more about MLB Picks: Pirates at Phillies.

MLB Odds and Free Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves
by Alan Matthews - 7/28/2011

It’s almost a shame that the upstart Pittsburgh Pirates and the NL Wild-Card leading Atlanta Braves don’t play each other again, especially at the end of the season with that Wild-Card spot on the line. That’s because the first three games of this four-games set have been very entertaining, well-pitched games. Atlanta has taken two of the first three and leads the Wild-Card race by 3.5 games, with Pittsburgh 6.5 games back in that race and 1.5 behind in the NL Central.
Read more about MLB Odds: Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves.

MLB Odds and Free Pick: Angels at Indians Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/25/2011

The Cleveland Indians were one of the pleasant surprises of the Major League Baseball season – the Pittsburgh Pirates of the American League, I guess you could say. But the Tribe have lost four in a row and have fallen two games behind the Tigers in the AL Central. Is it time to bail on the Indians?
Read more about MLB Odds: Angels at Indians.

MLB Odds and Predictions: Where Does Carlos Beltran Land?
by Alan Matthews - 7/22/2011

New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran is probably the top position player on the MLB trade market ahead of the July 31 deadline – at least with the Mets saying they won’t trade shortstop Jose Reyes. Both Beltran and Reyes are set to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.
Read more about MLB Odds and Predictions: Where Does Carlos Beltran Land?.

The Week in Baseball Betting By the Numbers
by Robert Ferringo - 7/19/2011

I’m going to do something a little different this week for MLB By The Numbers. I’ve been having some conversations with people lately about whether or not it’s good baseball betting strategy to blindly fade certain pitchers, regardless of circumstance (moneyline, matchup, etc.). And the primary issue is whether or not this method can yield a profit in the long term.
Read more about The Week in Baseball Betting By the Numbers.

MLB Picks: Yankees at Rays Odds and Predictions
by Aaron Smith - 7/19/2011

The American League East is an extremely competitive division this year. Everyone knows that the Red Sox and the Yankees are loaded, but the Rays aren’t too shabby either. Joe Maddon has this young team playing solid baseball. Despite their valiant effort, the Rays run the risk of falling too far behind Boston and New York if they don’t put together a run very soon.
Read more about MLB Picks: Yankees at Rays.

MLB Picks: Red Sox at Orioles Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/18/2011

First-place team against last-place team. Said division leader with a +113 run differential. Cellar dweller with a -98 run differential, second-worst in baseball. Pitcher with a 5-3 record against one with a 1-6 record. This seems like a no-brainer MLB pick tonight when Boston visits Baltimore, right? Yeah, not so fast.
Read more about MLB Picks: Red Sox at Orioles Odds and Predictions.

MLB Picks: Cardinals at Reds Odds and Betting Predictions
by Aaron Smith - 7/15/2011

It’s no secret that the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds don’t like each other. There was a bit of a rivalry brewing between the two last season, but then the Aug. 10 brawl took the hatred to a whole different level. The Cardinals have been the top dog in the NL Central for several years, but it was the Reds who won the division in 2010. Fast forward to 2011, and the Cardinals are back on top of the division, and it is the Reds who are struggling with inconsistency.
Read more about MLB Picks: Cardinals at Reds.

MLB Odds: How Many More Managers Will Be Fired?
by Alan Matthews - 7/14/2011

It has been a relatively quiet Major League Baseball season in terms of managers being fired. Only the Oakland A’s have dumped their manager, Bob Geren. A managerial firing worked out very well for Oakland last time the A’s did it: The Geren firing was the first time Oakland let go of a skipper during the season since the team fired Jackie Moore after 73 games in 1986. Jeff Newman took over for 10 games on an interim basis before Tony La Russa was brought in to start a mini-dynasty that included four division titles and the 1989 World Series championship.
Read more about MLB Odds: How Many More Managers Will Be Fired?.

MLB Picks: Yankees at Blue Jays Odds and Predictions
by Aaron Smith - 7/14/2011

The Yankees and Blue Jays will square off tonight as both teams start the second half of the season. Derek Jeter made all the headlines by joining the 3,000-hit club in style with a home run last weekend just before the all-star break. The Yankees trail the Red Sox by one game in the AL East. It may be a little early to talk about the Wild Card, but the Yankees do lead by five games in the Wild Card standings.
Read more about MLB Picks: Yankees at Blue Jays.

MLB Predictions: AL and NL MVP Award Props Odds
by Alan Matthews - 7/13/2011

Back in late March on the eve of the 2011 Major League Baseball season, I wrote a story previewing the American League and National League MVP odds. Back then, the Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera was the 11/2 favorite on Bodog in the AL and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols was the overwhelming 3/1 favorite to win his fourth NL MVP award.
Read more about MLB Predictions: AL and NL MVP Award Props Odds.

MLB Odds: AL and NL Cy Young Award Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/13/2011

I wrote an update on the re-released American League and National League Most Valuable Player odds at Bodog, so I would of course be remiss if I didn’t also address both leagues’ Cy Young awards odds and where we are at today compared to the predictions I made at the start of the season. And I must say my NL guy is looking solid, but my AL guy was an abject disaster.
Read more about MLB Odds: AL and NL Cy Young Award Predictions.

Robert Ferringo MLB Mid-Season Awards
by Robert Ferringo - 7/12/2011

The all-star break is a collective breather for the baseball betting world and a rare respite for the gambling world. Let’s take a quick look at the first half of the Major League Baseball season and dish out some mid-season awards:
Read more about Robert Ferringo MLB Mid-Season Awards.

MLB All-Star Game Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 7/12/2011

Much of the news about the 2011 Major League All-Star game has involved the musical chairs of who is playing and who is not. In all, 16 players selected for the All-Star Game won’t suit up, and over the past four days there has been a dizzy number of players who have been voted in, scratched, replaced, and named late.
Read more about MLB All-Star Game Odds and Predictions.

MLB All-Star Game Props Betting and Free Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 7/12/2011

MVP - This one is a totally wide-open race — there is no player in the field at less than 14/1 at Bodog. I would have been tempted by Robinson Cano at 16/1, but I can’t imagine he has much left in the tank after that incredible Home Run Derby performance last night. The same goes for Adrian Gonzalez at 14/1. Justin Upton could be interesting because he is playing at home, but his price is far too low at 15/1. David Ortiz and Matt Holliday are both big-time players with power that could be flashy in this game, and both are at 20/1.
Read more about MLB All-Star Game Props Betting and Free Picks.

MLB Totals Betting After the All-Star Break
by Dave Schwab - 7/12/2011

The all-star break traditionally signals the halfway point of the MLB regular season as most teams have played about 90 of the 162 games on the MLB schedule. It also marks a good time to take a look at which teams have paid their way so far this year in terms of the ‘over/under’ on the totals line. The oddsmakers traditionally do a pretty good job of keeping the total line true to the center, but there is always opportunity in some of the lines if you know where to look.
Read more about MLB Totals Betting After the All-Star Break.

MLB Home Run Derby Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/11/2011

Frankly, today might be the worst sports day of the year. There is not one true live event going on in major North American sports. Not even the CFL. But you do have one watching/betting option, albeit an exhibition event: the annual Home Run Derby. This year the all-star festivities are in Phoenix, so expect more than a few dingers to land in the swimming pool in right field. We will offer some Home Run Derby predictions for betting on the event.
Read more about MLB Home Run Derby Odds and Betting Predictions.

MLB Handicapping: Teams to Watch After All-Star Break
by Trevor Whenham - 7/9/2011

There are some teams that really round into form after the All-Star break, and others that really, really don’t. Every year there seems to be a few surprising teams that get hot down the stretch. If you look at it over a longer time frame, though, the good teams shine and the bad teams sink. Here’s a look at the best and worst teams after the all-star break, looking at their combined record over the last four years:
Read more about MLB Handicapping: Teams to Watch.

MLB Picks: Braves at Phillies Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/8/2011

Thanks to the Minnesota Twins winning their eighth straight game against the AL Central rival Chicago White Sox, we hit on our free pick Thursday with the Twins at +139 (pushed on the total). It’s rare I like to take a big favorite in Major League Baseball, so let’s stick with the underdog theme today and look toward Philadelphia. The streaking Atlanta Braves are in town for the biggest series of the weekend. In fact, a sweep would give the young Braves the lead in the NL East heading into the break.
Read more about MLB Picks: Braves at Phillies.

MLB Picks: Twins at White Sox Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/7/2011

Sometimes one team just seems to have a hex over another, regardless of where both teams are in the standings in a given year. And one of those situations presents itself in the opener of a four-game series tonight at U.S. Cellular Field when the Minnesota Twins visit the Chicago White Sox.
Read more about MLB Picks: Twins at White Sox.

MLB Odds: Handicapping Overrated Pitchers
by Trevor Whenham - 7/5/2011

Starting pitchers are the most important part of a baseball game, so they are what bettors must focus the most attention on when they are making betting decisions. Pitchers also get a whole lot of attention from the media, so each year we get to hear about the pitchers that are very good. When those pitchers with the strong reputations and a lot of hype surrounding them aren’t performing well for bettors, however, you can have a real problem.
Read more about MLB Odds: Handicapping Overrated Pitchers.

MLB Picks: Phillies at Blue Jays Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/1/2011

There certainly are more glamorous series on this the final weekend of Interleague Play in Major League Baseball than the Philadelphia Phillies at Toronto Blue Jays. There are the three intracity matchups in the Big Apple, Windy City and L.A. And the Tigers host the Giants in a matchup of first-place teams in what could be a World Series preview. No, the Phillies-Jays matchup is all about Roy Halladay’s return to Toronto and the utter dominance of Philadelphia’s Cliff Lee.
Read more about MLB Picks: Phillies at Blue Jays.

Baseball Handicapping: Strange MLB Betting Trends
by Trevor Whenham - 6/28/2011

Statistics are such an integral part of baseball handicapping. If you can’t manipulate and interpret stats then you are going to struggle to pick winners. Part of what makes that so tough is how deceptive stats can be. They can tell one story on the surface level, but an entirely different story when you look at them closer. One place you can really see that is in the standings. Teams that look very good overall can have some clear issues when you look at different splits. Here are five interesting, surprising, and potentially profitable splits that have emerged so far this year.
Read more about Baseball Handicapping: Strange MLB Betting Trends.

2011 Cy Young Award Odds and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 6/28/2011

As we reach the halfway point of the 2011 baseball season (hard to believe it is here already), it is a good time to look at the Cy Young races to see how they are turning out. More importantly, let’s look to see if there is any betting value. I will offer some Cy Young predictions for betting, along with some odds. Check your local book for the best odds available for this prop.
Read more about Cy Young Award Odds and Predictions.

The Week in Baseball Betting By the Numbers
by Robert Ferringo - 6/27/2011

The game of baseball is an allegory of pre-industrial America and is the elemental sport in our national consciousness. However, it is also a very sophisticated mathematical construct, a symphony of statistics and a physical interpretation of integers that create the foundation of the sport. Baseball is a perfect dichotomy and every action within its natural framework - from pitch selections to hitting matchups to player positioning – is dictated by the digits.
Read more about The Week in Baseball Betting By the Numbers.

MLB Picks: Indians at Diamondbacks Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 6/27/2011

Cleveland was picked to finish near the bottom of the American League Central this season, but instead has led its division for most of the way. The Tribe has, however, come upon some tough times recently, and after getting swept three games in San Francisco over the weekend they've lost 21 of their last 31. So Cleveland enters this week in second place in the AL Central, one game back of division-leading Detroit.
Read more about MLB Picks: Indians at Diamondbacks.

MLB Handicapping: the Minnesota Twins
by Trevor Whenham - 6/24/2011

The Minnesota Twins are exactly the type of team that gives me a massive headache. For the first couple of months of the season they seemed firmly entrenched as the worst team in baseball. They started out a dismal 12-18. That seem bad enough, but it looked great compared to their next 24 games when they recorded only five wins. That dropped them to a brutal 17-37 on June 1, and they looked like they were going nowhere fast. Betting against them was an easy and profitable decision.
Read more about MLB Handicapping: the Minnesota Twins.

MLB Handicapping: the Albert Pujols Injury
by Trevor Whenham - 6/23/2011

The last thing the already struggling Cardinals needed was an injury to their best player, but that is the hand that fate has dealt them. Albert Pujols broke his arm in a collision against the Royals and could miss four to six weeks — or potentially even more according to some accounts if the problems caused by the fracture are compounded by soft tissue damage. Pujols is the elite of the elite, so it only makes sense that his injury is going to have a major betting impact — both real and perceived. Here are five factors to consider when trying to get a sense of what that MLB handicapping impact could look like:
Read more about MLB Handicapping: the Albert Pujols Injury.

MLB Handicapping: Decoding a Pitcher’s True Record
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 6/22/2011

Pitchers get no decisions all the time, but regardless if the pitcher gets a no decision, earns a win or gets saddled with a loss, the bettor is concerned about the final outcome of the game, so why are more people not aware of the real record of the pitcher, the win-loss total of his team when he starts?
Read more about MLB Handicapping: Pitcher’s True Record.

MLB Totals Betting: How Low Can Totals Go?
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 6/22/2011

When setting MLB totals, oddsmakers used to be able to throw a dart somewhere between eight and nine runs and feel pretty confident, for the most part. Those days are long gone. Living in a post-steroid world and with cavernous digs like Petco Park and Safeco Field and with elite pitchers and just awful lineups, the comfort zone for MLB totals has been stretched to the limit.
Read more about MLB Totals Betting.

The Week in Baseball Betting By the Numbers
by Robert Ferringo - 6/21/2011

The game of baseball is an allegory of pre-industrial America and is the elemental sport in our national consciousness. However, it is also a very sophisticated mathematical construct, a symphony of statistics and a physical interpretation of integers that create the foundation of the sport. Baseball is a perfect dichotomy and every action within its natural framework - from pitch selections to hitting matchups to player positioning – is dictated by the digits.
Read more about The Week in Baseball Betting By the Numbers.

MLB Odds: Phillies at Cardinals Predictions and Betting Picks
by Darin Zank - 6/21/2011

The St. Louis Cardinals have already played through several key injuries this season and have managed to rise to the top of the National League's Central Division. Now they face their biggest challenge yet; playing for the next month or more without the great Albert Pujols.
Read more about MLB Odds: Phillies at Cardinals.

MLB Odds: Yankees at Reds Predictions and Betting Picks
by Darin Zank - 6/20/2011

The New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds both made the playoffs last year, and both find themselves in the thick of their divisional races this season. So the Yanks will be looking to continue their recent good play while the Reds will be looking to kickstart their offense when these two teams get together for a three-game series at Great American Ballpark starting Monday night.
Read more about MLB Odds: Yankees at Reds Predictions.

The Week in Baseball Betting By the Numbers
by Robert Ferringo - 6/17/2011

To be a winning baseball bettor you need to understand these numbers. You need to immerse yourself in these integers and really get at the core of how things are developing on the diamond. Winning and losing can come down to the simplest of equations; a statistical regression here or a missed mathematical opportunity by not pinch hitting there can have a huge impact not only on the outcome of a game, but, by extension, on your bank account. And that’s what really counts, eh?
Read more about The Week in Baseball Betting By the Numbers.

Yankees vs. Cubs Predictions and MLB Series Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 6/17/2011

Cubs enthusiasts were thrilled when Major League Baseball schedule-makers announced that the New York Yankees would be making their first appearance in Wrigley Field since 2003. However, while the luster may remain for this marquee series the reality is that the Bronx Bombers are bringing some big sticks to the North Side this weekend and represent a tall task for a struggling Cubs team that has lost 12 of 17 games.
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MLB Odds: Rangers vs. Braves Series Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 6/17/2011

The Rangers, the prohibitive favorites in the who-can-score-less American League West, are coming off a disappointing series in the Bronx where the Yankees bombed them. Texas has lost five straight, and since a big four-game sweep of the lifeless Indians the Rangers are just 2-8. Despite that slide the Rangers are clinging to a slim lead out West.
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MLB Picks: Brewers at Red Sox Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 6/17/2011

Interleague Play can make for some unusual matchups, and while not all of them pique our interest we get a good one this weekend when the NL Central Division-leading Milwaukee Brewers stop in Boston for three games with the AL East-leading Red Sox starting Friday night.
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Derek Jeter 3000 Hits Impact on Handicapping the Yankees
by Trevor Whenham - 6/15/2011

Derek Jeter is on the fast track to 3000 hits -- albeit with a stop on the DL that will slow down his arrival at the milestone. You could write seven books on Jeter himself, the meaning of this accomplishment, and his role on this team, but I have no interest in that. I don’t even really like the guy. What is more interesting to me, though, is the impact that the pursuit of a major milestone like this one, or 500 home runs or 300 wins, has on a team from a betting perspective, and how MLB handicappers could potentially benefit from the situation. Here are five factors to consider when thinking about how a record chase will affect a team:
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MLB Odds and Predictions: Next Manager to be Fired
by Alan Matthews - 6/14/2011

If you had Oakland’s Bob Geren as the first Major League Baseball manager to be fired in the 2011 season, then you are probably counting your money as we speak. That the A’s dumped a manager during the season is highly rare: When GM Billy Beane canned his good friend Geren last Thursday after four-plus seasons, it was the first time in 25 years the franchise had fired a manager during a season. Former Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners skipper Bob Melvin will manage the team for the rest of the season.
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MLB Picks: Indians at Tigers Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 6/14/2011

The Cleveland Indians jumped out to a great start this season, but as will happen with teams that do so unexpectedly, the Indians have come back to the pack, losing 14 of their last 19 games. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers have gotten hot, winning 11 of their last 15 games to catch Cleveland atop the AL Central.
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MLB Picks: Red Sox at Yankees Odds and Series Predictions
by Darin Zank - 6/7/2011

The Boston Red Sox have done a good job of digging themselves out of the hole they started in this season. Now Boston will be tested to continue its recent good play as it starts a nine-game road trip with a three-game series with their old friends, the New York Yankees, at the new Yankee Stadium beginning Tuesday night.
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MLB Predictions: Dodgers at Phillies Odds and Baseball Picks
by Darin Zank - 6/6/2011

The recently-punchless Philadelphia Phillies put a stop to a losing streak Sunday. Now NL favorites will try to start a winning streak when they host the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday night for the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.
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MLB Picks: Yankees at Angels Series Predictions and Preview
by Darin Zank - 6/3/2011

The New York Yankees stumbled out of the gate on their current nine-game West Coast road trip, but have recovered behind some good starting pitching to win four in a row. Now the AL East-leading Yanks finish off their trip when they hit Anaheim for three games with the Angels beginning Friday night.
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MLB Picks: Rangers at Indians Predictions and Preview
by Darin Zank - 6/2/2011

Defending American League champion Texas recently got a couple of its big bangers back, as OFs Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz returned from stints on the disabled list. This undoubtedly has helped the Rangers recover from a cold spell. Texas just took two of three games from the Rays in Tampa to win its third series in a row, and has won seven of its last 10 games.
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The Week in Baseball Betting By the Numbers
by Robert Ferringo - 5/31/2011

The numbers don’t lie. Baseball is a perfect study in dichotomy. With no clock, an outdoor playing area, and a reliance on elemental aspects like wood, leather, dirt and grass, the sport is an allegory of pre-industrial Americana. It’s a game played in communion with nature and seems to be a welcome relic of a distant time and place.
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MLB Handicapping: American League East Race
by Trevor Whenham - 5/27/2011

Here’s a shocking headline -- things are tight atop the American League East. The most consistently tough division in baseball has three teams within a game and a half of each other, and those three teams -- the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays -- are all among the top four teams in the conference. At most two of those teams can make the playoffs, so there is a traffic jam atop the standings, and it doesn’t show a lot of signs of disappearing. Here’s a look at the strengths and weaknesses each team has in their pursuit of a playoff spot along with my MLB handicapping advice. (odds to win the AL Pennant are from Bodog):
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MLB Handicapping: Bullpens To Back
by Trevor Whenham - 5/26/2011

There is nothing I hate more than a bullpen that blows a game that the starter had under control. If I bet on the team that blows the lead, that is. Bettors have few friends more important and valuable than a strong bullpen. You can’t predict how much the bullpen will be needed or who will get the call, so having a bullpen that is generally consistent, deep, and reliable makes any bet easier to make, and makes the final innings far less stressful. Here’s a look at five bullpens that have been particularly pleasant to trust for MLB handicappers so far this season:
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The Week in Baseball Betting By the Numbers
by Robert Ferringo - 5/24/2011

Bring back steroids. Immediately. That is my professional opinion about Major League Baseball these days. This sport is nearly unrecognizable from the ‘roid-ragin’, HGH-hyped, homer-enhanced, scoring free-for-all that we witnessed from the mid-90s until the Salem Steroid Trails of 2005-2006. Now it more closely resembles a game of tee ball, where everyone goes bonkers when someone just hits it out of the infield.
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MLB Handicapping: No-Hitter Bounce Back
by Trevor Whenham - 5/20/2011

It’s not too often that we see two no-hitters in the same month, never mind within five days of each other — and in the same division nonetheless. On May 3 Francisco Liriano of the Twins no-hit the White Sox. On the 7th Justin Verlander got his second career no-no when he blanked the Blue Jays. It’s interesting that the performances happened, but what’s more interesting from a baseball handicapping perspective is how they bounced back in their next start.
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MLB Picks: Cubs at Red Sox Series Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 5/20/2011

A couple of teams that don't get together very often headline the first round of Interleague Play this weekend as the Chicago Cubs hit Beantown for the first time in almost a century for a three-game series with the streaking Red Sox.
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MLB Handicapping: Top Five ‘Under’ Umpires
by Aaron Smith - 5/20/2011

The baseball season is a long grind and a wise bettor will look for any chance to get an edge over the oddsmakers. While some MLB handicappers like to say that umpire statistics don’t matter, I beg to differ. The numbers don’t lie, and the numbers prove that not all umpires are created equal. Considering the tendencies of an umpire is one of the single best ways to profit in the long haul when betting on baseball. Recently, I wrote about the top five ‘over’ umpires in the league. Now, it is time to look at the top ‘under’ umpires in baseball. These are the guys that the pitchers love to see behind the dish!
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MLB Handicapping: Interleague Play
by Darin Zank - 5/19/2011

Interleague Play in Major League Baseball has definitely lost its luster. However, it's probably also here to stay. So as we prepare for this season's first round of American League vs. National League action this weekend let's shine some light on some interleague trends that might benefit the baseball handicapper.
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Baseball Handicapping: Streak Systems
by Darin Zank - 5/18/2011

Baseball betting systems are, like the old saying goes, like rear ends; everybody's got one. One of the oldest betting systems involves streaks, both winning and losing. The basic idea being that a great many baseball games, over the course of the long season, fall into one of those two categories. And when a team is hot, bet them to stay hot, and conversely, when a team is cold, bet them to remain cold.
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MLB Handicapping: Surprises and Disappointments
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 5/17/2011

There is little debate over who the biggest disappointment in baseball is this season and who is the biggest surprise, but there is some debate over what to do next in terms of a betting strategy. The Cleveland Indians were not expected to do much of anything this season except lose. The Minnesota Twins were expected to compete for yet another division crown.
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MLB Handicapping: Top Five ‘Over’ Umpires
by Aaron Smith - 5/17/2011

Do you study the tendencies of the home plate umpire before placing each baseball wager? If you don’t already do this, I strongly suggest you start right away! The home plate umpire has a huge effect on the outcome of the game. Unlike other sports like basketball and football, where all the referees have an equal influence on the game, baseball’s home plate umpire controls the game while the other three umpires often have a minimal impact.
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MLB Handicapping: Boston Red Sox
by Trevor Whenham - 5/13/2011

There hasn’t been a team more interesting to follow this year than the Boston Red Sox. I’m not saying that watching them has been fun — it often has been really ugly. Watching them flounder in the face of massive expectations has been fascinating, though. Only the Phillies came into the season with lower futures odds and higher expectations. The team had overhauled their lineup and gotten significantly better and the Yankees had failed to significantly improve, so hopes were high. Needless to say, sitting at 17-20 and five games out of first is not where they were supposed to be almost a quarter of the way into this season.
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MLB Handicapping: A Look at Sub-.500 Teams
by Trevor Whenham - 5/13/2011

There are, as I write this, 14 teams in the major leagues that have records below .500 -- just under half the teams in the league. There are some surprises -- eternal losers Washington and Kansas City are not amongst that group, and though Pittsburgh is they sit just one game below .500. Here’s a look at each team to see if they are just hitting a rough patch or if the problems are more severe (World Series futures odds are from Bodog):
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MLB Picks: Cardinals at Cubs Odds and Series Predictions
by Darin Zank - 5/10/2011

One of the best rivalries in baseball, especially within the National League, begins its 2011 edition when the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs meet for a three-game series at Wrigley Field starting Tuesday night. St. Louis just took two of three games from Milwaukee, winning the rubber match Sunday, 3-1, behind eight good innings from starter Kyle McClellan, who's now 5-0 on the season.
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MLB Betting: The Importance of Defense in Baseball Handicapping
by Aaron Smith - 5/6/2011

When is the last time you sat down and analyzed a Major League Baseball team’s defense? The answer is likely either a long time ago or never. The average sports bettor thinks a lot about defense when analyzing a football or basketball game, but I’m convinced that most people don’t think nearly enough about defense when it comes to baseball. It may not mean as much as the starting pitching matchups, but in a sport where many games are decided by a run or two, defense is definitely worthy of your attention.
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MLB Handicapping: Top Five MLB Ballparks Where Weather is a Factor
by Aaron Smith - 5/4/2011

If you are betting on baseball, you definitely need to be well aware of the weather on a day-to-day basis. A baseball isn’t terribly big, so it’s easy to see how a strong wind or humidity levels can change the flight of the baseball. Unless the game is being played in a domed stadium, there isn’t a good excuse for not knowing the weather conditions before placing a wager. Most people hear the word weather associated with baseball and they automatically think of wind.
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MLB Predictions: Declining Pitchers
by Trevor Whenham - 4/29/2011

When a pitcher that has long been solid starts to perform well below his reputation it can take a while for the public to catch on. That means that there can be value in being more negative about these guys than the public — as long as that negativity is warranted. Here’s a look at my MLB predictions for five solid starters who are showing clear signs that they could be on the decline:
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MLB Picks: Red Sox at Orioles Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 4/26/2011

The Boston Red Sox have bounced back nicely after a lousy start to this season. The Baltimore Orioles, on the other hand, started out hot this season, but have cooled considerably since. So two teams headed in different directions at the moment meet this week when Boston visits Baltimore for three games, starting Tuesday night.
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MLB Odds: Indians and Royals Still Longshots
by Trevor Whenham - 4/22/2011

These are crazy times in the American League. Through three weeks of action the most unlikely of leaders have emerged. Cleveland has the best record in the league, and the second in all of baseball. The Royals have the third best record in the league, and are just one game behind the Indians. There were reasons to believe that both teams were moving in the right direction and could be teams to watch in a few years if they kept making good decisions and had some luck. But no one expected this.
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MLB Picks: Dodgers at Cubs Series Odds and Betting Predictions
by Darin Zank - 4/22/2011

The Los Angeles Dodgers, as a franchise, have a mess on their hands. As a baseball team, they're a .500 outfit so far this season. But with the circus going on with their owner and his wife and the league, maybe it's good that the Dodgers leave town for a while. So LA starts a six-game road trip with three games with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field beginning Friday afternoon.
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MLB Betting Predictions: Bottom-of-Rotation Pitchers
by Trevor Whenham - 4/22/2011

The guys at the top of the rotation are the ones who get all the attention, the glory, and the big paychecks in baseball. They are also the ones who get all of the attention from the public bettors, so it can be tough to find value betting on them — especially if they are any good and they play for a good team. By looking at the bottom of the rotation — the fourth and fifth starters — you can often find guys who are talented and effective enough to win some games, but who don’t get nearly the attention of the bigger names. Here my MLB betting predictions for four guys at the back end of their team’s rotations that have proven to be worth a look so far this year:
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MLB Betting Advice: Boston Red Sox
by Trevor Whenham - 4/21/2011

The Red Sox made headlines at the start of the season, but for all the wrong reasons. An aggressive and sensible offseason had expectations sky high, but a 2-10 start had everyone trying to figure out what was going on. They are a more impressive 4-1 since, but the start has raised a number of issues for the team and for bettors. Here’s a look at four of the more interesting ones along with some MLB betting advice:
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MLB Picks: Indians at Royals Series Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/18/2011

Well, I can honestly say that before the 2011 Major League Baseball season began I certainly never anticipated previewing a Cleveland Indians-Kansas City Royals matchup, much less one with first place in the American League Central on the line. Oh, and did I mention the best record in the AL is on the line too? Meanwhile, the Twins are in last place. That division is literally upside down from what people expected.
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MLB Betting Tips: Don’t Overreact to Early Results, Profit from Them
by Aaron Smith - 4/16/2011

We are a little more than two weeks into the 2011 Major League Baseball season. Most teams now have 11 or 12 games under their belts, which means bettors have a bit of a feel for the strengths and weaknesses of each team. However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are almost six months left in the regular season. Betting on baseball is unique from betting on any other sport because these teams play almost every day for a period of six months.
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MLB Picks: Rangers at Yankees Series Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/15/2011

Easily the biggest Major League Baseball series of the weekend comes in the Bronx when the AL East-leading New York Yankees and the AL West-leading Texas Rangers face off for three games in a rematch of the 2010 American League Championship Series, won in an upset by the Rangers last season. With the way the AL looks early this year – i.e. struggles of teams like the Red Sox and Twins – it could easily be a preview of the 2011 ALCS. New York is a -225 series favorite with Texas at +175.
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MLB Picks: Cardinals vs. Dodgers Series Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 4/14/2011

The St. Louis Cardinals got bad news before they even got out of Spring Training, with Adam Wainwright going down and out for the season with an elbow injury. And now St. Louis, a perennial contender in the NL Central, is off to a slow start, as the bats have been cold. On top of all, that the Cards are on the West Coast for a 10-game road trip, which concludes this weekend with a four-game series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine starting tonight.
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MLB Picks: Orioles vs. Yankees Series Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 4/12/2011

Buck Showalter came back to the AL East with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and so far it's worked to the benefit of his Baltimore Orioles. A team that's won fewer than 70 games four seasons in a row looks like it has found new life under the micro-managing Showalter, at least for the time being. This week the O's look to continue their good start to this season when they pay a visit on one of Buck's old outfits, the New York Yankees, for a three-game series in the Bronx starting Tuesday night.
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MLB Picks: Rays at Red Sox Series Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/11/2011

The Boston Red Sox appear to have righted the ship, as taking two of three over the weekend from the hated New York Yankees helped calm a panicked Red Sox Nation. I really hate that term – now every team uses “nation.” Sacramento Kings Nation. Real Salt Lake Nation. But I digress. Anyways, the desperate team tonight is the Tampa Bay Rays. The reigning AL East champions look like the worst team in baseball – and in fact they do have MLB’s worst record at 1-8. Boston is a -225 series favorite at WagerWeb with Tampa Bay at +160.
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MLB Picks: Cubs at Brewers Series Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 4/8/2011

The Milwaukee Brewers have only been members of the National League for 14 years, but it did not take long to build up a pretty good rivalry with the Chicago Cubs. While competing against each other in the NL Central these two teams have shown a propensity for playing some crazy games, and the road team often has the upper hand.
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Yankees at Red Sox Predictions and MLB Series Odds
by Alan Matthews - 4/8/2011

The most heated and top rivalry in Major League Baseball – or at least the most-hyped, thanks in large part to the ESPN bias in the Northeast – makes its debut on Friday afternoon at Fenway Park when the two preseason American League pennant favorites, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, face off. And it’s hard to panic after six games, but panic will be an understatement for Red Sox Nation if 0-6 Boston somehow gets swept in its home-opening series.
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MLB Predictions: Teams With Great Potential Betting Value
by Trevor Whenham - 3/31/2011

It’s the first day of the baseball season, and I couldn’t be more excited. As I look forward to what’s ahead I am naturally drawn to potential sleepers -- teams that have the potential to be solidly better than the general betting public thinks they will be. I like those teams because they are fun to watch, but more significantly I like them because they offer real value time and time again. Value is the Holy Grail for bettors. Here’s three sleepers -- coincidentally all from the American League -- that stand out to me (all odds are from BetUS):
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MLB Predictions for Player Betting Props
by Trevor Whenham - 3/30/2011

With the baseball season about to start, this is a good time to take a last look at all of the season-long props that are available. BetUS has a wide range of player props available. A lot don’t make sense, but here are five that stand out as particularly interesting along with some MLB predictions for each:
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2011 Cincinnati Reds Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/30/2011

2010 was a hell of a year for the Cincinnati Reds. They brawled their way to 91 wins, usurping St. Louis en route to Cincy’s first division title since 1995. The Reds scored the most runs in the National League, boasted the league’s Most Valuable Player, and were the feel-good story of mid-market baseball for the majority of the summer.
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2011 Milwaukee Brewers Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/30/2011

A-holes. That is really the best way to describe what Milwaukee has played like over the past two seasons. This franchise had a renaissance in 2008 when it came out of “nowhere” (although they were my sleeper that year) to earn a Wild Card berth in the National League. But then the last two years they have been a walking disaster, blowing leads, booting balls, excessively whiffing against bad pitching, and basically just playing like a bunch of a-holes.
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MLB Handicapping Advice: Common Betting Mistakes
by Trevor Whenham - 3/30/2011

It’s baseball season again. That can be good news or bad for bettors depending upon how they view the grueling, seemingly endless baseball regular season. Personally, I am a huge fan of MLB betting. It can present almost endless opportunity throughout the season, and there is a full slate of games to choose from almost every day. As much as baseball betting has going for it, though, there are some mistakes that casual baseball bettors consistently make that deeply affects their bottom line and therefore their enjoyment of betting on the sport. Here are six big baseball betting mistakes to avoid, according to Doc’s Sports MLB handicapping advice:
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MLB Predictions: Best Upcoming Series for Betting
by Trevor Whenham - 3/30/2011

Baseball’s Opening Day is so close that I can measure the time in hours now instead of days. Very exciting stuff. As I look ahead at what we have to enjoy in the coming weeks as teams get underway there are six series that clearly stand out as the best of the early season offerings from a betting perspective -- the series that will get you excited about baseball season being here, and which will give you an early indication of how good teams are ready to perform.
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MLB MVP Award Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 3/30/2011

Betting on the MVP award in either the American League or National League is generally much easier than betting on the Cy Young Award winner in either circuit. Here’s why: Cy Young winners, at least of late, can come from last-place teams. That almost never happens with the MVP.
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Cy Young Predictions and MLB Betting Props
by Alan Matthews - 3/30/2011

Did Cy Young Award voters in 2010 forever change how potential winners of the top pitching award in each league will be judged? One could argue yes and no. In the’ no’ camp, you can use Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay as Exhibit No. 1. The right-hander was brilliant in his first season in the National League, throwing both a perfect game in the regular season and just the second no-hitter in playoff history – although all Cy Young votes are counted before the playoffs.
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2011 Texas Rangers Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/29/2011

If there is one thing I know about, it is hangovers. And this year it looks like the Texas Rangers could be headed for one. The severity of the hangover depends on a load of factors, such as type of booze, potency of narcotics accompanying the booze, and the amount of booze consumed. So, obviously, not all hangovers are the same.
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MLB Predictions and Odds: First Manager Fired
by Alan Matthews - 3/29/2011

It’s never really a question of if a Major League Baseball manager will be fired during the season but when. The challenge is, of course, trying to determine which manager that will be. Last year saw a ton of managerial turnover. Five managers were fired during the season (one, the Cubs' Lou Piniella, retired in late August). The preseason betting “favorite” to be let go was Baltimore’s Dave Trembley and Florida’s Fredi Gonzalez, both at +300.
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2011 Los Angeles Angels Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/28/2011

It’s never easy to watch the fall of a dynasty. The 2010 Los Angeles Angels missed the postseason for just the third time in nine years and saw a string of three consecutive American League West titles snapped with a third-place finish. The Angels went just 80-82, failing to reach .500 for the first time is six years and just the fourth time in 14 years.
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2011 Detroit Tigers Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/28/2011

Despite four of five years at .500 or better the Detroit Tigers have yet to break through and really establish themselves among the American League’s elite teams. A big part of that has to do with the fact that they haven’t won a division title in 23 years. But in a division that should be as tightly contested as any in baseball the Tigers are one of two teams – Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox being the others – that should be fighting and clawing for the American League Central crown this summer.
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2011 Minnesota Twins Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/28/2011

If I asked you to name the best franchises in baseball over the last decade I’m sure you could quickly rip off the easy answers: the Yankees and the Red Sox. Maybe after a pause you would throw out the Phillies and the Angels. Another couple seconds and the Cardinals would come to mind.
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Baseball Predictions: MLB Pitching Prop Bets
by Trevor Whenham - 3/25/2011

As the regular season for baseball draws tantalizingly close, BetUS has a wide range of pitcher props available. A surprising number of them are interesting in terms of potential value. Here are some that stand out along with my baseball predictions for betting:
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MLB Predictions: Teams With Pitching Issues
by Trevor Whenham - 3/25/2011

Starting pitching is almost always an issue for at least 15 or 20 teams in the major leagues. Most teams go into the spring with hopes that they have a solution in place. As Spring Training progresses, though, it can become clear that some teams aren’t nearly as set and established as they hoped to be. I’ve been watching a lot of Spring Training action this year. As I have done so there are some teams that have shown to have pitching issues. I could pick on the Yankees, but that’s too easy. Instead, here are three teams that don’t seem to be nearly as set on the mound as they thought or hoped they would be.
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2011 Los Angeles Dodgers Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/24/2011

It can’t get much worse for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Can it? It was bad enough that last year they had to endure an ugly ownership struggle, a failed experience with Manny Ramirez (who didn’t see that coming?), several injuries, and an overall underachieving year. But the cherry on top was the fact that their hated rivals, San Francisco, won the World Series title that Dodgers fans so desperately wanted.
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2011 Colorado Rockies Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/24/2011

Colorado’s 2011 season will be defined by whether or not they are able to attain that level of consistency that the best teams in the league manage to find. For years they have been exceptional at home and a dud on the road. For years they have had an abundance of quality hitting but a dearth of top-end pitching. And for years they have been a square peg trying to fit into the round hole that is National League West baseball.
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2011 Oakland A’s Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/24/2011

For over a decade the Oakland A’s have been a quintessential small ball team. They have utilized excellent pitching, solid defense and timely hitting to compete despite a slim payroll and the lack of any top-end hitting talent. And the results have been generally superb, as they have finished .500 or better in 10 of 13 seasons while averaging 87.2 wins a season.
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2011 San Francisco Giants Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/24/2011

Winning the franchise’s first World Series since 1954 was an amazing accomplishment for the 2010 San Francisco Giants. They took the league by storm and it is still hard to believe that they actually had the goods to earn a ring. Their victory over Texas last October was not only stunningly easy but it was also a rallying point for all of those “free-loving hippies” on the Left Coast over all of those “gun-toting tea-baggers” in the deep South. It was a wild ride.
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2011 Houston Astros Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Aaron Smith - 3/23/2011

Gone is Lance Berkman as well as Roy Oswalt. These Astros don’t look at all like they did just a few short years ago. Is that a good thing? In this case it isn’t good at all. A few years ago the Astros were contending for the World Series, and this year’s team will likely be fighting to stay out of the cellar of the National League Central. There really isn’t a player that could be called the face of the franchise right now. This is a team that has made a lot of moves in the last couple years, but it’s hard to see any forward progress being made. Houston will try to fly under the radar and make some noise this year, but does this team really have the talent to make a run?
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2011 Baltimore Orioles Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Aaron Smith - 3/23/2011

The Baltimore Orioles have had 13 consecutive losing seasons. The Orioles front office made quite a few moves over the offseason that should definitely get them moving in the right direction this year. Unfortunately for the Orioles, they are still in the American League East, which is the best division in baseball. It will be a struggle to try to get to .500 this year, but the team’s impressive finish last year has Orioles fans hoping for a nice turnaround in 2011. After Buck Showalter took over the managing duties, the Orioles went 34-23 to finish out 2010. Baltimore has much more depth than they did last year, so this team does have the potential to surprise some people in 2011.
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2011 Boston Red Sox Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/23/2011

Boston made the biggest free agent pickups of the winter season and with several players returning from injury they are now among the two or three favorites to win their third World Series title in eight years. The Red Sox are talented, experienced, and focused to bounce back from last year, when they failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2006.
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2011 Toronto Blue Jays Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/23/2011

Swing for the fences and keep cashing tickets. That is the new theory for the same-old Blue Jays. The Blue Jays have expertly reinvented themselves in a somewhat futile effort to keep up with Boston and New York in the American League East. Toronto hasn’t won a division title or made the playoffs in nearly 20 years. However, you have to respect their by-any-means-necessary effort. And their total team transition from small ball to long ball is not only impressive, but also admirable.
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2011 Tampa Bay Rays Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/22/2011

Tampa Bay has turned in one of the most impressive and improbable franchise turnarounds in American sports history over the last five years. With a team payroll only slightly higher than that of two or three New York Yankees starters the Rays managed to win the American League East two times in three years, making a World Series trip in the process and injecting a little life into Florida baseball.
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2011 New York Yankees Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/21/2011

The Yankees are a monolith on the Major League scene. They have the highest payroll and (in related news) the most championships of any team in North American sports history. They are the most watched, most talked about, and most loved AND hated team in baseball. And it is actually at the point where it’s tough to do a betting preview for their season. If you don’t already know what is going on with the Yankees then you probably shouldn’t be betting.
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2011 Chicago Cubs Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Alan Matthews - 3/21/2011

It’s a transition year on the North Side of Chicago as the Cubs finally appear to have some budget restraints and not-as-high expectations (at least from those outside the organization). That’s a far change from last year when Chicago had the highest payroll in the National League in a go-for-broke attempt to end their more than century-old World Series curse in what was expected to be Lou Piniella’s final season as manager.
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2011 Chicago White Sox Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Alan Matthews - 3/11/2011

As much as the Chicago White Sox complain about being the poor sisters of their own city, always in the shadow of the team on the North Side, it is the White Sox who made the big splash this offseason and who are the likely team from the Windy City to contend for a playoff berth in 2011.
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MLB Season Win Total Odds - MLB Futures
by Dave Schwab - 3/9/2011

Right now anyone who wagers on sports undoubtedly has their mind filled with thoughts of No.1 seeds, bubble teams, bracket busters and all the other things that bring the madness to March for college basketball. However, it’s important to remember that all 30 Major League baseball teams are back to work in preparation of another 162-game season.
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MLB Predictions: Pitching Rotations With Value
by Trevor Whenham - 3/9/2011

Every year in baseball there are a few pitching rotations that are surprisingly strong. For bettors those are the holy grail because pitching is so crucial to betting success, so an unexpectedly strong rotation can consistently deliver excellent value. Here are my MLB predictions for four rotations that have the potential to be surprisingly strong this year:
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2011 Washington Nationals Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/8/2011

It looked like Washington was going to build a roster to compete this year. Then it went ahead and traded away Josh Willingham to Oakland and let Adam Dunn leave for the Chicago White Sox. They picked up another slugger who strikes out a lot and is named Adam, in former Brave/Pirate/Red Sox/Brave/Diamondbacks Adam LaRoche. But LaRoche is not Dunn, not even close. They also added the aging Rick Ankiel.
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2011 Philadelphia Phillies Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/5/2011

Philadelphia made the most daring and surprising move of the offseason when they usurped Cliff Lee from the Rangers and Yankees. Lee has become the final piece to what is potentially one of the best starting rotations in recent baseball history and has automatically made the Phillies one of the top three favorites to win the World Series.
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2011 Seattle Mariners MLB Predictions and Futures Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 3/5/2011

I refuse to get sucked in by the Mariners this year. Not again. Last year I was convinced that the Mariners were going to break through and make a lot of noise in the AL West. They really, really didn’t. In fact they were horrible. The year before I thought they would be really good and they were only okay. In 2008 I had reasonably high hopes. They won 61 games.
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MLB Season Win Totals Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 3/4/2011

Major League baseball season win totals are the best props in sports, and it’s not even close. They are wildly interesting to think about, and the number of games teams play means that there is a huge range in potential outcomes, and the ability to find serious value as a result. I generally don’t like tying up my bankroll for a long time, but in some cases this can be a real exception. Here are some of the highlights that stand out this year and my MLB season win total predictions (MLB season win total odds are from Bodog):
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World Series Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 3/4/2011

I’m in a baseball state of mind. Don’t get me wrong -- I’m obsessed with college basketball right now, I unfortunately can’t avoid the NFL labor woes, and hockey and the NBA get more exciting with each passing day as the playoffs draw near. Baseball s at the forefront, though. I’m at Spring Training in Arizona -- which every baseball fan should come to -- and I couldn’t be more excited about the start of the long, glorious baseball season. That excitement has me in a predicting mood, so here are five World Series predictions I am willing to make right now (odds to win the World Series are from Bodog):
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2011 Florida Marlins Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/4/2011

Over the last 23 years the Florida Marlins have as many World Series titles as all but one team in the Major Leagues (the Yankees) and their two championships ties them with just two other franchises (Boston and Toronto) over that period. As such, I don’t see them changing their game plan any time soon.
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2011 Arizona Diamondbacks MLB Predictions and Futures Odds
by Darin Zank - 3/4/2011

Arizona thought it might get back into contention in the NL West last year with the return of Brandon Webb and the additions to the rotation of Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy. Most sportsbooks were lining the Diamondbacks at about 3/1 to win the NL West last year, with a season wins O/U of right around 83.
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2011 Pittsburgh Pirates MLB Predictions and Futures Odds
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/3/2011

The Triple Crown is a rare feat in baseball. It has not been achieved by an individual in the National League since Joe “Ducky” Medwick did it in 1937. The kind of Triple Crown the Pittsburgh Pirates achieved last year is as rare as it is dubious. The Pirates, a team known for setting all the wrong kind of records, found a way to finish last in the NL in batting, pitching and defense.
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2011 Kansas City Royals Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 3/3/2011

I watched the Royals play their second Spring Training game of the year on Monday against the Rangers. It was a ridiculously sloppy game as you would expect that early in the spring -- the Rangers wound up winning, 12-11. What was obvious, though, is that the Royals are going to be an exciting team to watch in a few years. But not yet.
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2011 Atlanta Braves Predictions and Baseball Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 3/2/2011

For the first time in what feels like about 150 years, the Atlanta Braves will open the season without Bobby Cox on the bench. One of the all-time great managers has called it a career and now leaves Atlanta under the watchful eye of former protégé and new coach Freddi Gonzalez.
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MLB Spring Training Betting Tips and Advice
by Trevor Whenham - 3/2/2011

Spring training is a great thing. The preseason for every other major sport is a total and utter waste of time -- a painful month to be endured or ignored before games finally matter. Spring Training is different, though. The combination of the great weather, the beautiful little stadiums the teams play in, and the opportunity to see young talent play meaningful time is too much to resist.
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2011 Cleveland Indians Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/2/2011

The Indians finished strong in 2010, winning seven of nine to close the regular season and hold off the Kansas City Royals for fourth place in the American League Central. Unfortunately the Indians have not been able to hold onto the state of Ohio when it comes to the state’s baseball attention span.
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2011 San Diego Padres Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Darin Zank - 3/2/2011

Most sportsbooks were offering San Diego at right around 20/1 to win the division last year, with an MLB season wins total of 71. But thanks to what evolved into one the best pitching staffs in baseball along with one of the best defenses and a little timely hitting the Padres led the division almost all season.
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2011 New York Mets Predictions and MLB Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 2/28/2011

With a new coach, new general managers, and new philosophy the New York Mets will begin what seems like their 11th rebuilding plan in the last seven years. However, there is a good chance that the brain trust of Sandy Alderson, J.P. Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta will be able to clean up this franchise and restore some consistency in the organization.
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2011 MLB Predictions: Special Futures Prop Betting
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 2/23/2011

With pitchers and catchers already having reported to spring training the countdown to Opening Day can begin in earnest. In terms of the MLB future props out there I would say there isn’t a shortage of MLB futures odds for baseball-starved gamblers to digest.
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MLB Predictions: Improved Baseball Teams
by Trevor Whenham - 2/16/2011

The baseball season starts in just over six weeks. Between now and then all there is left to do is watch spring training and speculate about what is possible and what is likely. One of the obvious topics to speculate on is which teams are going to be significantly better than they were last year. Here are my MLB predictions for three teams that stand out as potentially being very improved this season:
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MLB Handicapping: Teams That Need Strong Spring
by Trevor Whenham - 2/16/2011

A baseball team’s record in spring training usually doesn’t matter that much. After all, there is no trophy for winning the spring, and teams are more interested in getting prepared for the season then winning games -- or at least they should be. For some teams, though, how they perform in the spring is really important.
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MLB Predictions: Home Run Leader Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/15/2011

For those of us in cold weather states, it’s a saying that automatically helps on those wintry nights: pitchers and catchers report. And that’s exactly what has started happening around baseball, with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training camps in Florida and Arizona. The first exhibition game is less than two weeks away, coming on Feb. 25.
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Baseball Betting Advice: Tips for Early Handicapping
by Trevor Whenham - 2/11/2011

If you decide to run in a marathon and you want to live through the experience you need two things -- you have to be prepared for the challenge, and you have to be mentally tough to get through it. Betting on baseball isn’t as physically taxing, but more than any other sport it requires bettors to be like a marathoner. The season is endless and relentless -- a full card of games every day. If you want to have a successful season you need to be able to stay mentally sharp from the first games in April to the last ones in October.
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