Baseball Handicapping Articles

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Friday April 4, 2014 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/3/2014

Japanese phenom Masahiro Tanaka left his native country to pitch in America. Well, he's going to have to wait until his second start for that. Tanaka will make his big-league debut on Friday night in Toronto in a game that will draw a lot of attention around the majors. Here's a look at that and four other interesting matchups on Friday's schedule.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Thursday April 3, 2014 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/2/2014

Most of the first series of the season come to a close in Thursday's baseball action, and it's getaway day for a handful of teams -- there's always value to be found in those day after night games. Here's a look at five interesting matchups on the MLB schedule for Thursday.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday April 2, 2014 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 4/1/2014

Detroit's Max Scherzer begins his quest to join Denny McLain as the only Tigers pitchers with two Cy Young Awards when Scherzer takes the bump for Wednesday's matinee against Kansas City. Here are five interesting matchups from Wednesday's schedule.

MLB Handicapping: 10 Hitters to Watch in 2014
by Aaron Smith - 3/31/2014

The Major League Baseball season is here! There’s a lot to love about baseball season. Baseball means warmer weather and more sunshine, and it also means plenty of chances to bet on games all through the week. This isn’t like football season where the games come around only once a week. The MLB season is a grind, but there are definitely great value opportunities out there for bettors.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, April 1, 2014 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 3/31/2014

The Philadelphia 76ers just ended a mammoth losing streak over the weekend. Can the Houston Astros do the same in their season opener Tuesday against the Yankees? Here's a look at five intriguing matchups from the schedule in order of first pitch.

New York Yankees Odds to Win 2014 World Series with Picks and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 3/28/2014

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of everything in baseball's regular season usually being overshadowed by all things Red Sox-Yankees. Or, for New Yorkers, Yankees-Red Sox. The TV networks, especially ESPN, are definitely to blame with their East Coast -- i.e. bigger ratings -- bias. That said, baseball is more interesting when both clubs try to outdo one another and are on nearly-equal footing.

MLB Betting Advice: Handicapping Teams that Could Start Fast
by Trevor Whenham - 3/28/2014

As we get ready for the start of the MLB season (the real start — that charade in Australia doesn’t count), here is a look at three squads who have a chance to break out of the gates faster than people expect, and deliver some early-season baseball betting value:

Miguel Cabrera Odds to Win the 2014 AL MVP with MLB Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 3/28/2014

Miguel Cabrera has a knack for breaking records. Two years ago the Detroit Tigers’ first baseman became the first triple-crown winner in over 45 years and then followed up that historic performance by nearly winning it again the very next year. Now, Cabrera is looking to become only the second man in baseball history to win three straight MVP awards and the first since Barry Bonds won four straight beginning in 2001.

Los Angeles Angels Odds to Win 2014 World Series
by Alan Matthews - 3/27/2014

In a Washington Nationals preview I wrote here at Doc's two weeks ago, I mentioned that I loved the Nats even more to win the NL East than I did previously not because of what they did in the spring to that point but due to key injuries suffered by their top competitor, the Atlanta Braves.

2014 MLB Regular Season Props Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 3/27/2014

The MLB season officially kicked off on March 22 with an opening-day matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks in Sydney, Austria. The real season, however, does not begin until Monday, March 31, when most teams will begin play.

MLB Handicapping: Atlanta Braves Have Lots of Questions Heading into Season
by Robert Ferringo - 3/26/2014

Last winter was one of the mildest on record in many parts of the country. Snow was sparse. Cold was transient. And jokes about global warming were freely flowing. Flash-forward to this winter, still ongoing in many parts of the country no matter what that drunken groundhog has to say about it. This winter has been a frozen hellscape of twisted ice and shattered dreams. It has been a frozen nightmare of apocalyptic doom, with humans caught in the crossfire of the sky’s unrelenting assault on the ground.

2014 AL Central Picks with MLB Betting Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/25/2014

The American League Central has established itself as the new Weakest Division in Baseball. The Detroit Tigers are head and shoulders above a group that can best be described as inconsistent, underperforming and overmatched.

Mike Trout Odds to Win the 2014 AL MVP with MLB Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 3/24/2014

Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels center fielder, burst on to the MLB radar two seasons ago during a sublime, sophomore campaign that overshadowed, and downright trumped, the arrival of legendary hitter Albert Pujols. Trout’s, at the time, surprising production shifted the media attention toward the young player and gave him the headlining role on the team while heaping all the pressure on the struggling Pujols.

Chicago White Sox Odds to Win 2014 World Series
by Alan Matthews - 3/21/2014

Is the American League Central up for grabs this season? The Detroit Tigers remain the prohibitive favorites to win a fourth straight division title, but they don't look anywhere near as good as last year. Gone are pitcher Doug Fister and slugger Prince Fielder. Ian Kinsler is in at second base, but that's pretty much a wash with Omar Infante, last season's Detroit starter. The Tigers have a major question mark at shortstop with Jose Iglesias now potentially out for the season, left field with Andy Dirks likely out half the year, and third base with rookie Nick Castellanos perhaps not ready for big-league pitching.

2014 AL West Picks with MLB Betting Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/20/2014

When people talk about the most heated division rivalries in baseball, they will quickly rattle off the obvious feuds: Red Sox-Yankees, Dodgers-Giants, and Reds-Cardinals. But if you are looking for an area featuring an underrated amount of animosity, look no further than the American League West.

Texas Rangers Odds to Win 2014 World Series
by Alan Matthews - 3/20/2014

What we like to do here at Doc's is get you the betting information you need ASAP. Thus, we started 2014 MLB previews in early February when the first futures spring odds were released. Obviously, the one problem with doing that is that catastrophic injuries can occur, and one did to the Oakland A's, who opened as slight favorites to win the AL West for the third straight season but aren't any longer.

2014 AL East Picks with MLB Betting Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/19/2014

If I were MLB commissioner for a day, the first thing that I would do is shuffle up all of the divisions. Actually, I would institute a rule where every year all of the divisions are determined by a blind draw, essentially reshuffling the deck every season.

Washington Nationals Odds to Win 2014 World Series
by Alan Matthews - 3/14/2014

I'm going to cut right to the chase here. I love the Washington Nationals to win the National League East this season. I'm not supposed to use the word lock in these stories because there's obviously no sure thing in sports betting, and injuries can change things. However, I'd call the Nats all but a you-know-what now, and it has nothing to do with what they've done this spring but more of what has happened to the Atlanta Braves, the defending division champions.

Pittsburgh Pirates Odds to Win 2014 World Series
by Alan Matthews - 3/13/2014

When did everyone start grading a team's offseason, no matter the sport? It probably traces to those college football recruiting rankings after National Signing Day or when Mel Kiper Jr. started grading the NFL Draft selections back when it used to be mostly ignored on ESPN. Regardless, you can find grades for every sport these days. I mention this because you rarely find any consistency among the experts when it comes to offseason Major League Baseball grades. I said “rarely,” not “never”. I have not found a single legitimate site that has given the Pittsburgh Pirates anything but an F. And I wholeheartedly agree.

MLB Handicapping: Pitching Rotations with Most Uncertainty
by Trevor Whenham - 3/13/2014

There is nothing more important in baseball than the starting rotation. A strong rotation can hide a lot of problems for a team and lead them to unexpected heights. Rotational woes, though, can sink an otherwise solid team. As the regular season nears, here are three rotations that I have serious concerns about: