Baseball Handicapping Articles

MLB Handicapping: Teams Vulnerable to Slow Starts
by Trevor Whenham - 2/24/2014

Last year the Angels and the Blue Jays came into the season with massive expectations after very aggressive offseasons. Both teams were just terrible out of the gate, and they couldn’t recover. It was a pair of wasted seasons, and it cost bettors who had faith in those squads a fortune. They were extreme situations, but they weren’t particularly unique.

MLB Handicapping: Teams with Possible Betting Value
by Trevor Whenham - 2/21/2014

Part of what makes baseball such an intriguing sport is that you never know what you are going to see. Last year at this time everyone was jumping on bandwagons in Toronto, Washington or Anaheim. Meanwhile, many people — myself unfortunately included — were very skeptical about the Red Sox and didn’t view them as real contenders at all.

MLB Handicapping: Pitching Staffs to Watch in Spring Training
by Trevor Whenham - 2/19/2014

When it comes to records for teams or statistics for individual players, Spring Training really doesn’t mean much. It’s just a time to work out the kinks and get ready for when the season really matters. Where the spring can be very useful for bettors, though, is in evaluating starting rotations.

MLB Props Odds and Predictions: Derek Jeter's Final Season
by Alan Matthews - 2/13/2014

I used to be a MLB beat writer for a while. It sounds like a cool gig -- traveling all over the country and getting paid to watch baseball. Parts of it are very nice. One part I absolutely despised was the post-game interview. How would you feel if you just got out of the shower and you had a group of reporters waiting at your closet as you tried to get dressed?

MLB Special Prop Odds and Predictions: Masahiro Tanaka's 2014 Season
by Alan Matthews - 1/23/2014

Last week at this time, I wrote about a Bovada prop on where Japanese star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, considered the best player from that country to come to the USA since Texas ace Yu Darvish, would sign. It was taking this long because of the new posting system that basically had a handful of teams negotiating in total secret with Tanaka's agent, Casey Close. There were new rumors out every day on where Tanaka might sign, and it was frankly amazing how there were no leaks whatsoever out of the Tanaka camp.

Which Team Will Masahiro Tanaka Sign With Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/16/2014

As hard as it is to believe, Spring Training opens in Florida and Arizona in less than a month -- Feb. 13, to be exact. The Opening Series games, which do count, between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in Sydney, Australia, are slightly more than two months off.

Baseball Props and Picks: Prince Fielder & Ian Kinsler Projections
by Alan Matthews - 11/22/2013

Every Major League Baseball team is flush with cash this year thanks to the new national television contracts kicking in. I won't break down all the financials or fine print, but the gist is that each team has about $25 million more to play with just from that source than last year. In addition, some teams are overflowing with new money from local TV deals -- that's where the big bucks are, and it's why the big markets will always have an advantage.

MLB Handicapping: Hot/Cold Pitchers and Hitters Betting Report
by Ricky Dimon - 10/11/2013

The Major League Baseball season is down to four teams as first-round action wrapped up on Thursday and LCS play is set to begin on Friday. Some of the old reliables have already stepped up; Adam Wainwright, Justin Verlander, and Jacoby Ellsbury, to name a few. Not too many are struggling, which is no surprise given that this quartet of clubs is playing great ball right now.

MLB Playoffs Betting: Series Price and Odds
by George Monroy - 10/3/2013

After a long baseball season that felt like it was hit with a new scandal every other week, fans can finally focus on a few positive aspects of the game—namely, the playoffs and the excitement of October baseball. Bettors have already had the enjoyment of a one-game playoff to get into the postseason as well as two one-game wild-card matchups.

MLB Handicapping: Hot/Cold Pitchers and Hitters Betting Report
by Ricky Dimon - 10/3/2013

The contenders have been separated from the pretenders, and there are now eight teams remaining in the quest for the World Series after the conclusion of the two wild-card games—won by Pittsburgh in the National League and by Tampa Bay in the American League.

MLB Handicapping: Hot/Cold Pitchers and Hitters Betting Report
by Ricky Dimon - 9/26/2013

Major League Baseball’s regular season is coming to a close this weekend. It signals the end of Todd Helton’s career and the start of a six-month offseason for 20 of the 30 teams. While Helton is wrapping things up with a bang, others are figuratively limping down the stretch.

Top Props of the Week: 2013 MLB World Series Matchups
by Dave Schwab - 9/25/2013

The MLB regular season comes to a close this Sunday, setting the stage for the start of 10 team’s quest for a World Series title. BetOnline has released its early odds for potential matchups in this year’s Fall Classic, so here is a brief look at a few that offer the most value.

MLB Handicapping: Hot/Cold Pitchers and Hitters Betting Report
by Ricky Dimon - 9/19/2013

The Kansas City Royals are often out of contention one week into the season. Now they’re one week from the end of the season and still in contention. They are eight games above .500 and 2.5 back of an AL wild-card spot. Texas is among those trying to hold off K.C. Due to dismal pitching and inept hitting whenever their best pitcher takes the mound (Yu Darvish has lost two straight games by a 1-0 score), the Rangers are in danger of missing the playoffs.

MLB Handicapping and Betting: The Bullpen Report
by Aaron Smith - 9/17/2013

With starting pitchers not going as deep in the game as they used to, the bullpen is increasingly important to a baseball bettor. The unit pitches three or four innings nearly every game, so they definitely play a major role in the outcome of the game. By handicapping each bullpen, you can allow yourself to be on the right side of the typical bullpen meltdowns far more often than not.

MLB Handicapping: Hot/Cold Pitchers and Hitters Betting Report
by Ricky Dimon - 9/11/2013

The Braves and Dodgers are locked in race not only for the best record in the National League but also to become the first team to clinch a division title. L.A. cut its magic number in the NL West to six with a win over Arizona on Tuesday, and Atlanta took care of Miami to put its NL East magic number at seven. While Hanley Ramirez is on a power binge to help the Dodgers’ pitching duo of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, the Braves’ Justin Upton is mired in a major slump and now slightly injured to boot.

MLB Betting and Handicapping: Totals Trends Report
by Aaron Smith - 9/10/2013

The Boston Red Sox recent hot streak has given them the best record in Major League Baseball once again. Many expected the Red Sox to be much-improved this year, but Boston has exceeded everyone’s expectations. The AL East race that looked like it would be close down to the wire has turned into a Red Sox runaway.

MLB Handicapping: Hot/Cold Pitchers and Hitters Betting Report
by Ricky Dimon - 9/4/2013

Only two division races appear destined to go down to the wire. One is the NL Central, where Allen Craig is heating up for the Cardinals but Yadier Molina is cooling off. The challenging Pirates just acquired Justin Morneau, whose tenure in Minnesota ended with a whimper. One race not going down to the wire is the NL West, where the Dodgers have won six straight with Zack Greinke continuing to dominate.

This Week in MLB Betting By the Numbers
by Aaron Smith - 9/3/2013

The calendar has flipped to September, which means we are only a month away from playoff baseball. The temperatures should start cooling down soon, and the playoff races will be heating up. The hottest divisional races are in the AL West and the NL Central. Texas and Oakland are tied atop the AL West, while the NL Central is a three-team battle with the Pirates slightly ahead right now.

MLB Handicapping and Betting: The Bullpen Report
by Aaron Smith - 9/3/2013

While starting pitchers get most of the attention, ask any insider in the big leagues and they’ll tell you a reliable bullpen is an important of an asset as any team can have. Most bullpens have one or two top pitchers, but the best bullpens have a plethora of guys they can turn to in difficult spots.

MLB Betting and Handicapping: Totals Trends Report
by Aaron Smith - 8/30/2013

Four weeks remain in the Major League Baseball season. The playoff races are heating up, and there is more pressure on contending teams each day. Which players and teams are going to step up under the pressure, and which teams will fall apart?