We are in the midst of interleague play in baseball. For the next couple of weeks all but one game will involve a National League team playing one from the American League, with the rules of the home team being enforced. I absolutely hate interleague play. Baseball is a game of beautiful traditions, and one that should be completely and absolutely above shameful gimmicks like interleague plays. Seeing things like the two Chicago teams or the two New York squads play is mildly amusing, but it isn’t worth all of the disruption and meaningless matchups that the rest of interleague play creates for us. Those classic matchups become less and less compelling each time they are played as well – a subway series World Series wouldn’t be the novelty it was last time we saw it now that the teams play every year. If I had my way I would not only end interleague play immediately, but also purge the records of every one of the stupid games that has ever been played.
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The Rays have come out of their little slump, when they lost eight of 13 games. They have won five of their last eight and still seem to be the team to beat. Rookie catcher John Jaso has provided some unexpected offense, hitting .307 and getting on base a lot.
When it comes to betting baseball, not all games are created equally. You can essentially break the season into three broad types of games that teams play – division games, games outside the division but in the league, and inter-league games. Each type of game has different characteristics which the successful bettor will recognize and look to exploit. Today I want to look at division games – why they are unique, and how to deal with them.
Atlanta currently sits 2 ½ games up in the NL East after completing a sweep of the Phillies, with a 2-1 victory on Wednesday. In a span of 14 games, the Braves have climbed from last place in the division and 6 ½ games back, to its current position. The Braves own a Major League-best 19-6 record at home this season, but now head west with its current 12-16 mark away from Turner Field (-490). The team leads the majors with 237 walks and its .348 on-base percentage leads the National League. Rookie OF Jason Heyward leads the team with 10 homers and is batting .287 with a .412 on-base percentage. “The kid never ceases to amaze you,” manager Bobby Cox said.
Arizona is currently 0-7 on a three-city, nine-game road trip against Colorado, San Francisco and Los Angeles. This recent stretch leaves the team with a less than desirable 7-17 mark against the division (-1,000). The team has compiled a 6-11 mark when playing a series finale so far in 2010, including dropping the last four such games on the road (-408). The Diamondbacks’ 20-32 record (-1,180) is the third-worst 52-game start in club history behind the inaugural 1998 season and the beginning of the 2004 season. Don’t expect things to change with Wednesday’s starting time, with Arizona coming in with a 5-11 daytime record (-600). One offensive bright spot for the team is the right-side of the infield, as 1B Adam LaRoche and 2B Kelly Johnson have combined for 19 home runs and 58 RBI this season.
Needless to say, not all rotations in baseball are created equal. Some teams have five starting pitchers who are trustworthy and reliable to bettors, while others barely have one or two. You obviously need to handicap each pitcher separately – as opposed to betting on a team based on the strength or weakness of their rotation – but looking at the comparative strengths of the rotations from a betting perspective is still a useful and entertaining exercise. Here are my top four rotations in order:
As a baseball bettor there is one thing I dream about – a pitcher who is consistently better than the public realizes he is. Thankfully, that’s not that hard to find. There are so many pitchers in the league that’s it hard for all but the most devoted followers of the sport to keep track of them all, and many good ones can fall through the cracks. Here’s a look at five guys who have been kind to observantbettors so far this year:
Continue reading “This Seasons Most Underappreciated Pitchers”
Colorado Rockies at Chicago Cubs
Philadelphia Phillies at Milwaukee Brewers – ESPN Sunday Night Baseball
Philadelphia improved to an NL-best 12-7 on the road on Saturday, with a 10-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. The Phillies also improved their May record to 10-3 and record against NL Central teams to a solid 8-1 mark. Offensively the team leads all major league teams with 21 home runs in May. Overall this season, the Phillies rank second among all NL teams in homers (43). With a win on Sunday night, Philadelphia can improve upon its 12-7 record on the road, as the team is hitting .272 and averaging 5.56 runs per game away from Citizens Bank Park.
Continue reading “ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Betting Preview”
Here are 3 previews for the Sunday day baseball games. Happy wagering!
New York Mets at Florida Marlins
New York Mets look to improve upon its 27-20 record at Florida over the last three years in the final game of the series. The Mets have won just four of their first 14 road games this season, including a 2-7 mark in their last nine. The team carries the lowest road batting average in the majors (.204), which is a big disparity from the Milwaukee Brewers (.288) who lead in the category. The offense will certainly be challenged against a hard-throwing starter on Sunday afternoon, which doesn’t fit well with their 263 strikeouts as a club (11th-most in the majors).
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