Posts Tagged ‘baseball picks’

March 6th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Spring Training is here once again, and if we’re already hearing the cracks of the bats, that means that there are World Series odds for us to analyze! Here at Cappers Info, we’re taking our first look at some of the teams that we wouldn’t back with your money in 2011 World Series betting action.


New York Mets: 55 to 1 at SportBet – Please spare me your, “Well duh, Drew!” comments for this one. At least at 55 to 1, one would think that the Mets have at least a shot of winning the World Series this season. However, I’m here to tell you that there is absolutely zero chance — ZERO chance — of the Mets making the playoffs, let alone going to the World Series and winning it. The starting rotation for this team without Johan Santana is nothing more than a who’s who of retreads that no one else wanted to pay money to. The bullpen has a mentally unstable situation with Francisco Rodriguez finishing the job, and the best arms around him from last season are all gone as well. It’d be nice to see Jose Reyes or David Wright really stay healthy for the season. We’re also not really all that sure that Carlos Beltran or Jason Bay have all that much left in the tank (or were really all that great to start off with). Aside from that, we’re talking about guys like Ike Davis having to carry this team. Yuck. It’s bad enough that the best the Mets can do is win the Wild Card, as the Philadelphia Phillies are surely winning the NL East. There’s just nothing that New York can do, especially with cash strapped owners at this point.


Tampa Bay Rays: 31 to 1 at SportBet – As much as we’d love to say that these are great World Series odds on a team that won the AL East last season, we know better. Manager Joe Maddon continues to find ways to get more out of less every year than any other manager in baseball, and he should definitely be commended for it. However, there’s just too much that has been lost in this offseason. The entire bullpen has to be started over from scratch, and it feels like half of the starting lineup is gone as well. Losing Jason Bartlett wasn’t all that great of a deal with others ready to come up and fill the gap, but Carlos Pena really doesn’t have a replacement at first base. To make matters worse, two of the biggest names that were lost, Rafael Soriano and Carl Crawford, are both playing in division for the Yanks and Red Sox respectively. The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays are improved teams this year as well. We could see Tampa Bay winning 80 games this year… and maybe finishing in the gutter of the division in doing so.


St. Louis Cardinals: 28 to 1 at SportBet – Manager Tony LaRussa has a history of making chicken soup out of chicken… well, you know… but this would be a very tall task to pull off. Losing Adam Wainwright to season ending surgery doesn’t do anything but hurt this team’s case, as there is definitely a hole behind the often injured Chris Carpenter in this rotation. Is Jamie Garcia really good enough to fill the void? It’s quite possible, but who is going to step into his shoes? That’s where the real drop off begins. In the lineup, we know that Albert Pujols is going to go absolutely bonkers in a contract season right before he will inevitably make a quadrabazillion dollars, but he’s going to have a hard time driving in any runs aside from himself and Matt Holliday this season. It’ll take Lance Berkman finding the Fountain of Youth from somewhere (he obviously didn’t bring it with him to the Big Apple from Houston!), or some other unheralded stars to step up to the plate to help this squad out. When push comes to shove, there just isn’t enough there to think that this is anything more than maybe a .500 team at best.


Texas Rangers: 22 to 1 at SportBet – Whereas we wouldn’t mind taking a shot on the San Francisco Giants as a solid bet in the National League, we just can’t see taking the Rangers right now. We know that this team was far more than just Cliff Lee, but it really has to hurt knowing that Lee is gone at this point. The Oakland A’s really became a better team this year, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim just aren’t staying down forever. There’s a real chance that the defending AL Champs aren’t even going to sniff the postseason this year, and even if they are 22 to 1 to win it all, it just isn’t going to happen unless there are a heck of a lot of deer signs cropping up in Arlington that we aren’t expecting.


New York Yankees: 7 to 1 at SportBet – We’ve really saved the best for last this time around. The Yankees are always one of the best teams in baseball, but we’re really not so sure that they’re worthy of being in the same breath with the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies this year. This lineup is going to score a ton of runs this year, and there is no doubting that, but these pitchers are just awful. CC Sabathia and… Yuck. It’s only a matter of time before Father Time catches up to this team. Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera certainly aren’t getting any younger, and there just has to be a point that they all just drop off. It was also apparent last year that the Bronx Bombers didn’t have the grit and tenacity to win a seven game series in the ALCS, and especially if the Red Sox are the team on the other side of the coin in this prospective series, we’ll take our chances that New York isn’t winning out.

 
March 6th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Spring Training is here once again, and if we’re already hearing the cracks of the bats, that means that there are World Series odds for us to analyze! Here at Cappers Info, we’re taking our first look at some of the teams that we would love to be backing in 2011 World Series betting action.


Philadelphia Phillies: 3.30 to 1 at SportBet – We know that we are choking on a lot of chalk here by taking the tremendous favorites to win it all, and we even know that just one or two injuries can really mess with this team in a big time way, but we’re struggling to find reasons to not bet on the Phils. We all know that this pitching staff is absolutely phenomenal now. Heck, throwing Roy Oswalt in the fourth game of a series? Cole Hamels in the third game? Joe Blanton as the emergency plan as the fifth pitcher? Geez, is that good… It’s not like this offense is really slacking either. Sure, Ryan Howard probably won’t be blasting 45 homers this season, and we never know whether Chase Utley is really going to be healthy or not, but what we do know is that Jimmy Rollins can’t possibly have that much worse of a season this year as he did a season ago, and the loss of Jayson Werth really can’t possibly be as bad as the Washington Nationals signing him seems. The only question in our minds is whether Brad Lidge is going to implode or not. This bullpen might be thin, but there really isn’t a more complete team in the National League than this to be betting on.


Boston Red Sox: 5 to 1 at SportBet – If the Phils are the crème de la crème in the National League, the Red Sox have to be just that in the American League. Again, look at this rotation. John Lackey is the third starter on this team, and Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are almost seemingly forgotten stars. Josh Beckett has declined, and who knows whether the boys from Beantown will ever get anything out of Daisuke Matsuzaka or not, but this is also a farm system that is just chock full of talent. Daniel Bard, Bobby Jenks, and Jonathan Papelbon make up an absolutely fantastic back end of the bullpen. Offensively, even if David Ortiz turns out to be completely finished, the rest of this lineup just has a ton of power in it. Carl Crawford was an ideal pickup in the offseason, especially since he is no longer a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, and trading for Adrian Gonzalez shored up the loss of Adrian Beltre on the other side of the diamond at third base. There won’t be nearly as many injuries this year on this team as there were a season ago, and with that being the case, the Red Sox really should be good for 100 wins and a trip to the postseason.


Chicago White Sox: 28 to 1 at SportBet – Did the White Sox push the right buttons in the offseason to be able to make a serious run at the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central? We’re really not so sure that they did, but we also know that if this team gets into the playoffs, it has a better shot of pitching with the Red Sox, Yankees, etc. than any of these other teams do in this division. Mark Buehrle might now have another ace in his pocket in the form of Jake Peavy, and if the Palehose really have a legit 1 and 1A on the mound, it will make the jobs of the rest of the men in this relatively formidable rotation that much easier. The offense didn’t miss a beat by adding Adam Dunn, who could be in for a fantastic summer in the Windy City. This is also a make or break year for Manager Ozzie Guillen and basically the entire front office for the White Sox, and they could be in for another magical run towards the World Series once again this season.


Milwaukee Brewers: 30 to 1 at SportBet – Do you really believe that Zack Greinke was a legitimate Cy Young pitcher in Kansas City? If the answer to that question is yes, you have to love what the Brew Crew are bringing to the table this year. Yovani Gallardo is now one of the more dangerous No. 2 pitchers in the game this year, and the rest of the NL Central is really just particularly weak this season, especially now that Adam Wainwright is out for the season for the St. Louis Cardinals. This is a team that can mash as well, especially with Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, and Ryan Braun doing the honors. The rest of this lineup isn’t really all that fantastic, but in a short series, a bloop, a blast, and two great pitchers can carry you the distance. John Axford will be key this year in the bullpen, but if he can shut the door at a great rate like he did in the second half of last season, the Brewers could be legit contenders this season.


Oakland Athletics: 38 to 1 at SportBet – Maybe we’re stretching this just a tad with the A’s, but the truth of the matter is that they had a great offseason and very few MLB betting fans probably realize it. Losing Rajai Davis really had to hurt, but there was a logjam at center field with Coco Crisp, and someone had to go. The corner outfield spots were shored up by adding Josh Willingham and David DeJesus, while Hideki Matsui gives the team a nice DH to count on regularly for some solid production. The rest of the infield is relatively weak, though Kurt Suzuki is one of the better up and coming catchers in this league. From a pitching standpoint, last year was a loss because of all of the money thrown at Ben Sheets that never worked out. However, this year, the team is taking a significantly cheaper gamble on Rich Harden, a kid that grew up in the Oakland system and really flourished. Even if he doesn’t pan out, we love what Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden are bringing to the table this year. The bullpen is absolutely stacked as well. Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour were great pickups for a team that already had great guys like Andrew Bailey to rely on. The A’s also play in the weak AL West, where seemingly no one got any better in the offseason.

 
October 15th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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The MLB postseason is finally here! Here at Cappers Info, we have all of the ins and outs that you need to know before making your picks in the League Championship Series that being on Friday. Use this as a reference not only for betting games in this series, but for futures World Series bets as well.

MLB Playoff Pick #1: Philadelphia Phillies (-250 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. San Francisco Giants: Neither one of these offenses has really done anything to wow us at this point, but both pitching staffs have been absolutely phenomenal. We tend to believe that the bats of the Phils are bound to wake up at some point. Guys like 1B Ryan Howard, 2B Chase Utley, and SS Jimmy Rollins aren't going to be batting right at or below the Mendoza Line for the entire postseason, and inevitably, a spark is going to happen at some point. The Phils have a distinct edge in the fourth game in this series thanks to the fact that Joe Blanton is significantly better than any fourth man that the G-Men will throw out there. We'll take our chances with RHP Roy Halladay and RHP Roy Oswalt at home in Games 1 and 2 due to the fact that these men have combined for just one loss for their team in the City of Brotherly Love since July. Heck, Oswalt has never led his team to a loss at home as a member of the Phils. It's hard to sit here and lay this type of lumber against guys like LHP Jonathan Sanchez, RHP Matt Cain, and RHP Tim Lincecum, but it's easy to do when you have the arms to counter that. Philly just needs to hold home field advantage in this series to be okay. We tend to believe that the hosts take four of the first five games in this series, but that Game 4 edge is going to cripple the Giants when push comes to shove. We're worried about the Philadelphia bullpen, but this unit only had to pitch four innings in the entire first round against the Cincinnati Reds… four spotless innings. If we knew that the bullpen was going to be virtually flawless for the Phils, we'd lay -400. As it is, the easy pick is Philadelphia in 6 games.

MLB Playoff Pick #2: New York Yankees (-170 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Texas Rangers: Before you make your MLB picks in this series, you have to ask yourself one very important question: Is heart and hustle really good enough to beat the New York Yankees? In a game, sure. Even two, possibly three. We'd believe it. But there's just too much pop in this New York lineup to be beaten, right? The starting pitching for the Rangers clearly looks overmatched in at least the first two games, and it's really hard to say that there's a distinct advantage for LHP Cliff Lee against one of the best postseason pitchers ever in LHP Andy Pettitte. New York isn't going to make the same mistakes in the field that the Tampa Bay Rays did, which is going to cut down on the blunders that Texas can capitalize on. The lineup for the Yanks just has too much for most of these Rangers pitchers to overcome. In the three games in the ALDS, the Bronx Bombers had nine men bat at least .273, and only OF Brett Gardner had a relatively lousy series at .200. Oh, the man batting .273… some 3B Alex Rodriguez guy. It's horrible for the Rangers to think that they needed to use Lee earlier this week to close out the Rays and not be able to use him until Game 3 in this series. By then, the ALCS might effectively be over. Don't be shocked if this series is a sweep, but it certainly isn't going back to Texas once it leaves there. Put away your antlers. The Evil Empire is ready to strike once again. Yankees in 5.

 
October 5th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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The MLB postseason is finally here! Here at Cappers Info, we have all of the ins and outs that you need to know before making your picks in the four series that begin on Wednesday. Use this as a reference not only for betting games in this series, but for futures World Series bets as well.

MLB Playoff Pick #1: Atlanta Braves (+160 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. San Francisco Giants: There's just something we like about the Braves right now. A feel good story always seems to rule the day, at least early in the playoffs. Case in point… Remember the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 and the Colorado Rockies in 2007? These were teams that really sort of snuck up on everyone to make the playoffs, and when they finally got there, they did a ton of damage. Neither one won the World Series, but both did at least get there. Tim Hudson has been pitching out of his mind right now, and though the Braves don't have a bullpen full of names, if the rest of the starters can just stick with the powerful arms for the Giants, the pen can do its job. Remember the name Brian McCann. With Chipper Jones out of the lineup, it will be up to McCann, who led the team in homers with 21, to try to lead the way. Atlanta has a real chance to steal one of these first two at home, especially with its two aces on the mound, and if that happens, San Fran must watch out. The Braves had the best home record in baseball with 56 wins.

MLB Playoff Pick #2: Philadelphia Phillies (-300 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Cincinnati Reds : We know that absolutely anything can happen in the playoffs, but it's been over two months since any of the four big starters, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, and Joe Blanton have been beaten at home by any team in baseball. We don't really love Cincinnati's odds, particularly in the first two games in the City of Brotherly Love. We admire the grittiness of this team, but when push comes to shove, Cincinnati is the one team that really doesn't look like it belongs in the playoffs, as it took out a lousy division and really doesn't have the pitching rotation to keep up with any of the eight teams, let alone that of perhaps the best staff in the game. Unless Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson implode, this series shouldn't be all that difficult. The Phillies are the one team that really sprinted to the finish line this year, and if that momentum keeps going, this could be a very, very short series.

MLB Playoff Pick #3: Texas Rangers (+150 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Tampa Bay Rays : Be careful what you wish for, Tampa Bay! The Rays worked hard to get home field advantage throughout the American League playoffs, and they got just that, but now, they're probably going to have to figure out how to beat Cliff Lee at least once, if not twice, in order to get to the ALCS for the second time in team history. We don't love Tampa Bay's odds. Not only was Lee absolutely on fire in the postseason last year, but in Game 2, James Shields leaves us with no confidence, as he was one of the worst money pitchers amongst the teams in the playoffs and has been pitching horribly down the stretch. To top it off, there will be absolutely no home field advantage in Tampa Bay, as we know that the fans aren't showing up for the first two games of this series in the middle of the week and the middle of the afternoon. This is a very dangerous spot for the team with the best record in the AL, and we are here to exploit that.

MLB Playoff Pick #4: Minnesota Twins (+150 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. New York Yankees: These two teams might be a heck of a lot more evenly matched than the oddsmakers are letting in on. The Bronx Bombers might have a nightmarish lineup to try to face, but beyond CC Sabathia, is there really a pitcher in this rotation that you're ready to back up the truck on and back in MLB betting action? There certainly isn't from our standpoint. If this becomes a bullpen series, we love Minnesota's chances even though the Yanks have arguably the best closer ever both in terms of regular season and postseason accomplishments in Mariano Rivera on their side. Matt Capps, Jon Rauch, Jose Mijares, and Brian Fuentes are all absolutely studs out of the pen, and Rod Gardenhire knows how to use them. Justin Morneau won't be available at all during this series with his post concussion complications, but who cares? Even without one of the best hitters in baseball, the Twins have been on a roll. That should continue with a great series victory over the defending champs.