Roughly 54% of the 2009 MLB season is behind us, as we witness the All-Star break, and look for good betting tips and advice for the future. This is definitely the place as I will break down the best and worst of the first half, and take a glimpse into what the future will hold for bettors alike as we anticipate the second half of an already great MLB season.
Betting the MLB Run-lines:
If you can find the right teams to play on, this could very easily be a lucrative investment while betting MLB for the remainder of the season. A glimpse of the good, bad and the ugly in betting MLB run-lines: San Fran sits as the MLB's top run-line team so far in 2009. The Giants are 52-35 playing the spread in every game this season. That is actually better than their 49-39 SU record by 3 games. San Fran is in a pretty weak division with the padres, and D-Backs. They win a lot of ballgames by 2+ runs, and as dogs either win outright or lose by just a run. Keep an eye on them the rest of the way, as they will only get better as the season progresses. Pittsburgh is a surprising close second at 50-38 on the run-line. The Angels are not too shabby either at 48-38.
The league's worst are Atlanta of all teams. Usually the Braves lose close games, but at the same time they win close games as well. Being favored often does not help this team's run-line backers as they are 35-53 betting the run-line in 2009. They are followed by the Indians(36-53) and of course the Nationals(37-50) as the run-line's worst to bet on.
Predicting Overs and Unders:
A huge key in helping you in your handicapping analysis betting overs and unders in the second half is looking at how teams how fared thus far. The under seems to have more weight early on and I believe this will change during the upcoming hot summer days of baseball. For now, the "Under" has been a safer choice as there are 10 teams that have played a significant amount of unders compared to overs. For the "Over" teams, there really aren't many. The Angels are the league's best "Over" team currently at 47-35-4, a whole 12 games more to the over vs. the under. Cleveland is second with a 47-40-2 mark at the midway point. There are 7 teams that have 11-13 more games that have gone "Under" compared to the "Over" for the season. Too many to name. The select few that stand out are much more potent compared to the "Over" teams. The Rangers lead the league in unders with 52 of them compared to just 32 overs. That is a 20 game differential. Detroit is a close second with a differential of 17 as they are 51-34-2 to the Under. Seattle is third with a 51-35-2 under mark. Note all these teams are AL teams. This will be interesting to watch in the second half, especially already seeing Texas lines at home dropping from 12 to now 8 and 9 runs. How low will these lines go? That will adjust at the odds makers discretion but will be based on what the public plays.
Betting MLB Money-lines:
A look at the best money-line teams to bet on...Keep in mind that lines will be inflated heading into the second half. Each and every day there will be more and more -200 faves as the season progresses. The best money-line teams are the LA Dodgers, with or without Manny, they are 56-32 on the season and are +1935 to the 1 unit player this year based on all games. You would never want to bet a team everyday, but use this as a tool to make a smart calculated play on this team at the right time. Boston is 54-34 on the year, and best in the AL, but don't even show half of the profits that the Dodgers do this season. Boston tends to lay heavy juice more often than LA, so make sure Boston is in a definite win situation before risking big juice on them. The Angels and Texas follow the Dodgers with +1225, and +1110 profit for 1 unit players respectively. San Fran has also made 1 unit players +1070 on the season. The league's worst are obviously the Nationals and Indians. Both of these teams possess the league's worst records in the NL and AL. Washington is just 26-61 on the year and have lost backers -2970 this season. Cleveland backers show -2330 in losses based on 1 unit. Cleveland is 35-54 on the season.
Best and worst home team and road team bets:
When betting on teams it is also wise to trust the home and road numbers for certain teams especially in certain situations. The Red Sox are the best at home at 31-14 on the season, but not as far as money goes. That is due to the nature of heavy juice while at home. Tampa Bay may be a better home bet as they are right behind Boston at 30-15 at home on the year. The Dodgers are the best NL home team at 28-19. The best road team to play on is the Philadelphia Phillies as they are 26-15 on the road this season. They are just 22-23 at home and have been in a month long slump before going 9-1 over their last 10 before the break. They should heat up at home but could be a strong second half road bet over the next couple months.
As far as the home and road worst: The Nationals seem to be on every list's worst as they are just 16-26 at home and are a dismal 10-35 on the road. We know they are horrible in game 1's in a series especially on the road and are even worse on the road after being swept on the road. A definite fade for the remainder of the season. Arizona isn't pleasing fans either as they are 20-30 at home on the season. Joining Washington as the league's worst road teams are Pittsburgh 16-33 on the road, and San Diego who is just 13-32 on the road. Pads look like they are heading down the same path they did a year ago.
Predicting the 2009 MLB future:
In closing, all of these stats will surely aid in the handicapping strategy, but the most important statistic is knowing when to use the info provided to claim another win. This is a betting guide to the second half of the MLB season as a whole, and should be followed closely. Trends change over time. Some of these listed will fade into the night while new ones form just as quick. Keep an eye for new trends that form with particular teams. Who is hot and who is not. Good money management is also a plus when using these statistics to your advantage. All in all, I hope everyone is as excited about the remainder of the MLB season as much as I am.