Hot & Not - NL Edition
By Mike Rose
VegasInsider.com
There are only two more weeks left in the regular season in baseball, and for the final time this year, we're going to take a look at the teams that are hot and the teams that are certainly not in the National League for MLB betting fans.
Money-Makers:
Washington Nationals (8-1, +$646 in L/9) – Is it too little, too late for the Nats? They've got wins in eight out of nine, and they're storming back towards the last Wild Card spot.
On Deck: The schedule isn't that bad on the way out either. The Nats though, need to make up 4.5 games in a span of just two weeks, and that's going to be tough when they're going against the Braves, Marlins, Cardinals, and Diamondbacks.
Pittsburgh Pirates (6-1, +$516 in L/7) – Pittsburgh has won six out of seven to get back into a tie for first place in the NL Central. There is no doubt though, that there is a lot of work to do, as even a playoff spot still isn't guaranteed.
On Deck: The Pirates can't just be happy guaranteeing themselves a winning season. They've got six left to play with Cincy, and that will be what decides their fate for the rest of the year.
San Francisco Giants (6-2, +$495 in L/8) – This is the most irrelevant 6-2 streak that we have seen in baseball. The Giants only used that streak to get out of the gutter in the NL West.
On Deck: The chance is there over the course of the next week and a half to make a difference, though. The Giants have six in the Big Apple (three with the Mets, then three with the Yanks), followed by three with the Dodgers and three with the Padres to close out the campaign.
Money-Burners:
Los Angeles Dodgers (3-8, -$699 in L/11) – Did you ever think that you'd see the Dodgers on the wrong side of this article ever again? LA has dropped eight out of 11 though, and it is probably due to some complacency after basically winning the division title.
On Deck: The Dodgers have 10 straight on the road now, and they're going to want to make sure that they take at least one from Arizona of these next four to ensure that there won't be an epic collapse in the cards.
Miami Marlins (2-8, -$599 in L/10) – Take away the games that Jose Fernandez started in this bunch, and the Marlins haven't won a game in this mix. Too bad that Fernandez has been shut down for the season after reaching his innings limit.
On Deck: The last two series of the year on the road come up this week with three against Philly and four against the hot Nats. The Fish could have an impact on the playoff picture yet.
Cincinnati Reds (2-4, -$501 in L/6) – They say it takes two to tango. The Reds aren't going to lose their spot in the playoffs unless they help blow it themselves. They're not doing a good job right now of protecting that lead, though.
On Deck: There are still six more games to be played against the Pirates, three of which come at home and three of which come on the road. Lose more than three of those six, and Cincy doesn't deserve to get into the postseason.