Who’s Hot MLB’s Hottest ‘Over’ Teams
by: Alex Smart Sports
Even though the numbers have slowed down in recent weeks, statistically speaking, run production this season is as high as it’s ever been in baseball history! Which teams are knocking the ball out of the yard and struggling with their arms? Here’s this week’s list of the top ‘over’ teams for the L/5 days!
(Rank) (Team) (O/U Record) (O/U Record in L/5)
1: Florida Marlins (35-27-4) (4-0-1 in L/5) Depending on what number you got in yesterday’s Boston/Florida game, you might be a perfect 5-0 for the ‘over’ in Florida’s L/5 games. The offense had been humming along at a great clip of late for the Fish, as they had scored at least four runs in seven straight games before losing 8-2 to the Sox last night. In their previous four leading up to last night, the Marlins had scored a whopping 7.0 runs per game. SS Hanley Ramirez is starting to heat up against for Florida, which is bad news for the rest of baseball. He’s hit safely in four straight games, and is batting a cool .438 in that stretch. Now if they could just get their starting pitching staff together, all would be well in South Florida, but Josh Johnson is the only starter with more than five starts under his belt to have an ERA less than 4.30.
2: Toronto Blue Jays (34-31-1) (4-1 in L/5) Thanks to Florida’s hot bats, the Blue Jays also appear on this list. They conceded 24 runs to the Fish in a bad three-game sweep at home over the week, but did come back and beat Philly 8-3 in the City of Brotherly Love last night. The best news for ‘over’ bettors and worst news for Toronto bettors is that Roy Halladay may be hampered by a groin injury he suffered against the Marlins this weekend. Though he’s reporting no pain and probably won’t miss a start, if there’s any hitch in his step, the Jays are done for. They’re still averaging 5.02 runs per game this season, but the harsh reality is starting to set in that this team isn’t nearly as good as they were playing to start the season.
3: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (33-28-2) (3-1-1 in L/5) Objects in rear view mirror may be closer than they appear… The Halos have rolled off five straight very impressive victories in Interleague play, and are now just two games behind Texas for the lead in the AL West. The offense has exploded after a relatively dry first 55 games of the season, as they have scored at least six runs in five straight and have averaged 8.60 runs per game in that stretch. The pitching hasn’t been too shabby either. Even though they’ve given up 15 runs in the L/5 days, 13 of those runs came in two games. In his nine-game hitting streak, CF Torii Hunter is batting .382 with four dingers and nine ribbies. If he can get the bat going through the summer, the Halos should be back in first place in no time.
And the rest…
4: Arizona Diamondbacks (33-29-3) (3-2 in L/5)
5: Houston Astros (27-33-2) (3-2 in L/5)