Joseph D'Amico
Scott Spreitzer
Scott Spreitzer is now in his 18th year of handicapping and can currently be seen nationally on the Proline TV show.
Rob Vinciletti
Rob Vinciletti is the Founder of Golden Contender sports,he is a sports wagering broker, known and respected nationwide for his no nonsense approach and work ethic.
Tony George
Tony George, President and CEO of Midwest Sports Consultants and Sports Audio Shows, is one of the most consistent and most respected handicappers in the sports gaming world.
Jeff Alexander
Jeff Alexander began his career as a college and NFL football Handicapper.
Examination of the 2011 MLB Baseball Pre-seaso by The Gaming Today’s Mark Mayer
One of the very best and most highly anticipated futures bets is the over/under season total. My colleague Ted Sevransky has made a living off just these wagers.
Hopefully, I’ll at least be able to buy lunch at the Peppermill or perhaps dinner at Casa D’Amore.
We will start here with our six-week examination of the 2011 major league baseball pre-season leading up to opening day, April 4.
Part 1: Over/Under.
Lucky’s and Hilton released its over/under totals last week with a 14½-game difference at Lucky’s between defending world champion San Francisco and last place Arizona.
Of course in division play, what goes up must come down. So with last year’s rise of the Giants, Padres and Rockies came the fall of the Dodgers and Diamondbacks.
The transition from last to first has been commonplace in the NL West so look for Arizona to rebound with Kirk Gibson now having the first spring training under his belt as manager.
As Troy Tulowitzki goes, so goes Colorado. Take one player off any team in baseball having the biggest impact and my vote is Tulo. Yes, more than Cabrera, Pujols, A-Rod and Ichiro. Great players all, but Tulo is the heart and soul on the field and in that Rockies clubhouse.
As spring training begins, we’ve already seen one devastating injury – St. Louis losing 20-game winner Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery. With Uncle Albert set to test the free agent waters next year the Cards certainly didn’t need to see that Wainwright X-ray.
Count the Cardinals on my short list of over/under wagers. A .500 season (81-81) would be optimistic in the highly-competitive NL Central.
I also see two other teams worth betting on in the same division – Cincinnati and Milwaukee. If the Reds unleash their Cuban sensation, Chapman, and his 105 mph heater, they are the team to beat. The Brewers, with offseason addition Zack Greinke heading an improving pitching staff, will be right there. I like OVER for both teams.
Right now the Philadelphia Phillies are projected for 97½ wins at Lucky’s. Anything less than 100 is a bargain with that monster staff of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt, and the re-acquired Cliff Lee.
In the American League, I see the Baltimore Orioles at 76½ wins being a team that could crack the .500 mark in the AL East. They did in the second half last season under Buck Showalter. Now the Birds are a surprising buyer, netting Vladimir Guerrero and Derrek Lee.
The Red Sox are projected at 95 wins and the Yankees 91½. Not signing Lee and the mess over Derek Jeter’s contract were a bad sign. Andy Pettitte and an aging roster were another. I see the Yanks fall back enough to recommend a buy against.
Throw a blanket over the AL Central with just about everyone capable of winning the division. And yes, that includes Cleveland. At just a projected 71½ wins, I can definitely see value with the Tribe with an expected bounce back year from Grady Sizemore.
In the AL West, I still like Seattle despite all its drama. If King Felix gets the Cy Young with 13 victories, then the Mariners can certainly find a way to win more than their projected 70 games.
Notice I did not talk about my childhood favorites, the New York Mets. I love David Wright and Ike Davis at third and first. There’s too much uncertainty after that to know which way to go. It will be interesting to see who takes a run at the Phillies. The Braves and Marlins are most likely candidates, though Chipper Jones at 40 is not a good sign.
So here’s my nine over/under shopping list for 2011. I think we’re good for at least 5-4. May it bring you a few goodies by October. Most totals are from the Hilton.
Arizona OVER 72½; St. Louis UN 84½ (Lucky’s); Cincy OV 85½.
Milwaukee OVER 86½; Philly OV 97½; Baltimore OV 76½.
Cleveland OV 71½; NY Yanks UN 91½; Seattle OV 70.
You can get all of your MLB news and articles right here at www.aasiwins.com.
