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The month of December is filled with betting opportunities for most of the major sports. While MLB betting may be on the back burner during the holiday season, this is still an excellent time to start formulating your betting strategy for the upcoming season.
Studying last year’s results is a great starting point. The elite teams in the league catch the most attention. Yet, a high return on a money line bet is the sign of an elite betting team. Make special note of each team’s overall return at home and on the road.
One of the main reasons MLB stays relevant in the offseason is the massive amount of player movement that takes place in this sport. Handicapping MLB for the new season will hinge heavily of what took place on the hot stove in the winter.
Starting Pitchers
At the top of the list are the high-priced starting pitchers that are also free agents. A team’s starting rotation can be radically improved (or weakened) if one of those top starters decides to sign with a different team.
Keeping Betting Tabs on The MLB Offseason
MLB betting weighs heavily on the starting matchup on the mound. Oddsmakers will not release a betting line for any game until they know each team’s starters. On average, they only last about six innings into a game, but that is long enough to have a major impact on the outcome.
Tracking each team’s starting rotation should be at the top of the list when it comes to handicapping MLB games. This also creates a great opportunity to incorporate five-inning betting lines into your overall betting strategy. Since most starters pitch into the fifth inning, betting the first half of the game is the purest matchup between those two pitchers.
Bullpens
Next to each game’s starters, a team’s bullpen can also have a big impact on the outcome of MLB games. Tracking offseason movement to build a bullpen can provide a complete assessment of any team’s entire pitching staff. There are holes to be found in every team’s staff. However, the ones that plug those holes the best are most likely to be solid betting teams in the new season.
Batters and Fielders
Scoring runs on a consistent basis is a big part of a winning formula along with the ability to use fielding as a defensive tool. There is quite a bit of player movement in both categories in the offseason. It is not so much who the actual player is. How that player fits into an existing lineup will eventually determine their value to a team.
MLB Offseason Handicapping Tips
Signing a big bat always comes with quite a bit of fanfare, but MLB bettors need to focus on the big picture when they are breaking down any of the league’s 30 teams. One or two big bats are not going to change the fortunes of a team that only won 70+ games last year.
Existing Player Injuries
Another important MLB offseason handicapping activity is tracking existing injuries to key players. This especially pertains to pitchers and their availability when the new season rolls around.
Even if a player is projected to be ready to go on opening day, this needs to be tracked heading into spring training. Many players tend to be over-optimistic when it comes to the healing process. Given the size of MLB contracts these days, managers are very reluctant to press any injured player into everyday service until they are fully healed.
