| We're not even three weeks into the major | | | | he's clambered to a 5.25 ERA. The Devil Rays |
| league baseball season, but already several story | | | | team ERA stands at a harrowing 6.23 number. |
| lines from a betting perspective have been in play. | | | | The bright side is a young nucleus of position |
| Low scoring games seem to be the current | | | | players with sweet upside including Carl Crawford, |
| theme as 105 games have gone UNDER the total, | | | | Elijah Dukes, BJ Upton and Delmon Young. |
| while just 88 have played OVER the total. Cold | | | | Few would argue that the Phillies are a complete |
| weather has been the catalyst for the lower | | | | mess right now, as they look up in the standings |
| scoring trend with many games being played at | | | | at the Washington Nationals. Many penciled in |
| below average temperatures, especially across | | | | Philadelphia to own one of the best starting |
| the Midwest and East Coast. No question, pitchers | | | | pitching staffs in the National League. Brett Myers |
| hold the advantage with the cooler temperatures | | | | has been the ringleader for bad pitching with an |
| as they are the one player on the field that is | | | | outrageous 8.82 ERA, and the Phillies brass, in a |
| able to stay warm with constant activity. In | | | | very questionable move, have since vanquished |
| addition, we have seen some extreme wind | | | | Myers to the bullpen. |
| gusts. Games played in windier conditions are | | | | From a side or team perspective, the free |
| conducive for more scoring, but the ball simply | | | | spending Chicago Cubs have found themselves |
| does not travel as far when it is cold as has been | | | | stagnant to start the campaign. The Cubs are |
| the case early on. This year many will point to | | | | currently 5-9 on the season down over 6.5 |
| baseball's more stringent drug testing rules of | | | | betting units and are once again overvalued by |
| hitters as being 'juiced' down. There may be some | | | | the marketplace. This can happen when a |
| validity to that sentiment. In fact, 20 teams | | | | franchise spends over $300 million in the |
| feature a team ERA at 4.00 or less, which is a | | | | off-season looking to find lightning in a bottle. Of |
| sight not normally seen in recent times. | | | | course, as the Cubs have found repeatedly, it's |
| There are other theories at work as well. Last | | | | easier to draw up a contender than to field a |
| year, the World Baseball Classic wreaked havoc | | | | contender. It is intriguing seeing as how many of |
| on pitching staffs across the league early in the | | | | the Cubs additions have played well, with Ted Lilly |
| season as the pitchers who took part in the | | | | featuring a 2.37 ERA and Jason Marquis owning a |
| Classic fell out of their normal spring training | | | | surprising 2.65 figure. Let's say the jury is still out |
| routines. Many suffered injuries that hurt overall | | | | on the 2007 Cubs. The Cubs may not have had a |
| pitching depth and forced pitchers that were | | | | hot start, but we have seen another NL team |
| simply not ready for the every day grind of the | | | | emerge as a possible contender early this year. |
| major league season into action. This equated to | | | | The Atlanta Braves have regained their swagger |
| an increase in runs last year. | | | | after a disappointing 79-83 2006 season. The |
| A handful of teams have really struggled at the | | | | Braves sit back on top of the National League |
| dish offensively including St. Louis, Oakland, | | | | East with 10-4 record, but show a modest four |
| Chicago White Sox and the Angels. The Angels, | | | | units of betting profit. When breaking down the |
| A's and White Sox have trended a combined 30-9 | | | | Braves the answer for the turnaround is easily |
| towards the UNDER. The A's rank dead last in | | | | found in the bullpen. Last year the relief pitching |
| slugging percentage at .329 and there is not a | | | | constantly killed the Braves as they blew a |
| single Oakland player with more than one home | | | | staggering 29 save opportunities. This year the |
| run in the early going. To be fair, they have faced | | | | crew has blown just one save while sporting a |
| above average pitching and this team is well | | | | 4-0 record. Give credit to the Braves decision |
| known for their early season struggles. | | | | makers as they brought in live arms from both |
| A slow start by Albert Pujols has hampered the | | | | sides of the mound including Mike Gonzalez and |
| Cardinals, however he's picked up the pace the | | | | Rafael Soriano. In addition, starter Tim Hudson |
| last few days. Pujols hasn't really been the | | | | looks to be in his past Oakland form with a |
| dilemma for the Cardinals however as Jim | | | | minuscule 0.86 ERA in three outings. With their |
| Edmonds is slugging a paltry .220, while an injury | | | | key off-season additions and a strong blend of |
| has hampered Scott Rolen as well. | | | | youth and experience, the Braves looked poised |
| Still, there are teams that are scoring runs or | | | | to regain their foothold as the best team in the |
| perhaps better stated, allowing runs, and trending | | | | NL East. |
| OVER the total. Philadelphia, Florida and Tampa | | | | The baseball season is long, 162 games long, and |
| Bay have trended OVER the total at a combined | | | | many trends will play out over the upcoming |
| 28-11 rate. Coincidence? Probably not as the | | | | months. What holds true today doesn't necessarily |
| Devil-Rays and Phillies rank one-two at the | | | | mean it will hold true tomorrow, but it is |
| bottom of the team ERA standings. Once again, | | | | interesting to note the wild start to the 2007 |
| this Tampa Bay franchise simply cannot pitch | | | | campaign. |
| outside of young-gun Scott Kazmir, while even | | | | |