2012 MLB Betting: Two Sports Forum – Teams That Have Struggled Merit Attention

Discussion in 'American League Central' started by UncleRico, Jun 1, 2012.

  1. UncleRico

    UncleRico Suspended

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    The 2012 Major League Baseball season has offered various narratives, scenarios and case studies for fans and pundits to consider. This week, it's worth looking at underachievers.

    Major League Baseball Forum:

    Question No. 1: Which underachieving team should feel the best about its prospects?

    Question No. 2: Will the Angels catch the Rangers in the American League West?



    If you are interested in betting on baseball this season, two of the most underachieving teams in the sport have been the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees. Detroit was expected to clobber the rest of the American League Central Division, but the Cleveland Indians – behind starting pitching that has unexpectedly held up through almost two months of competition – have risen to first place in the division, with the Chicago White Sox close behind. The Tigers, on the other hand, have labored and largely failed this season. Detroit got swept by Cleveland last week in stunning fashion. It's not that the Tigers lost all three games to the Tribe, though that was certainly a shock; what was remarkable about the series was that Detroit pounded out at least 10 hits in each game yet never scored more than two runs in any of those games. The Tigers were 3-for-28 with runners in scoring position, a simply awful number for any big-league team in that many at-bats. The Tigers received strong starting pitching in two of those three games, but their inability to get clutch hits did them in, a reality that has swallowed up their season to this point. The Yankees have been similarly bad with runners in scoring position, and that's why the Pinstripes have not been able to make up an appreciable amount of ground on the American League East's pace-setters, the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays. Ultimately, the Tigers should feel slightly better about their prospects than the Yankees… not because they have the better team (they might not be better than the Yankees), but because – for all the horrible baseball they've played – they're only four games out of first place as of May 29. Detroit just needs to play above-average baseball – not brilliant baseball – to eventually claim first place in the Central.

    Let's switch to question number two, then: The team that for legions of sports betting experts is inspiring a lot of surprised reactions this season is the Los Angeles Angels. This team had no hitting and very little relief pitching in April, but it is finally putting the pieces together in May, winning six straight games to rise to second place in the American League West, ahead of Oakland and Seattle. When you look at sportsbooks to plot your next baseball betting play, should you bet on the Angels to overtake the first-place Texas Rangers in the West? Probably not. The Rangers still have the most complete team in baseball. They have a deep and experienced starting rotation, a competent bullpen, and a balanced 1-through-9 lineup that mixes speed and power. Trust the Rangers to hold off the Angels as the A.L. West race unfolds in the coming motnhs.
     

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