BetUS Sportsbook continues its analysis of betting action on the diamond with our look at more ‘total’ trends. Our MLB picks continue with our top ‘over’ teams on the aging season.
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Season Standings
1: Arizona Diamondbacks (80-54-3) – Look at that! Arizona can indeed get its team ERA down under 5.00 for the year! The D’Backs finally reached that elusive mark this past week, as they are down to a not so svelte 4.95 for the season. Holding five of their six foes to four or fewer runs on this six game home stand helped a ton.

2: Milwaukee Brewers (72-57-7) – We wouldn’t be shocked to see the Brew Crew fall off this list in weeks to come, as they clearly aren’t going to keep up their average runs per game total of 4.70. This is a team that is just going through the motions right now and isn’t going to end up making an impact on anything except for potentially the race between fourth and fifth place teams in the NL Central.

3: Florida Marlins (70-59-6) – The bats are clearly still humming for the Marlins, as they have scored at least six runs in six of their L/10 games overall to at least keep their faint hopes for the playoffs alive. Florida has a lot of work to do, and keeping that ‘O’ rolling into this week’s series with the Phils is important, as only a sweep will probably do.

Who’s Hot?
1: Toronto Blue Jays (4-1) – We can all thank Jose Bautista for blowing up the Triple Crown race in the American League. He has 43 homers on the season and is leading the league by a country mile in that category. The Jays have still blasted the most dongs in the league at 208, and the threat is there to reach at least 250 on the season.

2: New York Yankees (4-2) – The Bronx Bombers are still bashing the cover off the ball. They have scored 46 runs in the first seven games of this ten game home stand, which is an average of 6.57 runs per game. It’s no wonder why New York went on an eight game run of wins which might have ultimately nailed down the best record in baseball in the regular season.

3: Baltimore Orioles (4-2) – First it was the pitching. Now it is the bats that are starting to ring. Yes, manager Buck Showalter has got it going on right now in Baltimore, and his team has won six out of nine games against the Angels, Red Sox, and Rays, teams that are all annual playoff contenders. In that stretch, the Orioles scored at least four runs in six of the nine games. Play like that is going to have this team playing with some momentum going into 2011.

Some of the worst teams in baseball have cashed in some of the most ‘under’ tickets on the season. Check out BetUS Sportsbook’s MLB odds analysis of the best ‘under’ teams in the bigs.
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Season Standings
1: Seattle Mariners (74-54-9) – The M’s rank 30th in baseball in runs per game (3.21), batting average (.236), OPS (.640), and home runs (85). Numbers like that make teams like the Yankees want to laugh, as that is what they average for run production and home runs… in the first four innings of games. Clearly, Seattle has given up on the season, and the next destination might be 100 losses.

2: Houston Astros (75-55-6) – The ‘Stros have been pitching tremendously of late, which is why they have really righted the ship and might threaten the .500 mark on the year. The last time this team allowed more than five runs in a game was way back on August 21st. Those two bad games against the Marlins that day and the day before were the only times five runs were exceeded since August 11th.

3: Baltimore Orioles (75-56-6) – Baltimore’s pitching staff is getting better by the day, so a 4.81 ERA for the season doesn’t seem so bad considering the fact that it was well over 5.00 not that long ago. The O’s are clearly responding well to their new manager, Buck Showalter, and the end result is going to be a lot of good feelings going into the offseason.

Who’s Hot?
1: St. Louis Cardinals (4-0-1) – This might be too little, too late for the Cardinals. They went on a horrifying losing streak in which the Reds opened up a lead that got as big as nine games, and though it is down to just six in the loss column, the offense still isn’t awake enough to really make the big move. The Redbirds are going to be relegated to Wild Card duty if they can get into the postseason.

2: Seattle Mariners (5-1) – Give the pitching staff for Seattle some credit for pitching two shutouts in the L/3 days and holding five of its L/9 foes to one run or less. The problem is the offense, which has now gone 14 straight games without scoring more than five runs. What’s even worse is that all but one of those games ended with no more than three runs.

3: San Francisco Giants (4-1) – The oddsmakers are clearly underestimating the ability of the pitching staff for the Giants. They have kept six straight foes to four runs or less, averaging just 2.17 runs per game allowed. With the Padres slumping, this could be San Fran’s last chance to really make a move in the NL West. After all, this might be the last gasp to make the playoffs for the first time in a number of seasons.

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Wager on the ‘Over’ with these MLB umpires
Any angle that MLB betting fans can take to get a leg up on the books is a good one, and today at BetUS Sportsbook, we’re taking a look at the umpires that have been straight money for ‘over’ bettors this year. Check out these umps that we are “all over” in MLB betting action!
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Tim Welke (12-3-2) – You have to go back to June 8th to find the last time that Welke umpped an ‘under’ game, and deep into last season for the last time that he called two straight ‘unders.’ In spite of the fact that Welke has a 1-0 game to his credit this year between the Florida Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies, he is still averaging 11.5 runs every time he steps behind the dish. Over his L/3, Welke has seen at least 12 runs hit the board all three times, and each game flew past the number by at least four runs.

Angel Hernandez (11-4-2) – Hernandez made it almost two full months before he finally called an ‘under’ game, and it took a fantastic showing by Seattle Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez to accomplish that much. King Felix is probably tired of seeing Hernandez calling balls and strikes for him, as this has already happened three times this year, all of which have come on the road. If you throw out those three starts though, Hernandez is 10-2-2 for the ‘over.’

Mark Wegner (10-4-1) – Wegner has been posting ‘over’ games lately, but they have happened to be games that have just flown past the number. If you’re looking to bank on an ‘over’, this may not be the best option. Wegner has only averaged 7.0 runs per game in his L/6 overall and has had a relatively high strike ratio all season long (61.8%). He has topped 60 percent in six straight starts and has averaged almost five more strikeouts per game than walks.

Sam Holbrook (8-4-1) – Four of Holbrook’s L/6 games have reached double digits in runs, which is a great sign for ‘over’ bettors. Consider the fact that two of his ‘unders’ have been 1-0 games as well. All of a sudden, the average of 9.4 runs per game doesn’t seem like such a low number for an ump that has been a consistent ‘over’ machine all season long. It’s amazing that Holbrook called nearly 70 percent of his pitches for strikes in the Cleveland/Philly game two weeks ago, his most appearance behind the plate, yet there were 15 runs scored.

Mike Reilly (11-6-1) – Since starting off the season with five straight ‘over’ clashes, Reilly really has tapered off into obscurity for ‘total’ bettors, as he has been split right down the line with six ‘overs’, six ‘unders’, and a push. It seems like the better the pitching matchup, the more likely the game goes ‘over’ though with Reilly as the head man in blue. He has watched RHP Roy Oswalt, RHP Chris Carpenter, RHP Edwin Jackson, and several other excellent arms end up with ‘over’ clashes.

Wager on the ‘Under’ with these MLB umpires
BetUS Sportsbook continues its look at various angles that can help you cash in by analyzing the top ‘under’ umpires that you should be watching the next time that you have your eye on a pitcher’s duel. Our MLB betting angles check out the umps that are ‘under’ the gun.
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Jim Wolf (3-11) – Since we last addressed the ‘under’ umpires, Wolf has been a disaster for us! He called a pair of very high scoring games before taking a break, and we say good riddance if that’s the way that he is going to call games for the rest of the season! Still, with an average run production of 6.3 runs per game and averaging over three times the number of strikeouts per game (16.2) as walks per game (5.3), there’s no reason not to continue staying ‘under’ with Wolf behind the plate.

Bob Davidson (4-11-1) – Much like Wolf, the ‘overs’ have suddenly started coming in with Davidson calling balls and strikes, and it is starting to worry us just a tad. The 20 run game that he called between the Detroit Tigers RHP Justin Verlander and New York Mets RHP Jonathon Niese was a bit of an anomaly, we think. It isn’t every day that Davidson only calls 58.6 percent of his pitches as strikes and issues a dozen free passes. He has only called four games all year that have reached double digits in scoring, but two of those have come in his L/2 starts.

Mike Estabrook (4-11-1) – Estabrook’s strike zone has been wide open for pitchers all season long, especially lately. He has punched out 14 or more batters in six straight starts, and even though ‘total’ bettors have only yielded a 3-2-1 record in those six outings, the handwriting is certainly on the wall that more low scoring affairs could be in the cards. Estabrook has also called at least 60 percent strikes in six straight affairs and seven out of eight as well.

Mike Dimuro (4-10-2) – The ‘under’ train continues to roll with Dimuro behind the plate. He has now cashed in ‘under’ tickets in seven of his L/8 graded MLB wagering affairs (with two pushes thrown in the mix as well). Dimuro called the consummate ‘under’ game last week when Boston Red Sox LHP Jon Lester met San Francisco Giants RHP Tim Lincecum, as he called 24 men out on strikes and called 65.6 percent of his pitches as strikes. Only five free passes were issued. The over/under might have been just 6.5 in that game, but stats like that resulted in a comfortable ‘under’.

Greg Gibson (4-10-3) – Gibson makes his first appearance on the ‘under’ list for umpires all season long thanks to the fact that he has nailed down back-to-back low scorers in his L/2 times behind the dish. Issuing 7.6 runs per game doesn’t normally feel like the recipe for this fantastic of an ‘under’ record, but Gibson has only called one ‘over’ game since May 11th.

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Best Teams To Bet The ‘Over’ On
BetUS Sportsbook is back with more MLB betting analysis for you to sink your teeth into! The ‘over’ train is continuing for the D’Backs, and check out who joins them this week.
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Season Standings
1: Arizona Diamondbacks (46-28-2) – Running into the offensively challenged Rays was the best thing that happened to the D’Backs probably all season long. The team took two out of three in the Sunshine State over the weekend, holding Tampa Bay to just seven hits in the process. RHP Edwin Jackson’s no-no was made all the more sweet by the fact that this was the team that left him out of the rotation in the playoffs in the run to the World Series and then unceremoniously traded him to Detroit the next season. Still, at +18 towards the ‘over’ on the season, Arizona isn’t leaving this list any time soon.

2: Milwaukee Brewers (39-31-5) – The Brew Crew went from a team that was challenging for the top spot in the ‘over’ power poll to one that may be falling off it any week now. Every week for the last month, Milwaukee has continued to drop towards the rest of the pack, and with just another questionable week of ‘totals’, it will finally find its way back off of this list.

3: Los Angeles Dodgers (41-33-1) – Offensively speaking, the Dodgers have had a great last four days. Yes, the team was held to one run by the Yanks to start a three game set, but aside from that, there have been 25 runs plated over the other three games. The offense is now up to 4.68 runs per game, which in theory, should be enough for a team managed by Joe Torre playing in one of the most pitcher friendly parks in the game.

Who’s Hot?
1: New York Yankees (5-1) – The Bronx Bombers took two out of three from their former skipper over the weekend and used a four run ninth inning to pull it off on Sunday night. The Yanks are starting to look like the Yanks, which is bad news for both the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays who are now firmly in a chase position in relation to the men in pinstripes.

2: Baltimore Orioles (5-1) – Someone break up the Orioles! The team has won four straight games and has all of a sudden posted eight straight of at least four runs scored. Not bad for a team that is only “up to” averaging 3.45 runs per game, eh?

3: Cleveland Indians (4-2) – Then there are the Indians… The Tribe is starting to resemble the team that had a 5.00+ ERA a season ago. Their ERA is inching closer to that point this year at 4.85, and allowing at least a touchdown on the board four times this week didn’t help matters. Both Cincinnati and Philadelphia scored at least 19 runs in three game sets this weekend, which yielded just a 1-5 SU record as well.

Best MLB Teams To Bet The ‘Under’
‘Under’ is still the word for a ton of teams on the diamond this season and there is no reason to believe that won’t continue into the dog days of summer. The MLB odds are still stacked in favor of some of the best teams in the bigs.
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Season Standings
1: St. Louis Cardinals (45-28-2) – The Redbirds ran together four straight ‘under’ games against the Royals and Blue Jays over the course of last week, which only improved their stranglehold on the top spot in the ‘under’ power poll. Still, scoring runs is an issue, as four games with three runs or less isn’t going to make manager Tony LaRussa a happy camper.

2: San Diego Padres (41-27-7) – The Pads took a major step forward this week for ‘under’ bettors, which we will discuss in just a minute. A pitching staff with a 3.02 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and 594 strikeouts is tops in the bigs in all three categories. That has been the reason that San Diego is atop the NL West and doesn’t look to be getting off of its perch any time in the near future.

3: Colorado Rockies (43-30-2) – The Rocks were rolling for ‘under’ MLB betting fans before this week, when the Red Sox scored 19 runs in two days and the Angels scored 17 in three days. It’s fairly clear that RHP Ubaldo Jimenez isn’t catching Bob Gibson’s 1.12 ERA any longer now that his ERA has ballooned to 1.60, but he is still the main reason that this team is 13 games over .500 to the ‘under’.

Who’s Hot?
1: Minnesota Twins (5-1) – The Twinkies haven’t played a game in which there have been more than eight runs scored since Monday. The end result has been five straight ‘under’ contests. The offense has been the real culprit here, as getting shut out twice in four days isn’t going to cut it. Going just 3-6 on this marathon road trip through the NL has been tough, but coming back home should be just the panacea to get the Twins back on track in the AL Central.

2: Kansas City Royals (5-1) – It’s not often that you talk about the Royals and good pitching in the same sentence, but that’s what we are doing today. KC has held six straight foes to four runs or less, and though they are only 3-3 in that span, the MLB odds have yielded them a nice return on their investment, particularly in a road win against RHP Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals.

3: San Diego Padres (4-1-1) – Pitching wins championships – Period! That’s what the Padres have going for them right now like no other team in the bigs. We already discussed their season accolades, but last week, the staff was exemplary. San Diego held the Fish to just three runs in as many days, while the two teams in the Sunshine State as a whole plated just 13 runs in six games. The Pads went 5-1 in those six to open up a solid lead once again in the NL West.

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com