It’s hard to believe, but we’re finally going to see some Major League Baseball starting next week. One of the best preseason props to dig into is the over/under total for each given team. We won’t go through each team just yet, rather point out the best totals to take advantage of as a bettor.
A lot of people have said it – and it rings true. This season will be (by far) the hardest to handicap for a variety of reasons. How will players respond to the time off in isolation, empty stands and heightened expectations in a shortened season.
Without further ado, let’s look at three teams that have profitable over/under totals.
| NL Team | O/U Pick | Best Odds | Sportsbook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies | Over 31.5 Wins | -110 | Claim at William Hill |
| San Diego Padres | Over 30.5 wins | -110 | Claim at William Hill |
| San Francisco Giants | Under 24.5 | -110 | Claim at William Hill |
Philadelphia Phillies (Over 31.5 wins, -110)
There’s a new sheriff in town, and luckily this one doesn’t have an infatuation with coconut oil. Joe Girardi comes out of a brief stint at MLB Network to take over a Phillies team that has underachieved quite a bit over the last few seasons. The hope is that Girardi can instill some discipline in this team, and the respect from the players will definitely come over time – if it hasn’t already.
It has now been two straight excellent offseasons for Philly – Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto coming to town in 2019 and then Didi Gregorius and Zack Wheeler before this season. Aaron Nola certainly needs to be at the top of his game, and the hope is that Wheeler bring his best too. Rhys Hoskins needs to, and should, improve upon last year’s .226 batting average and 173 strikeouts.
The new schedule, playing AL East lightweights like the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, will also help the Phils reach a much higher win total. Not to mention, in the division, the defending-champion Washington Nationals will be missing some key players and Jacob deGrom just had a minor back injury for the New York Mets which could make things easier.
San Diego Padres (Over 30.5 wins, -110)
The Padres were 31-29 through 60 games last season and even made it to 45-45 going into the All-Star break. Unfortunately, injuries ravaged the rest of their season and that same bad luck can’t strike once again. The Dodgers are the clear favorites at -450 in the NL West, but the Padres (along with D-Backs) are behind them at +650.
Emilio Pagan came over from the Rays, and he’ll bolster a Padres bullpen that could certainly use it. As for the offense, they’ll have a nice boost with Tommy Pham and Brian Dozier heading to town.
The combo of Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis, Jr. is great duo that’ll man the left side of the infield for years to come. Eric Hosmer will be holding it down at first base, acting as a great guide for these younger players. Chris Paddock, the team’s ace, will look to come back strong after a huge rookie season.
San Diego has one of the best minor-league pipelines in baseball. If we do see some of these injuries resurface, it’s good to know it has players to step right in.
San Francisco Giants (Under 24.5 wins, -110)
The Giants were already trending in the wrong direction, but the absence of Buster Posey will certainly be missed. It’ll be up to first-year Giants manager Gabe Kapler to keep this ship on the right path. Lord knows it won’t be the talent on this team, because there isn’t a whole lot of it.
When an aging Evan Longoria is your best offensive threat, you know it’s going to be a long year. I love the guy, but he’s not carrying any team on his back at this age. Instead, we’ll see here and watch Mike Yastrzemski to see if he can be anything like his grandfather. Billy Hamilton, Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval are almost done with their careers and still playing big roles. That’s not a good thing.
The pitching rotation looks just as awful as the lineup does. Madison Bumgarner finally found a new team in Arizona while Will Smith, one of the top bullpen arms, departed for Atlanta. When Johnny Cueto is your ace that won’t equate to many wins.
