MLB Betting – Top Money Line Teams of 2011
In sports betting, there’s no purer measure of success than how much money a team is winning for you. Who are the best earners in Major League Baseball?
Here’s a look at the top 10.
1. Cleveland Indians (+1179 units)
The Indians have earned us a ton of money, largely because they won so many times as a dog during their early-season crusade. But the time to jump off the bandwagon has arrived. Over the last two weeks, they’ve actually lost money. Cleveland has dropped six of seven games.
2. Pittsburgh Pirates (+791 units)
This one cracks me up. The Pirates are only a .500 team, but even a.500 record is so surprising that the Pirates have provided a consistently solid return. They’re essentially an underdog every single night, so a .500 record is very profitable at the books.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (+718 units)
The Giants, Rockies and Dodgers got all the love in the National League West entering the 2011 season, meaning Arizona got some sneaky dog value. Things are changing in this division, though. Books are taking Arizona more seriously with each Justin Upton homer and Ian Kennedy victory. So the D-Backs may not be as much of a cash cow going forward.
4. San Francisco Giants (+628 units)
The defending champs aren’t treated as such by oddsmakers since their offense is so terrible. But guess what? The Giants couldn’t score last year, either, yet their pitching carried them. It’s happening again.
5. St. Louis Cardinals (+595 units)
Bettors have profited on the Cardinals for three big reasons: (a) the hyped Brewers and Reds are in their division and are more commonly favored; (b) many oddsmakers wrote St. Louis off after Adam Wainwright’s Tommy John surgery; and (c) Lance Berkman has been an absolute monster when most people thought he was finished. No one saw St. Louis coming, it capitalized and will continue to do so. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
6. Milwaukee Brewers (+590 units)
Milwaukee bled money earlier this season with its pitching staff struggling so badly but the Brew Crew is enjoying a major resurgence at the books. There may be no end in sight with Yovani Gallardo on fire and Prince Fielder playing for a big new contract.
7. Toronto Blue Jays (+376 units)
The Jays win money because they toil in Canadian obscurity and because they win more often than expected against the AL East juggernauts, New York, Boston and Tampa Bay.
8. Texas Rangers (+367 units)
The Rangers are hot. Two weeks, ago, they were actually in the negatives, but they dominated Tampa and Cleveland on the road and vaulted above the profit line in a hurry.
9. Detroit Tigers (+352 units)
Like the Rangers, the Tigers are living proof that at team’s overall money-line success can really fluctuate over the course of a season. They’re in the plusses after winning eight of 10 but were a disappointment before that. Beware.
10. Philadelphia Phillies +346)
There are few big-name powerhouses in the top-10 simply because they too rarely give you the ROI underdog value can. But the Phillies are so good that they can overcome their considerable hype. Long live the Phantastic Phour!
