{"id":35483,"date":"2011-03-10T15:30:54","date_gmt":"2011-03-10T23:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.capperspicks.com\/blog\/?p=35483"},"modified":"2023-02-07T07:38:18","modified_gmt":"2023-02-07T15:38:18","slug":"odds-2011-pittsburgh-pirates-predictions-gambling-preview-10311","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/mlb-baseball\/odds-2011-pittsburgh-pirates-predictions-gambling-preview-10311\/","title":{"rendered":"Pittsburgh Pirates Predictions | 2011 Season Betting Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

2011 MLB Team Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hard to believe, as some of us still have VERY cold temperatures outside, that the Boys of Summer are almost back. But it\u2019s true; teams have started reporting to 2011 Major League Baseball training camps and it\u2019s time to start our team-by-team baseball gambling<\/a> previews for the year. <\/p>\n

SIGN UP TODAY With MySportsbook.com – 10% Sign UP Bonus – 10cent Baseball Lines – Gamble On 2011 MLB Future Odds and 2011 World Series Championship Lines<\/a><\/h3>\n

Pirates Calender<\/strong><\/p>\n

FEB. 1-18, 2011 – Salary arbitration hearings
\nFEB. 14, 2011 – Voluntary Spring Training reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players
\nFEB. 19, 2011 – Voluntary Spring Training reporting date for non-pitchers and catchers
\nFEB. 26, 2011 – Mandatory Spring Training reporting date for all players<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been 19 long years since the Pittsburgh Pirates played playoff baseball. Back then, a scrawny (yes, scrawny) character named Barry Bonds was their hero. So it\u2019s been an eternity since this pitiful franchise has tasted anything resembling success. It\u2019s a shame because, arguably, no team has a more beautiful ballpark.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s time to ask the same question we ask every season: has anything changed in Pittsburgh? Well, while the Pirates still have light years to go, I think we can actually answer \u201cyes\u201d for a change.<\/p>\n

PITTSBURGH PIRATES<\/strong>
\nWorld Series odds: +10000<\/p>\n

Scanning the Pirates\u2019 starting rotation, it\u2019s understandable if you want to declare their season over already, cry, light a candle, or whatever it is you do to grieve. Paul Maholm, the possible Opening-Day starter, had an era north of 5.00 last season; Ross Ohlendorf compiled a sparkling 1-11 record in 2010; Kevin Correia an ERA of 5.40 or higher in two of his last three seasons. This is a hilariously bad group that also may be joined by Charlie Morton, Scott Olsen or Brad Lincoln.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s one exception: James McDonald. The former Dodger has just 16 big-league starts to his name but, to me, is the class of Pittsburgh\u2019s staff already. He posted a 3.53 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 64 innings last season. He could be an All-Star someday.<\/p>\n

Aside from McDonald, the Pirates pitching staff is pathetic. If you demoted the top three guys to AAA, would they even be considered above average at that level? I\u2019m not so sure. So why, then, do I believe the Pirates could finally improve this season?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the lineup. For the first time since….the Brian Giles era, maybe, Pittsburgh could field an average to above-average offense. In Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata, the Pirates have a legit pair of table setters atop the order. McCutchen\u2019s numbers look to me like those of a young Johnny Damon. He still has to cut back on his strikeouts, but Pedro Alvarez\u2019s torrid September suggests that he\u2019ll become the All-Star, power-hitting third baseman everyone thought he\u2019d be. \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pirates also have a middle infielder with pop in Neil Walker and a core of respectable veterans that includes Garrett Jones, Lyle Overbay, Ryan Doumit and Matt Diaz. Sure, it ain\u2019t Murderer\u2019s Row, but Pittsburgh has a legit major-league lineup for a change. It\u2019s no longer a weakness.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh\u2019s bullpen is in safe hands. The one-two punch of Joel Hanrahan and Evan Meek is more than fine. Meek is very hard to hit and Hanrahan misses bats like a champ; the latter should get the first crack at closing duties.<\/p>\n

2011 OUTLOOK<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite my optimism, I\u2019m not getting carried away. The Pirates have been so bad in recent years that they could improve and still finish dead last in the National League Central \u2013 which I think they will. But at least I think they can move a step further away from complete and utter oblivion. They won 57 friggin\u2019 games last season. I totally think the 2011 Pirates can win 65 or more. Hooray?<\/p>\n

Prediction: 6th, National League Central<\/strong><\/p>\n

TEAM BY TEAM MLB PREVIEWS —-><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

View The MLB Cappers Leaderboard For 2010 \u00a0– Picks Packages for 2011 On Sale! \u2014\u2013><\/strong><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shea Matthews weighs in with his Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 Team Gambling Preview. Despite my optimism, I\u2019m not getting carried away. The Pirates have been so bad in recent years that they could improve and still finish dead last in the National League Central. Do your MLB betting with Cappers Picks MLB expert picks in 2011…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":195,"featured_media":35499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[670],"tags":[43915,46440,66513,10729,66497,678,681,740,12170,901,11260,11215,12327,25613,12328,12329,46441,11209,12331,12330,46442],"class_list":["post-35483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb-baseball","tag-2011-mlb-team-preview","tag-2011-pirates","tag-handicapping","tag-handicapping-baseball","tag-mlb","tag-mlb-betting","tag-mlb-gambling","tag-national-league","tag-national-league-central","tag-nl-central","tag-nl-central-predictions","tag-nl-central-preview","tag-pirates-futures","tag-pirates-mlb-picks","tag-pirates-odds","tag-pirates-predictions","tag-pirates-world-series-odds","tag-pittsburgh-pirates","tag-pittsburgh-pirates-picks","tag-pittsburgh-pirates-predictions","tag-pittsburgh-world-series-futures"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35483"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107875,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35483\/revisions\/107875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}