Betting team totals in Major League Baseball is one of the most effective ways for bettors to reduce the juice on heavy favorites
Baltimore has cracked the Top 10 list for league scoring at home and tonight they’ll look to build on Wednesday’s 9-6 win against the Washington Nationals
There are a vast number of baseball betting options posted every day on the MLB odds board at sportsbooks and Team Totals can be one of the most profitable plays for savvy shoppers.
Betting a team total is essentially taking one of the starting pitchers out of the equation and in a lot of cases that can substantially reduce the juice for those who like to bet ‘chalk’, or favorites. For a recent example look no further than the Los Angeles Angels, who on Wednesday welcomed Jared Weaver back to the rotation for the first time since April 7.
The Angels were -180 favorites and Weaver looked brilliant, striking out seven through six inning of work and allowing just one run on six hits. But Weaver was recovering from a fractured elbow in his non-throwing elbow and the -180 price tag seemed awfully high for anyone concerned about his health. The Angels team total (Over 4 -130) offered bettors a chance to bank on LA’s bats without concern over how long Weaver might last.
Los Angeles only scored four runs so the team total was a ‘push’ but the 50 cents saved on juice made this a much better option than the moneyline or even run line, which still brought Weaver’s effectiveness into play.
THURSDAY BASES
Here is a list of tonight’s games with updated MLB odds and a couple team total picks to consider betting:
Nationals at Orioles -130, 7.5 Over (-125)
The O’s were happy to be home yesterday, ripping 13 hits off the Nats as part of a 9-6 win. Baltimore is 28-11 at home off win with 12-plus hits but we’ll take right-hander Freddy Garcia (1-2, 4.61) out of the equation and suggest playing the team total (TT) for the exact same cost as the money line odds.
Pick: Take the Orioles TT Over 4.5
Red Sox -130 at Phillies, 7.5 Over (-120)
When playing away from Fenway Park, Boston is second in league scoring with 5.16 runs per game and the Sox fit a nice series finale profile that has produced seven overs the past nine games. Philly only ranks 28th in league scoring (3.49 RPG) but they are better at home and could knock Franklin Morales around in his first start this season. Solution: Take Morales out of the mix and put your money on Boston’s team total for a 15-cent saving over the money line price.
Pick: Take the Red Sox TT Over 4.5
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