Inclement weather was indeed a factor in Friday night's AL East contest in the Bronx. Then again, so were the Blue Jays' bats! But in my case nothing ventured, nothing gained with the scrappy underdog that evening. Now we shift to the AL West for a Texas-sized series that could…
I think I've nailed down all of my Trade Deadline adjustments. What a whirlwind once again between buyers, sellers, and even a few in-between clubs straddling the line. After a slim Thursday slate, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 8-2-2024 gets back in action to handicap the series opener between the…
Our first post-ASB edition comes after a full seven days of action on the diamonds. And with the trade deadline looming, we're starting to find out which borderline clubs are buyers and which are sellers. The MLB Morning Breakdown for 7-26-2024 hones in on the competitive AL East in which…
Monday's slate certainly wasn't worth pounding on the keyboard for. But when it comes to the series-opening game between National League titans, I'm willing to set the alarm clock an hour early. The Los Angeles Dodgers travel cross-country into hostile territory to trade blows with the Philadelphia Phillies. Both clubs…
Expect no shortage of motivation in Seattle tonight as the 53-31 Baltimore Orioles face the 47-39 Mariners in a clash of American League division leaders. The AL East co-leader Orioles find themselves in a high-powered race with the Yankees, currently sitting as the 1-2 combo atop the runs scored leaderboard.…
The grind rolls on as summertime settled in abruptly last week. Fortunately, many of us - including the MLB's finest - catch a break from the steamy hot weather that has gripped most of the USA. Conditions are great for baseball tonight, so let's jump right into the new week…
R.I.P. to a legend. A pillar of the sport's storied past. On with the MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-19-2024... Detroit Tigers @ Atlanta Braves (ATL -125, 7) Last time we checked in on the Braves, Albert Suarez was cutting through the lineup like a hot knife through butter. Then Atlanta's…
Monday's lackluster slate pulled a couple totals wagers out of me with mixed results. As for inspiration to write up a handicap yesterday morning, slim to none is a good way of putting it with those six games. Different animal altogether on this fine Tuesday morning. So let's get things…
The Breakdown is back after a 10-day bucket list trip to Peru where the streets are crazy and the terrain is epic. Those Incas really knew how to hammer some stones! Back to business after Monday's short slate. Today's menu presents more options and the MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-4-2024…
It's Monday morning and the perfect time to scope out a batch of fresh series kicking off across the Majors. There's also a doubleheader day to close out the Padres/Braves series, but those are a pass for me. Instead, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-20-2024 highlights the AL Central leading…
The 2024 MLB season is roughly one-quarter of the way finished, making now a great time to self-assess our preseason projections. Where are things on track? And more importantly, where has JJ's outlook led him astray? Weather is improving across the country but recent cooler temps have reminded us how…
Monday ushers in a handful of new series getting underway, joining a weekend carryover in Philadelphia. Divisional battles in Cleveland and Oakland shape up to be interesting early-season tests. This week's Breakdown turns to Target Field with a pair of teams on the right trajectory as May comes into bloom.…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-29-2024 takes on a matchup between squads exiting big series against playoff contenders. In the meantime, an interesting thing to note: we're 4+ weeks into the 2024 season and scoring is down about one-tenth of a run per team/game compared to this point last year.…
A little too much "excitement" at the day job kept me away from a midweek Breakdown. Fortunately, the new week kicks off with a pretty chunky Monday slate to break down. Without a ton of strong feelings on today's contests, we've dialed up an interesting Solo Shot in the MLB…
Rain and travel washed out the Thursday Breakdown but Monday is clear and the slate is jam packed. The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-15-2024 kicks off with the early Patriots' Day tilt in Boston before heading to Milwaukee for a juicy matchup between NL playoff contenders. We'll be back Wednesday…
A telling resolution to yesterday's question about which way to go in Toronto came down to Luis Castillo extending his troubling start to the season to a third outing. 4 more runs given up and another high BABIP outing helped the Jays snag a much needed win in their home…
We left off with a Friday night Solo Shot before the weekend hit and I headed west on the highway. The Mets bats had enough oomph to claim the team's second win of the season, all while keeping the under alive in Cincinnati. With the weekend in the rear view…
Cool temps couldn't hold the ball in the yard in Saint Louis or Washington, that's for sure. And despite plenty of shaky moments, the AL Central tilt in Minnesota featured in yesterday's post somehow stayed under the total. Cleveland's hit parade in the 3rd was enough to bring home the…
Mother Nature might actually cut today's action on the diamonds some much needed slack - especially in New York where the undefeated Tigers want to keep their status as the last remaining undefeated team alive. The Tigers/Mets double header makes six games on the slate with a pair of AL…
The sloppy show in Cincinnati soured Baltimore's rocking chair winner Saturday afternoon. Being risk averse helped in that case, though getting involved in what turned out to be a messy one is another story altogether. A productive opening weekend left us ready to tackle a meaty Monday slate that is…
Opening Day is in the books and what a ride Thursday's 4:00 window was. The excitement and the sweats that came with it force me to remind myself that we're only 12 wagers into a 400-600 wager season! With yesterday afternoon's pair of rescheduled games wrapping up unfinished business, the…
Alright boys and girls, March 28th is so close you can taste it. And that means one thing - okay, maybe more than just one - it's time for a rundown of 2024 Opening Day handicapping. Then we'll kick off the 6th Annual MLB Morning Breakdown series with a featured…
The "real" Opening Day isn't until March 28th but the MLB World Tour's 2024 Seoul Series officially counts as the first two games of the season. Festivities kick off with a two-game set between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres across the Pacific Ocean. It's a shorter commute…
Milwaukee persevered in a division of hot runs devoid of staying power. Of course, perennial NL Central favorite St. Louis bottoming out did not hurt whatsoever. The 20-8 start from Pittsburgh flamed out, Cincinnati's early summer heater ran out of fuel, and the Cubbies' post-ASB run petered out in September.…
What a difference one year makes! Sure, the Baltimore Orioles gave us a sneak peak of their future plans in 2022 but last year's achievements were far and away one of the MLB's biggest surprises. Despite Tampa Bay's 29-7 start to the campaign, Baltimore outlasted the Rays in the division…
When it comes to last year's preseason expectations, the NL East showed tremendous strength with four of its five teams ultimately exceeding their win totals. The debacle in Queens stood as the lone exception. That's a whole other story onto itself. Marginal clubs like the Marlins and Nationals finished the…
Last year I asked whether there were enough cracks in L.A.'s armor to unseat them from the NL West throne. The answer was a resounding "no". But things quickly went downhill once the postseason rolled around. Ironically, the Dodgers' early exit came at the hands of no other than the…
From a torrid 40-20 start through a ho-hum summer, the Texas Rangers played the role of postseason road warriors on their way to the franchise's first World Series Championship. 11 of their 13 playoff wins came away from Globe Life Field! The Rangers' third AL Pennant came at the expense…
We're becoming big fans of the AL Central after a correlated under/over win total pairing with Chicago and Minnesota got home. And that was one year removed from being rewarded for buying low on both Minnesota and Cleveland. (Don't worry, this self-back slapping gives way to shame in the NL…
It only took three days or so but I think I've finished making adjustments after a hectic Trade Deadline last week. Teams are crystallizing into their stretch run forms as the grind continues in the first half of August with a full slate of Tuesday baseball. And the search for…
A ho-hum week and choppy weekend right aligned well with the dog days of summer while leaving me in the game with an interesting Monday slate ahead. As July comes to a close, it drags along with it the MLB trade deadline where hopeful contenders pair up with sellers to…
Much like taking a catcher's mask to the face, failure to plate an early run or two in Anaheim left last Monday's Solo Shot - and my only wager of the evening - a tad short. I appreciate both bullpens following the script, but an L is an L. A…
Boston's decisive victory Friday night was more than welcome coming out of the All-Star Break. Plus it jumpstarted a busy weekend on the diamonds that provides a bright spot for the week ahead. A strong outing from Brayan Bello and late run support got us to the pay window, shaking…
The second half of the 2023 MLB season is here after what seemed like the longest All-Star Break in a while. I missed the game and I missed handicapping it even though the break lined up well with a hectic workweek. The lackluster first half of featured handicaps represented about…
Indecision on my part with Wednesday's Jays/White Sox game simply did not matter as Chicago succumbed to another day getting pounded by rain. Today I'll shift gears to a conflict between the market and my numbers that has me locked up this morning. The issue is whether to do something…
Last Thursday's whiff came in the middle of an up-and-down betting week that gave way to a two-day break for the July 4th holiday. We have five days of "first half" action left in the 2023 season before the All-Star Break rolls around on Monday. So let's get back in…
Less sweat, more profit. That's something I can get behind. A rare dub for the featured handicaps leads into an interesting slate of matinee baseball on this fine Thursday. My betting card is all totals and the MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-29-2023 takes us to a steamy Kauffman Stadium for…
An uneventful start to the betting week leads into a low-volume Wednesday with just a pair of wagers in hand this morning. I'll take what the slate gives me as the season rolls along with less than two weeks before the All-Star Break. After splitting Friday night's featured handicaps, it's…
Last week's puff piece about the Cincinnati Reds' heater was ironically hung out to dry via a failed team total bid. Never fear though, their bats revved back up to close out the weekend series in Houston strong and keep the funds rolling in the right direction. I would apologize…
A sketchy 6th inning in Oakland made things interesting yesterday afternoon to say the least. But that goes with the territory with full game unders...and I wouldn't have it any other way. Let's switch gears today to a pair of team totals in a late MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-16-2023.…
I won't say the L train has been derailed but at least the Giants slowed the thing down a bit. San Francisco's smooth sailing over their team total Tuesday night helps the featured handicaps a touch as we roll into another solo shot in the MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-15-2023.…
A close call with the Marlins Friday evening unfortunately did not pay the bills. Eury did his part to push the first half wager, though the full game position keeps the featured handicap L train rolling down the tracks. It's borderline comical what kind of garbage I'm tossing out there…
Life after vacation has a way of punching you in the mouth...at least for us suckers with day jobs. The choppy betting week meets a slate that I have embraced with a card as full as the days before heading overseas. Overextended? Maybe. It's Friday though, and Smokey had it…
What a long strange trip it's been. That was to be expected with Amsterdam anyhow. Getting home from Germany took an unexpected twist though, eating up all of Sunday and most of Monday. It's good to get our feet back on U.S. soil and get my handicapping tools updated after…
Last weekend's 1-1 split with the featured handicaps paints an accurate picture of my total action on the diamonds the last week or two. Choppy weeks are part of the grind and I've learned to take the chop in stride at this point in my handicapping "career". As opposed to…
At this point, our features gladly welcomed some 8th inning heroics to get a much-needed win. Baltimore's failure to produce in the 6th & 7th innings with multiple runners on base went by the wayside when Ryan O'Hearn picked up the slack in a major way. Still plenty of work…
Between a crazy work schedule and a 101-degree fever this week, I'm just happy it's the weekend. We all hit rough patches here and there but vacation is right around the corner so the vibes are good around these parts! No complaints overall with progress this season other than weakness…
Handicapping on a daily basis is a challenge that I've loved tackle for a long time now. Choosing which ones to headline a few days a week in the Breakdown has been the tough part so far in 2023. Saturday was no different. My reliance on Houston's bullpen and defense…
As good as Eduardo Rodriguez was last week, JV's big day in Cincy overshadowed Wednesday's early win. I made the fatal flaw of underestimating the accomplished veteran and overvaluing the top of the Reds lineup. Thursday's sketchy slate left the door open for Friday action but I left my morning…
I took it personally when the A's pushed a pair of runs across in the 6th inning Monday night, then quickly got over it with the help of Kansas City's rout of the White Sox. Neither Cease nor Cortes were especially effective despite Oakland going scoreless in the first half…
With my civic duty completed and our annual Kentucky Derby party in the books, it's time to get back in the saddle with the MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-8-2023. Minnesota's first half stalemate way back on Tuesday dropped the featured handicaps back into the red. But the season is alive…
Sunday's see-saw battle in Oakland brought home the over even with 18 men left on base between the Reds and A's. Hey, whatever it takes to get the dub is good enough for me. Unfortunately, the new month brought a short Monday slate that I had to pass on. Today's…
Today's MLB slate shrinks with wet weather peppering the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic for a second day in a row. So we'll head west to find clear skies for a solo shot in the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-30-2023. It felt good to be on the right side of Cincinnati's late-game…
Much like the Rangers' bullpen meltdown Monday night, the "success" of our featured handicaps ran away and appears to be in hiding. That's the risk of writing up about a third of my total action on the young season. For all of you who keep coming back, we appreciate you.…
A rather blah betting weekend for me with the MLB was in the cards after a decent run to start the season. Saturday's Mets call did not come to fruition against an on-point Logan Webb. After all, riding the David Peterson train can be a bumpy ride at times. But…
Turns out it was the Twins bullpen that blinked last night. Credit is due to both Tyler Mahle and Trevor Williams for sharp pitching performances at a cold Target Field. Griffin Jax, well, not so much. After a give some-take some kind of night including a cancelled under ticket in…
Thursday's short MLB slate kept me on the sidelines after a nice Wednesday run featuring the under in Detroit. Three weeks into the season and some teams have shown their true colors while others are still beating around the bush. That makes for very interesting early season handicapping! After a…
No harm, no foul with Monday's position on the Phillies in Chicago. Guess I should have seen that coming with nasty weather blowing through the Great Lakes this week. After a Tuesday with no action - my first dry day of the season - the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-19-2023…
Getting back to the homefront after a productive week on the road feels good but Monday means out of the frying pan and into the fire for me. A sweaty Saturday at Fenway transitioned to an easier finish in Kansas City to get our featured handicaps back into the black.…
After three straight dropped solo shot features, a winning Thursday was just what the doctor ordered. Since those three positions were the only wagers on Thursday's personal betting card the Rays' big 5th inning was a breath of fresh air. That and fixing what made our website go rogue made…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-13-2023 may or may not be reaching your inbox this morning. Our webmaster (me) really fouled up the site yesterday with some updates that went afoul. So I'm firing off a two handicap breakdown before I rebuild several pages and try to get the rest…
Dishing out handicaps with losing results is not quite what I'm going for, but that's been my M.O. in the last couple articles. Regardless, the season rolls on with plenty of action to keep us all busy. Let's fire up Wednesday with an early game solo shot in the MLB…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-10-2023 is back after an Easter weekend hiatus...and a dud of a featured handicap on Friday. After spending 8 hours on the highway only to watch the White Sox crumble in Pittsburgh - good thing long term, bad thing for that particular wager - an…
Happy Easter weekend everyone! Wednesday's rainout in Cincy left us with a small 1-unit win as the grind rolls along on Good Friday. It's almost time for me to hit the road, but first a quick solo shot is on the docket with the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-7-2023. I'll…
I guess playing the bullpen volatility game was the move after all. Lack of execution squandered a shot at sneaking away with the D-backs first 5 innings team total. That was extra frustrating since Darvish was expectedly ripe for the picking. In a Groundhog Day scenario I would bet the…
We needed runs in Cincinnati last night and boy did we get them. Throw a couple of guys out there who struggled all spring and those lineups took batting practice for a good hour or so in Cincinnati. Hey, whatever it takes to get an easy winner after plenty of…
After a quick break on Sunday, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-3-2023 returns with a quick solo shot to get the week started. Unfortunately, the last couple featured handicaps were duds to say the least. So I owe our readers some good ones this week. Let's dive right into a…
A swing and a miss with the Mets yesterday was not the look we were going for when backing the short road favorite. Aside from spectacular defense that both clubs flashed, Jesus Luzardo was a man on a mission. The young lefty absolutely dominated the stout Mets lineup and cut…
Opening Day is in the books and was it something or what? Other than our Fenway Park under getting obliterated, we survived a very sweaty day on the diamonds. And I wouldn't have it any other way. The hangover from the first MLB bender of the year is real...and it…
We made it through the offseason. We made it through six grueling Divisional Previews. Now it's showtime. Shameless plug: visit our MLB page to check out the six preview articles and futures positions. March 30th is in sight and we have your 2023 Opening Day handicapping covered with a quick…
Is the 2023 AL West a two-horse race once again after the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners rose to the top in 2022? Anchored by tested veterans and juiced up by a pair of phenomenal rookies, these two clubs represented the division in the postseason after their division mates floundered…
There was certainly something about the East divisions last year as the American League and National League versions each sent three representatives to the playoffs. Yet it was the NL side's representative that had enough left in tank to reach the sport's biggest stage. Even though Philadelphia fell just short,…
The AL East stood as MLB's deepest division with four teams above .500, three of which made the postseason. New York's return to the top of the hill got them as far as the ALCS where the ride ended abruptly at the hands of the World Series Champion Astros. In…
From a win total futures betting perspective, the NL West joined the AL Central as sweet spots for the bankroll last fall. The Dodgers could not be stopped while the Giants fell off a cliff once May rolled around. But Los Angeles and their MLB-leading 111 wins couldn't keep them…
The second half of the 2022 MLB season featured a pair of noteworthy NL Central battles. Most importantly was the tug of war for last place between my Cincinnati Reds and their dance partner Pittsburgh Pirates (that's sarcasm, folks). In a fitting conclusion they both held down the cellar with…
It's quiet out there in the Midwest - and that's how the Cleveland Guardians stayed under the radar with one of the strongest second-half performances in the MLB. The rebranded - and still beloved - Guardians squad finished the regular season on a 38-18 heater that yielded an eleven game…
Just like that, two domestic books drop their season win totals out of the blue. Days away from the NFL Playoffs kickoff and our mid-January projections get put to the test. Caesars Sportsbook and BetRivers (Kambi) posted eight totals in common this week and the other 22 varied anywhere from…
Sometimes the best laid plans get crushed by reality. As for Triston McKenzie's curveball Tuesday night, Arizona watched it miss the strike zone time and time again, pouncing on the inevitable fastball. An ugly swing-and-miss on my part. But the MLB Morning Breakdown for 8-6-2022 rolls on with a pair…
Saturday's look at Mitch Keller's sinker paid some dividends in an interesting way to play what turned out to be a pitchers' duel in Pittsburgh. Today we stay focused on starting pitching with young starting pitchers who are steadily moving forward in their major league career progressions. So let's head…
Here I am on the fence once again. Gotta admit that I like writing about the tricky handicaps more than the ones that carry higher conviction though. Thursday's edition highlighted an unsung starting pitcher against one of the more prolific lineups in the league. Now the MLB Morning Breakdown for…
Today's short MLB slate left more questions than answers as far as I'm concerned. Can Philly's bats support Wheeler as a 2/1 favorite? Will the Red Sox get out of their own way for a change? And the most interesting question among Thursday's games will be answered in the Bronx…
The MLB second half is off and running after Friday night's display of prolific run production. We see you Toronto and Chicago! Talk about some pent up lineups around the league - except for a pair of teams with postseason trajectories that played to a 4-1 finish at the expense…
The short and sweet All-Star Break left JJ & Yanni with no choice: jump on a pod with Big Tasty and D-Nice to talk Major League Baseball's first half and futures bets as the season heads down the stretch. You know The BetCrushers Team is in good hands with these…
The clock is ticking on the first half of the 2022 MLB season with the All-Star Break just a couple days away. This means a break from daily handicapping while providing some time to take a step back to look at the league. I'd lay odds that D-Nice will have…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 7-12-2022 comes at you after a disappointing - yet not surprising - failure to produce runs in Chicago. It sure seemed like a good idea at the time...what more can I say? And in full disclosure, today's Solo Shot does not have my money behind…
All I can say about yesterday's handicap is that I am thanking my lucky stars for Josh Naylor being in the lineup. Not that he made a huge impact in the Guardians' blowout victory as much as he was my trigger point to play the over. More importantly, Naylor's availability…
The BetCrushers Team's prodigal son returns to writing with the MLB Morning Breakdown for 7-9-2022. Overseas vacation is over. Anniversary is in the books. And despite the day job having a firm stranglehold around my neck, I'm back to what I truly enjoy: breaking down some sweet MLB action. As…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-25-2022 gets me back in the writing game after a week away from the keyboard. What can I say...when the day job has a firm grip on your throat, you have to buckle down and TCB. Not that my betting results have been anything to…
JJ@BC The MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-18-2022 drops with a pair of handicaps on this windy Saturday morning. Despite staying ahead of the market since my last post on June 14th, I gave some back to the gambling gods this week after returning from vacation (holy LOB, Boston!). Not to…
JJ@BC It might have been shaky here and there, but coming home to sweat a first 5 inning under ended up being the right move. Legitimate threats by each team in the early innings fortunately resulted in a 1-1 tie after the 5th, making my half-unit dip back into the…
JJ@BC As great as vacation can be - which last week's trip to the Azores certainly was - there's no place like home. Especially when you've spent a week in a nation that blocks access to gambling websites! The things we do to get away, right? Despite being sleep deprived…
JJ@BC With two days left to grind out profit before I head overseas, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-3-2022 delivers a Friday Solo Shot after nickel and diming my way through the week. Thankfully I was not awake to watch the Brewers score 4 runs in the bottom of the…
JJ@BC We've made it just about two months into the 2022 MLB season with more victories than battle scars. That's testament to a ton of offseason prep, grinding through daily handicapping, and undoubtedly a friendly kiss from Lady Luck. I jumped on a pod with D-Nice, braintrust of the Wager…
JJ@BC With just one week left before leaving the country, it's almost like I'm in one of those money booths with cash swirling around. How much can I grab before the thing shuts off and my 10-day hiatus kicks in? While I joke, my MLB betting has maintained a positive…
JJ@BC Monday's extra-innings nail biter in St. Louis somehow, some way kept the positive momentum rolling. It rolled right into...a day off from handicapping yesterday. That break from betting on baseball left me plenty of time to gear up for a special three man production to cover today's action. The…
JJ@BC Talk about one hell of an "engaging" Sunday on the diamonds. And somehow I made it out the other side unscathed. A couple serious sweats in the 5th inning of both first 5 innings positions and a Coors Field under resulted in one near-miss push and three half-unit Ws.…
JJ@BC Many thanks to Big Tasty for hosting our five-game Friday night livestream breakdown. And give a tip of the cap to Tasty for his call on the Texas Rangers - at my expense, mind you! Still, Friday & Saturday treated us decently despite the Astros setback so we roll…
JJ@BC The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-20-2022 is far from a morning production today as I jumped on with Big Tasty for an afternoon live stream. We last joined forced at the beginning of May for an excellent show with some nice results. Can we put our heads together for…
JJ@BC Despite bombing my featured handicaps while on the road last week, I have NOT yet been exiled from The BetCrushers Team. Yanni kept me around because I kept firing Sunday & Monday and got things back on track for the crew. Admittedly, I rushed some of my handicaps last…
JJ@BC The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-14-2022 drops late this morning off of a disappointing loss with the Orioles. Disappointing not so much in Eduardo Rodriguez' good outing but with Baltimore leaving the bases loaded in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings. The O's 14 men left on base is…