JJ@BC Who would have thunk that four days days of golf and hiking would leave me next to no time to write up handicaps? No worries on your end, however, as Monday through Thursday was about as close to a break-even chop as can be. I've finally made the jump…
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially those who gave birth to the nightmare known as The BetCrushers Team. Especially the mothers of our wives who keep us in check. Speaking of keeping in check, we skated by with the Rays first 5 inning wager while cruising…
Imagine thinking that Wednesday night's Bundy-Bradish matchup was going to be a pitcher's duel. That's where I left off, dropping the Twins game and watching my ROI slip into a more reasonable level. The day job has been punishing enough but today we head south to kick back and hit…
First off, I owe our loyal readers an apology - a two-fold one. 1) Pablo's bad day on Monday and my overconfidence in the Marlins. 2) Getting sabotaged by the day job early Tuesday AM, sinking my plans for an article. The day job also poses a high likelihood that…
Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Many thanks to Big Tasty for sparing me from writing yesterday morning by bringing me on his show. It was a good time breaking down five games on the Sunday slate - two of which we took positions on, yielding a…
The Cubbies had me fooled Friday morning and sure I paid the price. Combined with another half-unit loss at Coors Field, those two losses ate the Mets' profit plus a little bit of my bankroll. At least Friday's action did not yield an 0-3 whoopin. After a day off from…
When the Tigers failed to plate the tying run in the 5th yesterday afternoon, I thought of what could have been for my first 5 inning dog bet. Then the Twins piled on 4 more runs in the bottom half of the inning and that thought turned to "damn I…
"Maybe Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez are breaking out of their slumps. Maybe it’s a mirage." Perhaps I invoked just enough mojo in yesterday's edition to get the Astros over the first 5 inning hump last night and cash our ticket. Certainly a sweaty one, but isn't that the way…
Day jobs, man. After skipping the Tuesday edition, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-27-2022 drops after an unfortunate loss Monday night with the Mets first 5 innings bet. Props to Miles Mikolas for going toe to toe with Max Scherzer and delivering a 0-0 tie after the 5th. That said,…
My wife said I got lucky with that one. I beg to differ. The Rays rallied for Shane McClanahan and delivered a first 5 inning winner that kept our nice little winning streak rolling. After enough years of doing this, I know how important it is to stockpile some ammo…
Saturday brought us some good news with a side of bad news in the form of a 1-1 split. Fortunately, the full-unit position on Dylan Bundy and the Twins first 5 innings cruised to the finish line. On the other hand, Toronto and Houston failed to deliver a single run…
The weekend is here as is the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-23-2022 after a fantastic Friday that arguably could have been better. I got a little greedy with the Mets -1 run line that left me with a push in Phoenix after the bullpens took over. Never fear, as profits…
It's a good day for a Friday edition of the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-22-2022 fresh off back-to-back feature winners. That may be a low bar, but it's my bar and the money is moving in the right direction after two weeks into the season. Carlos Carrasco's 7.2-inning gem got…
I'd say that the San Diego Padres made the under a little more interesting than it needed to be. But a win's a win - even if it was just a half-unit total. On that note, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-21-2022 comes at you super early due to a…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-20-2022 returns after a quick break due to my work schedule. Back-to-back long days at the office sandwiched a very disappointing loss with the manufactured -1 run line on the Rays. Shane McClanahan dazzled but, in my opinion, Monday night's game ball went to Keegan…
Saturday's trio of one-run results left me with a -1.25-unit giveback day - a finish that was much better than I expected after a fast and furious start to the 2022 season. Tampa gave us a run for the +120 money with bases loaded in the 9th though my manufactured…
A run in the 9th sinks the Colorado under while the Mets and Marlins fuel a winning day - one that made up for Thursday's loss and adds more ammo to the bankroll. But that could be all for not as I load 'em up with a three-play Saturday in…
The Gausman-Severino main event in the Bronx proved to be quite the pitching duel amongst two high-powered offenses last night. The Jays first 5 inning position also proved to be an L for us, but at least one of the half-unit variety. Lineup uncertainty led to my limited exposure early…
Make it two days in a row now that our Solo Shot hit a very sketchy patch. This time, it was Max Scherzer loading the bags full of Phillies in the 1st. Mad Max somehow took care of business while the Mets' bats kept their end of the bargain. That's…
When the man is dialed in, the man is dialed in. Shane Bieber had the mojo rocking for as long as I needed him to against my Cincinnati Reds, making for a quick first 5 inning scoop. First 5 ringer Mr. Pig had a great breakdown of the same wager…
I must admit that things got a little sketchy when Alek Manoah's mechanics went south on me last night in the 3rd. But Toronto' defense had his back and George Springer took care of the scoring as the Blue Jays deliver the W. With immense gratitude to Bo Bichette's fielding…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-11-2022 drops after one hell of an Opening Weekend. Not necessarily my betting results - although I'm far from upset with the season's start - but the amount of action and sweaty bets I got to watch play out. Especially when it came to the…
After yesterday's outbreak of low scoring games we had to put our research team of Yanni and D-Nice on the case. They've run multiple statistical analyses and made the executive decision to bet the under in every MLB game today. This should be interesting. As for me, I'm ready to…
Getting walked off by the Yankees yesterday afternoon wasn't the best follow up to a decent Opening Day for our featured handicaps. Is it time to start firing on -200 favorites until I'm blue in the face? Not a chance! The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-9-2022 rolls in with cash…
After a successful special edition to usher in the 2022 season, we shift gears into a routine with the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-8-2022. Opening Day reminded many of us just how sweaty baseball games can be. Granted, my getting cute with the Guardians first 5 inning bet cost me…
It's time, boys and girls. For a while there looked to be no end in sight for the winter lockout. And here we are: Opening Day. I'm pumped to get things going with Opening Day 2022 handicapping for the remaining seven games on Thursday's slate. For our new followers -…
There's one small problem that comes with rolling out divisional previews on the early side in an offseason like this. Quite a few impact trades and free agent signings occurred after the early editions were published and my win total bets were booked. So with Opening Day right around the…
I saved the best for last. The World Series Champion Atlanta Braves brought the hardware back to the NL East after a slow start to the season. It was impressively opposite of the Mets' summer swoon that landed them with a below-.500 record behind the sneaky Phillies. There's a ton…
I owe a lot to the AL West for being our preseason futures cash cow once again as the Houston Astros picked up where they left off in the 2020 postseason. The division title got very interesting down the stretch as Oakland's second-half fizzle coupled with an overlooked Seattle club…
Not only was the AL East home to a fierce battle between the Yankees and Red Sox, it bore three playoff teams come October. Once the Tampa Bay Rays sealed their second straight division title it was a mad dash for the wild card slots. Toronto's late surge was worthy…
The Minnesota Twins entered the 2021 season with high hopes of a third consecutive AL Central crown. Reality proved to be quite the bear for the defending champs from the get-go. Instead of a repeat, the Twins cratered to the bottom of the heap while the Chicago White Sox completed…
Milwaukee's success, paired with divisional foes who struggled to keep pace down the stretch, resulted in the NL Central's third different champion in as many years. St. Louis's sluggish start made it that much more difficult for the Cardinals to chase down the Brewers, though they certainly made a valiant…
When it came to taking down one of the toughest divisions in the majors, San Francisco defied the odds and showed that old dudes can still get it done. Out of nowhere, the Giants - not the Padres - disrupted the Dodgers' eight-year reign over the NL West. But the…
The real world outside of sports and handicapping throws us plenty of curveballs, so I'll leave it at that to answer where I have been the last couple days. On a positive note, my OG baseball handicapping mentor reached out Monday morning after a few months since we last connected.…
An insane flurry of activity leading up to Friday afternoon's trade deadline kicked off a big weekend of baseball action as the gap between the haves and have-nots expectedly grew wider. My request for runs from the Detroit Tigers that same evening went unfulfilled as Matt Harvey kept his streak…
There are a few guys in the game today who can make you shake your head in confusion while cracking up laughing. Johnny Cueto is king of that hill for me. Of course I am biased as a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan. And when it came to yesterday's rubber match…
We escaped Monday's action unscathed after the Royals squeezed out enough to cover the first 5 inning total while falling just short of the full game total. Three homers and a timely RBI double should have been good enough to pull it off but the solo bombs weren't strong enough.…
After a two-day hiatus from handicapping, betting, and writing about baseball, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 7-26-2021 is back. The bar is low for my excuses to take occasional days off during the second half of the season - and this time it was a quick trip out of town…
The decision to not lay up yesterday afternoon and go for the green turned out to be a profitable move. All that came despite an added sweat from the Detroit bullpen. We walked away with a birdie and hit the ground running with the MLB Morning Breakdown for 7-23-2021. Friday's…
Tuesday's mixed bag produced a no harm, no foul push as the Houston offense woke up to rebuff my request to Make Unders Great Again. So much for that. After taking Wednesday off from article writing, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 7-22-2021 is back with an afternoon solo shot that…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 7-20-2021 returns after a day away from the game. After all, the "real job" rat race rears its ugly head from time to time. I left off with an overly-optimistic over bet in the Astros/White Sox series finale that unfortunately fell well short. Naturally, I…
So I'm a reformed totals guy now, eh? Despite swearing them off after the 2018 season, I've slowly reincorporated game and team totals into the mix over the past couple years. The White Sox carried the load in Saturday's first 5 innings totals play via three bombs against the Astros.…
No complaints from me with yesterday's Mariners/Angels handicap, perhaps other than underestimating Chris Flexen's production against a good offensive team. His splits away from T-Mobile Park scared me off of the underdog side but the guy pitched 7 brilliant innings of 1-run ball. Seattle's bullpen, on the other hand! Even…
The All-Star Break has come and gone. It should have marked my three-week hiatus from MLB handicapping like I usually do each year. Instead, I could not stay away and broke down the Phillies/Red Sox game on Saturday. The only thing worse than my take on that game was Boston's…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 7-10-2021 is finally back after close to three weeks on the sidelines! During that time, I had close to five days of internet detox in the Flat Tops Wilderness of Colorado with no cell service and no internet whatsoever. That was a fantastic reset to…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-22-2021 is missing one thing - the WTF guy with a mullet GIF after I overextended on Sunday. To be honest, I liked all of those positions and have no regrets after the fact. The little things that resulted in plenty of near misses on…
There is plenty to read into Toronto's failure to nail down yesterday's first 5 inning play - including a reversal of perspective on Sunday's betting card. And as a result of a busy schedule today and one of my biggest MLB cards of the season, I have a condensed format…
I must admit that I was sound asleep for last night's Phillies/Giants matchup and have yet to watch the condensed game replay. However, waking up to see San Francisco's Goldilocks approach to their team total suits me just fine. They hit their 5 run mark in the 5th inning and…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-18-2021 is back in action after a brief mid-week hiatus. I'm cramming it in at work in advance of a trip to Colorado starting next weekend - so note that the Breakdown will be on a long break from June 27th - July 6th. In…
I had to put a rush on the MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-15-2021 due to some scheduling issues. So to avoid missing a second straight day, I've compromised detail for speed to get this out before heading out the door. After a good weekend on the diamond, here we go…
Weekends are good, but this one has been especially good. Yesterday's bullpen blowup in Philly provided the better lucky than good sweep to guarantee a winning weekend - if I play my cards right. Scared money don't make money as they say, but I also have to respect the tricky…
The weekend is here at last, and could we actually be looking at a full MLB slate without any significant weather impacts? Last night's start to the weekend was a good one, though the Angels' inability to put away the D-backs resulted in a net push in the desert. But…
Yesterday's solo shot with the Astros was mostly successful as the first 5 inning money line pushes on a 5th inning explosion by both clubs. Fenway looked awfully small last night - which was good, all things considered. That said, I have to head out early for a golf outing,…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-10-2021 rolls your way with a solo shot after a quick day off. We left off Tuesday with a quick hit from Baltimore that was quite reminiscent of Arizona last week, though the joy from that quickly faded as my Cincinnati Reds took a night…
Look, it's not like I didn't try to tell the Giants that Patrick Wisdom was the only Cub who has been doing anything at the plate recently. I made that point twice this in the weekend's handicaps, and twice the NL Player of the Week tried to singlehandedly take down…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-6-2021 goes back-to-back as we return to the home of last night's solo shot, Oracle Park. I put my full faith and confidence in Kevin Gausman along with the red-hot Giants offense to pull out a decisive first 5 inning win against the Cubbies -…
I've been missing in action since Wednesday's handicap with one intentional morning away and another that was unexpected. That's life. But the MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-5-2021 is ready to roll with a Saturday solo shot - one that hopefully pans out like Wednesday's Arizona team total over positions. I…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-2-2021 is back after Monday's excused absence and yesterday's I'd rather sleep in after a long weekend unexcused absence. But I'm up early today and we move on to Wednesday's action on the diamond. So without further delay, let's dig into Wednesday's solo shot. NOTE:…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-30-2021 comes to you on the heels of a...cancelled Blue Jays bet. I knew that weather was going to be a factor in Saturday's game at Progressive Field - but not quite like that. Now I throw a couple of my personal rules aside to…
Last night's game in Cleveland looked to be a disaster early as the strong winds and rain wreaked havoc on the game. Even with a very shaky start from Hyun Jin Ryu, the Blue Jays simply overwhelmed rookie pitcher Eli Morgan and the Tribe's middle relievers. So it felt very…
It feels like it has been a minute since I got a handicap out there - well, a couple of days anyways. Sometimes the job that pays the bills has to override getting content out on the website. But it's Friday and I know you all are ready for the…
After sitting out Monday's slate for a variety of reasons, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-25-2021 rolls on with a full slate of MLB action. Unfortunately, Sunday left me with back-to-back no harm, no foul days to finish with a 1-1-1 weekend. The regular season is just about 30% of…
At least some folks know how to bet my handicaps properly. It was good to hear that a number of our crew laid the hook with Houston on the first 5 inning side as opposed to me laying the -1. While I pushed, folks like my BetCrushers partner Yanni, D-Nice…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-22-2021 comes on the heels of a grind it out split decision between both of the Sox. The Chicago version struggled mightily at the hands of Jordan Montgomery, had their promising 9th inning rally shut down by a textbook triple play, and then gave up…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-21-2021 hits the ground running after an unplanned no-handicap Thursday. At least Houston's bats complied to carry Wednesday's wager and make up for the Ohtani blow on Sunday. So we press on with a two-play Friday to kick off the weekend on the right foot.…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-19-2021 returns after a two-day hiatus due to a brutal start to the work week. We left off with a Sunday solo shot on the Boston Red Sox that, unfortunately, got Ohtanied in the 9th inning. With just one out to go, Mike Trout blooped…
With a tremendous Sunday ahead - great weather, cooking out, and watching NASCAR at Dover - the MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-16-2021 is a quick one. Despite the White Sox letdown yesterday, the Mariners held serve against the Indians once again and Boston drove a stake right through the hopes…
I'll be damned that I can trust the Mariners more than I can my Cincinnati Reds. That's the way it goes sometimes, as Wade Miley struggled with his command early and often - giving the Rockies a healthy lead that the Redlegs could not overcome. But Seattle keeps grinding out…
So the White Sox versus lefties thing still has an edge, eh? JA Happ came in as the potential stopper against Chicago's finely-tuned offense until Tim Anderson slapped a single to lead off the game. A ChiSox rout was good enough to keep the good vibes going for The BetCrushers…
The worst thing about having to be an early riser is missing the late games and occasionally not seeing the evening contests get resolved. Last night, I missed Arizona's big inning against Pablo Lopez and MadBum's dominance that delivered me a loss. Also at that time, the White Sox punished…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-11-2021 returns after a one-day hiatus due in part to a lackluster Monday MLB slate. I left off with a dud from the Miami Marlins' offense on Sunday despite Sandy Alcantara's fantastic outing. Between Daniel Vogelbach's scorching line drive homer and Miami getting picked off…
Baseball is a wacky game. Yesterday's Astros first 5 inning over 2.5 runs play went from dead on the vine to live in the 4th inning, as Houston plated two and had a man on second base with zero outs. Somehow they were unable to push him across for the…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-8-2021 comes at you with a little more wind in the sails after Blake Snell's ugly performance in San Francisco last night. DeSclafani held it down while Minnesota rebounded from a nasty bullpen entrance to dispatch the Tigers in rain-soaked Detroit. A couple plus-money winning…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-7-2021 is back after a one-day hiatus to accommodate my work schedule. We left off with a failed attempt at a game total in Washington - further reinforcing my disdain for MLB totals - and a perfect-ish gem from John Means. Ironically, I nearly missed…
All it took was the cliched one swing of the bat from Atlanta's starting pitcher Huascar Ynoa to break the Braves/Nationals game wide open. As for yesterday's featured play - Ynoa not only held the Nats in check at the plate, he crushed a grand slam in the top of…
Let's call a spade a spade - I've fallen back in a small slump with my featured handicaps. At least there was no sweating it last night as I was deep asleep while the Blue Jays coughed up a lead to the A's in the bottom of the 5th. So…
Now that the busy travel month of April is behind me, I look forward to more time watching more teams via the MLB.TV app. With that said, the season is starting to get into a "leveling out" stage where teams who quickly shot out of the gates are hitting some…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-1-2021 is back again after a busy work week and some travel. At least that travel paid off with a very unique experience watching the Blue Jays and Braves face off in Dunedin last night. What a game from the Toronto offense and Robbie Ray.…
It's been a couple days but the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-28-2021 is back in action. Monday's slate left me with more questions than answers, then a packed work schedule kept me from publishing a handicap on Tuesday. I left off this weekend with a timely push on the Royals…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-25-2021 returns to the scene of yesterday's...victory?!? With the Arizona/Atlanta rainout last night, Brady Singer's gem pushed the Kansas City Royals to another divisional win and a much-needed W for my featured handicaps. Both Singer and Detroit's Matthew Boyd were spectacular, though it was KC's…
JJ the Ice Man nearly squashed the Athletics 11-game win streak with my greedy money line/run line play. But Cole Irvin worked his magic to escape a couple jams posed by the Orioles and get us the money. That 3-1 win was crucial considering how one of my nemesis, Luke…
Baseball is a game of sequencing. Offenses need to string together hits and walks to convert baserunners into runs. Batteries must sequence pitches to set up batters for optimal results. And handicappers like us have to get ahead of angles to capitalize on attackable prices. I am taking my lumps…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-22-2021 says adios to the St. Louis Cardinals. After my fourth loss in as many times featuring that club this season, I received an executive order to stay away from any Cardinals games from here on out. It's simple - the Redbirds and I are…
Despite the best-laid plans, Washington swung for the fences and kept falling short Sunday afternoon. That matchup against a lefty who is prone to getting knocked around was juicy but the results did not manifest. I'll be completely honest and say that was a very disappointing outcome. Realistically, though, not…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-18-2021 comes to you fresh off of what turned out to be a near push on Saturday. Oh, my Cincinnati Reds - they sure looked like the 2020 version yesterday afternoon. Granted, tons of credit goes to Triston McKenzie for working his way out of…
Let's just say that the St. Louis Cardinals and I are not seeing eye to eye these days. At least the New York Mets had my back Wednesday as David Peterson pitched a gem. Then Ronald Acuna helped us get over the mark to seal up a much-needed winning day…
After Tuesday's quick in-and-out solo shot on the Nationals/Cardinals first 5 inning position, it's time to stretch out the playbook in the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-14-2021. And that play was quick because the Cardinals pounded Strasburg for 4 runs in the 3rd and a ton more in the 5th.…
After a weekend on the road and Monday back in the office, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-13-2021 is back! I broadened Sunday's card to four plays, but the Tigers fell just short of delivering a nice payday. Looks like they were the play last night though. I need to…
I’ve cranked out three straight Ls in my featured handicaps. That's pretty disappointing, especially with a couple wagers getting cancelled recently. But it’s Day 11 of the 2021 MLB season and I’ve been waiting for these days a long time. Now it’s time to roll with the MLB Morning Breakdown…
What a fiasco yesterday's betting card was. Unfortunately, our featured handicap position on the Angels was cancelled twice for pitching changes. My BetCrushers partner Yanni took the bait and went over 6 runs - and those guys got the money. Not I, but that's on me for going with listed…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-9-2021 is back after a travel day (for me, not the MLB). Chicago's "light" lineup in Seattle Wednesday afternoon left a lot to be desired for our plays behind them. Though their timely runs in the 5th inning salvaged one of three wagers in our…
We asked for a strong performance from Marcus Stroman yesterday and he delivered. Stroman plus a timely bomb from Dominic Smith enabled the Mets to take care of our first 5 inning wager and cash Tuesday's solo shot. Three Ws in a row is nice, but the MLB Morning Breakdown…
The new week began with two plays on Monday that banked on offensive eruptions from the Blue Jays and White Sox. Well, that's what we got. Some confidence was restored when my doubts in Mike Foltynewicz' rebound from a brutal season came true, leading to Toronto surpassing their team total…
For the second time this season, my expectations for a Royals starter were way too high compared to what took place on the field. Brady Singer just did not have the stuff I called for and my solo shot of the day backing the Royals went up in flames. But…
I took just one position on yesterday's big slate - technically two half-unit bets on the Blue Jays team totals - and it flat out failed to get there. Close, but no cigar. Yet 3 runs is absolutely less than 4, so we move onto the MLB Morning Breakdown for…
No complaints here with Day 2 of the MLB season. My Cincinnati Reds didn't lose (they had the day off) and we managed to crank out a nice return on our pair of plays. Pablo Lopez and Ryan Yarbrough put on a pitching clinic in south Florida, delivering a 0-0…
Well, sometimes it's better to be lucky than right. And my first wager of the 2021 MLB season was a -150 play behind Brad Keller and the Royals - an amount of juice that I absolutely hate to lay. Bottom line: my read on Keller was way off the mark,…
After what seems like an eternity to us baseball fans, Opening Day 2021 is finally here! It's been five months since the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their franchise's seventh World Series Championship and now all 30 teams start fresh. And the head honchos at MLB have given us exactly what…
The Braves' punctuated the 2020 season with their third straight and 15th overall NL East title. Atlanta's impressive young nucleus gives the impression of a club building their way towards a dynasty like that of the late 1990's. On the flip side, the 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals was…
A dramatic changing of the AL East guard was punctuated by Boston trading Mookie Betts to the Dodgers. While the Red Sox sunk to the depths of the division, Tampa Bay rose to the top with stingy pitching and defense. The Rays' grindy approach to the modern game earned them…