Spring training is well underway, and we’re just a little over a week from Opening Day. The sports books have released their over/under totals for each of the 30 MLB teams, as far as wins for the season go. Let’s take a look at which teams are likely to go over in the MLB betting lines.
Top Over Picks for 2016 MLB Season Win Total
Texas Rangers (86)
Last year, the Rangers won 88 games. They didn’t have Yu Darvish at the top of their rotation, and they didn’t have a healed Derek Holland. They were relying on Josh Hamilton’s gimpy knee in left field, for the most part. Even so, they still won the AL West. Now they have their ace back (and he seems to be throwing well), and all of their other rotation pieces are back. Their offense doesn’t have any injuries, and Joey Gallo appears to be a little closer to contributing to the offensive success of the big club. He’s in the minors now but is likely to come back up in the middle of the summer. Given these pluses, I’m definitely taking the over on the Rangers.
New York Yankees (85)
The Yankees scored the second-most runs in the American League last season, and they snuck into the wild card with a late run in August in September. They have added Aroldis Chapman to the back end of the bullpen; last year, their closing situation was fairly chaotic. That alone should push them up the ladder a bit in terms of wins. They are one of the oldest teams in MLB, so some injuries are a risk, but A-Rod came out of the gate raking in spring training. I’d take the over with this group.
Chicago Cubs (89)
That’s a big over/under number. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cubs win 100 games this year. They picked up John Lackey from the Cardinals and did not lose anyone important. They added Jason Motte to add a bit of starch to their bullpen, and they added Shane Victorino and Ben Zobrist to give their outfield some pop at clutch times. They re-signed Trevor Cahill to keep their starting rotation deep or to ensure they have a quality long man. I look for them to vault over the Cardinals and win the NL Central, and perhaps finally end the Billy Goat Curse.
Miami Marlins (80.5)
Are the Marlins finally ready to exit the dregs of the National League? Somehow, this team has managed to win two World Series titles in its brief existence and yet still plays before largely empty crowds — even though the team is in South Florida, where just about every game day is gorgeous and the fan base should be large enough to pack the park for all 81 home games. Bringing Don Mattingly in to manage the team should help, and the team added Wei-Yen Chen to their starting rotation. With the Phillies and the Braves playing dreadful ball in this division, and the Nationals in a bit of chaos, the Marlins have a chance to pile up a ton of wins in their division. I’m taking the over with this team.
