⚾ Your MLB picks for this weekend August 4 – 6

Baseball predictions August 4 – 6

Washington Nationals versus Chicago Cubs

Examining this battle between two first place teams, I take a look at overall team trends first. The Cubs and Nationals are nearly equal in terms of Power Ranking Indicator with the Cubs at +26 and the Nationals at +28. The Cubs have been on the increase lately, while the Nationals are holding steady. The MLB Team Strength Oscillator has a slight advantage for the Nationals at +2.92, while the Cubs are at +1.46. Being the favorite or underdog doesn’t mean much for the Nationals, who are ...

NFL MVP Futures: Tom Brady is the early favorite

Status

The NFL preseason kicks off tonight with the Dallas Cowboys clashing with the Arizona Cardinals. It feels like a long time since Super Bowl 51 ended and the start of the 2017 preseason, but it has finally arrived. With it comes optimism for 32 teams vying for a Super Bowl ring. Only two will be good enough to play in the biggest NFL game of them all, however.

In our last NFL article, we looked at the futures for Super Bowl 52. Now we will look at the futures for NFL Most Valuable Player. Last year’s winner, Matt Ryan, will have a great chance to win it again. But with the Falcons not in the top five of best odds to win the Super Bowl, sportsbooks may believe a repeat isn’t on the cards.

So, who are the favorites to win this year’s NFL MVP?

Tom Brady +550

Tom Brady finished last season as the runner-up to Ryan in the NFL MVP race. In 2016, Brady threw for 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Oh, and he led New England to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history when the Pats came from behind to beat the Falcons. The main reason Brady didn’t finish as last season’s NFL MVP was due to missing four games. If he’d been available, it could have been expected he would have topped Ryan in the MVP race. By the way, USA Today predicts the Pats to go a perfect 16-0 again. Brady is the greatest of all-time, if that happens.

Aaron Rodgers +600

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are being picked by some to be this year’s NFC Super Bowl representative. The Packers just missed out on the Super Bowl in 2016, and could have what it takes this season. Last year, Rodgers threw 40 touchdowns and just seven interceptions as the Packers finished 10-6. In this year’s USA Today NFL record projections, Green Bay is predicted to win 12 games. If that happens, it may be due to a career year from Mr. Rodgers.

Derek Carr +800

Thirteen NFL seasons went by between Oakland Raiders’ playoff appearances. Prior to last year’s playoff berth, the Raiders hadn’t made the postseason since 2002 when the team played in the Super Bowl. Derek Carr was everything to the black and silver a year ago. With him, the Raiders were unstoppable. Without him, the team struggled. Twenty-eight touchdowns, six interceptions and more than 3,900 yards in passing were tallied by Carr. He is a great pick for NFL MVP, he isn’t at the top of the list, but with a great chance to win it all as a slight underdog. Carr’s bid for the trophy will really depend on how good the AFC West is and if the Raiders can top the division. If they can, it means Carr has played his best season yet.

Ben Roethlisberger +900

Ben Roethlisberger has done just about everything in the NFL, except win the NFL MVP award. The Ohio native has two Super Bowl rings and has passed for nearly 50,000 yards in his career. Yet, no MVP trophy has come his way. The Steelers topped the AFC Central with 11 wins in 2016, and this year, the team is projected to tally 12 wins. If the Steelers are to win 12 games and win another central title, Roethlisberger needs a solid season under center.

The NFL season kicks off on September 7th. If you haven’t made your futures bets on Super Bowl winner and NFL MVP, then what are you waiting for?

FA Community Shield: Arsenal vs. Chelsea Prediction

The FA Community Shield is the curtain raiser for the English Premier League soccer season. The match my have a preseason feel, but the teams take it very seriously with silverware at stake. This year’s edition of the Community Shield will pit rivals Arsenal versus Chelsea on Sunday August 6th.

Arsenal won last season’s FA Cup while Chelsea stormed to the Premier League title. Their triumphs at the end of last term have set up this match to kickoff the 2017-18 season. Arsenal has lifted the Community Shield 14 times to Chelsea’s four, but the Blues have been collecting ...

NFL 2017: Super Bowl 52 Futures Betting

The 2017 NFL preseason begins on August 4th, and the regular season kicks off just over a month later with the Super Bowl 51 champion New England Patriots hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. Although teams are currently in training camp, it is a great time for bettors to wager on this season’s NFL futures bets, including the Super Bowl 52 winner.

Sportsbooks all over the world have the odds for this season’s NFL futures, and punters can get great odds on their favorite teams before a ball is hiked in September. There are now less than 42 days ...

English Premier League 2017-18: Who will be the top scorer?

Friday August 11th will see the kickoff of the English Premier League 2017-18 season. Sportsbooks around the world have been releasing futures odds for upcoming season and there are plenty of great bets to wager on.

One of the most intriguing futures bets for the English Premier League 2017-18 season is the top scorer bet. The odds for players have been calculated on past performances, form and the teams they play for. There are some great odds for players that could top the league’s goals chart. So,who are the top players to look out for this season?

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) ...

KNOW YOUR UMPIRE

While we should never place a wager based solely on the home plate umpire, knowing who is behind the plate can be an added filter when investing in MLB totals. Many umpires have tendencies that can be exploited given the right match up, weather and park.

In general, umpires with a tight strike zone are over-friendly while umps with large strike zones are beneficial to unders. MLB uses a 4 man umpiring crew for every series and usually the assignments aren’t announced until a few hours before the first game of a new series. After the first ...

Baseball predictions: July 21-23 – Texas Rangers versus Tampa Bay Rays

Texas Rangers versus Tampa Bay Rays

This match up appears far more lopsided on paper according to the direction of the two teams. The Rangers are +11 and declining on the Power Ranking Indicator, while the Rays are at an impressive +25. The wide margin continues according to the MLB Strength Indicator, as the Rangers come in at -0.96 and ice cold versus the Rays at +5.52 and hot. Neither team is in the top 10 on the Volatility Oscillator, making neither team a stable pick as a favorite or underdog.

Examining the pitching match ups:

July ...

Baseball predictions: July 21-23 – St. Louis Cardinals versus Chicago Cubs

St. Louis Cardinals versus Chicago Cubs

Examining this match up, I see two competitively matched teams. Neither teams is in the top 10 in the Team Volatility Oscillator, so betting strictly according to favorite or underdog is not wise here. Looking at the Power Ranking Indicator, the Cardinals are at +19 and climbing, while the Cubs are holding steady at +24. While both teams fall in the negative in the MLB Strength Oscillator, the Cardinals hold a slight advantage at -8.6, while the Cubs are at -11.09.

Looking at the pitching match ups:

July 21: Carlos ...

MLS: New York City FC vs Chicago Fire – Preview & Prediction

After a few weeks off for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Major League Soccer season has resumed with teams striving for the postseason. This weekend’s action is headlined by the Eastern Conference’s second place side battling its third place team, as Chicago Fire travel to the Big Apple to play New York City FC.

Chicago has been the story of the season in MLS as the club went from being one of the league’s worst teams over the last three years to being near the top.

New York City enters the fixture on the back of a midweek 2-2 draw ...

Liga MX Apertura Kicks Off Season With Huge Round of Matches

Liga MX returns Friday July 21st with the Torneo Apertura. Known as the opening tournament, the Apertura is the Mexican top-flight soccer league’s first half of the season; which crowns a champion in December.

Liga MX’s week 1 will be highlighted by reigning Apertura winners Tigres clashing with Puebla. Nine matches will be played during week 1, so let’s look at the key match ups that will go down south of the border.

Tijuana vs. Cruz Azul

Tijuana topped the Apertura table at the end of the regular season in 2016-17, but was unable to make it through the eight team ...