MLB Picks and Predictions 2015: Z-Code Expert Forums, Another Successful Start

MLB Picks and Predictions: Z-Code MLB Expert Forum Update I don’t have any picks today. I don’t like any of the NBA Playoffs games. I see no value whatsoever in Game Seven between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings. Following four wins in a row, I think we’ve extracted all we can from the current baseball series. It’s rare, this time of year, but I have no predictions for you today.

Instead, what I would like to do is bring your attention to our progress so farwith my baseball forum. As I say all the time, because I ...

MLB Picks: St. Louis Cardinals vs Philadelphia Phillies

MLB Picks: Philadelphia Phillies at St. Louis Cardinals, ABC Progression The St. Louis Cardinals were dealt a tough blow when Adam Wainwright went down for the year, and I think it had something to do with their lackluster performance in Game One of this four-game series. With strong pitching advantages and the lowly Philadelphia Phillies coming to St. Louis, I see a huge advantage warranting a progression.

The computer agrees, lending 4.5 stars of value to this -200 line and a strong signal for the heavy favorite.

The Cardinals are reliable, and at home it’s hard to imagine one of ...

MLB Picks: David Price, Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins

MLB Picks: Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins I don’t usually challenge the computer on a flat bat situation, but we’re going to go forward with this play despite the minimal signal from the computer and the apparent underdog value in the line.

First, I believe in David Price. I think a power pitcher in this situation is going to have a field day. The Minnesota Twins don’t hit and they certainly don’t hit shutdown pitching. The Detroit Tigers have won a couple in a row and are starting to surge. I see the Twins playing better baseball, but this is the class of the AL Central division and I think even the home field edge will not be enough to overcome David Price and the mighty Detroit Tigers.

Second, this fits my system. I certainly prefer situations where I can press a statistical advantage and use progressions, but I do not like the way pitching shakes out the rest of ...

MLB Picks: St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers, AB Doubler

MLB Picks: St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers Adam Wainwright is one of my favorites. He’s reliable and consistent, and he plays for a team that is also reliable and consistent. The St. Louis Cardinals rarely “fail to show up” and even on the road you can trust them in progressions with pitching edges. Once again, I’ve got an AB doubler that is carried by the strength of Adam Wainwright and Lance Lynn coming right behind him.

The St. Louis Cardinals are a vastly superior team. The Milwaukee Brewers have looked absolutely atrocious to start the season. The lineup, ...

MLB Picks: Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs

MLB Picks: Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs – AB Doubler

I like the Chicago Cubs this year. I think they have some dominant pitching at the top of the rotation and they look to have their lineup solidified. I expect them to be much better this season than last year and make the leap to being a competitive franchise.

I don’t like the Reds this season. I expect them to be sellers at the deadline and don’t think they will compete. I don’t think the lineup has enough depth and I don’t think they improved from last season. The rotation is ...

MLB Picks: Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies, AB Doubler

MLB Picks: Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies AB Doubler Progression

The Boston Red Sox lineup is loaded, the Philadelphia Phillies don’t have the pitching to contain them, and even if they did I don’t think they could keep up offensively. Rick Porcello might be something of a liability, but there’s so much value in this line it’s difficult to stay away. I know Boston is on the road, but this should be one of the best teams in the AL vs one of the worst teams in the NL. Further, this should be one of the best teams in ...

2015 MLB Predictions – American League: Will New York Yankees Compete?

2015 American League MLB Preview: Are New York Yankees Relevant?

I’m excited about baseball season being so close, but I cannot hide what this year’s 2015 American League MLB Preview is going to say. For the first time, I won’t be picking my New York Yankees to win the AL East. It hurts, but this is just not an elite baseball franchise anymore.

In recent years, my New York Yankees have tested my faith in baseball. I’ve played ball since I was three, I’ve watched for probably just as long, and in recent years everything that was good in baseball has gone away. I watched the chemistry and “team baseball” of the 90s dynasty be replaced by a festival of large contracts that rarely panned out, all to buy one more World Series. Derek Jeter has retired, but a 39-year-old Alex Rodriguez is still clinging to a spot on the Yankees roster? Is there no justice in the baseball world? ...

MLB Picks: Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves

MLB Picks: Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta BravesTo be clear, there are no plays in my baseball system in the VIP Club forum today. With all the excitement of the MLB Playoffs right around the corner, I see no reason to really force it. I don’t feel strongly enough about any of the games, we’ve made money on a lot of the series already (like this one), and there’s no statistical edge opportunities for a progression.

The computer sees a nice underdog edge here in the Delta System. It makes sense, it’s basically the reason we launched an ABC progression on this ...

MLB Picks: Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox

MLB Picks: Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox, AB Doubler

My forum won big on Game One, and normally I avoid games like this where buying back in can squander our profits. I like the big statistical edge of progressions and I usually like to sit on my money once I already have it. The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Boston Red Sox, and that’s typically good enough for me.

That said, this game still fits my system and the pitching matchup is even more lucrative. In this game we have Tillman, the ace of the Orioles staff, with an even ...

MLB Picks: New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds

Normally this game would qualify as a no play for me. I don’t like betting where two bad teams are involved. For me, unreliability breeds volatility, and I traditionally just dismiss games like this as “two bad teams, no bet”…

But today is different.

Alfredo Simon has come on to have a great year, and the best part about the Reds rotation is that he goes in front of one of the best pitchers in baseball, Cy Young contender Johnny Cueto. This is basically a progression bettor’s dream – a high value line with a good pitcher followed by a strong favorite.

The computer issues an interesting challenge here, because I like this one for my system but there’s no signal. Another parameter missing for a forum wager is that the Reds are just too cold and lack the momentum to make a trustworthy wager.

Still – a weak team like the ...