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My favourite MLB futures bets for the 2022 season

Nick Reid Apr 7, 2022

Let’s get right into it. I’ve put together my favourite MLB futures bets for the 2022 season, and if you’re into sports betting like I am this article is worth checking out.

This MLB futures preview covers everything from division winners to team win totals to longshot award winners. I love making MLB futures and I give you a bunch of different options in this pre-season betting preview. I went 14-14 for a small profit in my Bet On The Blue Jays plays last season, and keep an eye out for more betting content this year including an article play every week as well as some video plays on my Twitter.

Odds will be measured in American-style odds, which is the most common gambling metric used in this part of the world, as well as decimal-style odds because that’s what I like using. If you’re interested in learning about American odds, or looking to convert American/Decimal/Fraction gambling odds, then you’re welcome. Both are good to know when first getting into sports gambling.

*And make sure to play responsibly. You shouldn’t try to make a living off of season-long baseball predictions. This is for fun.

Homer Pick

Toronto Blue Jays to Win the Division (+165 / 2.65)

As a Blue Jays fan it’s hard not to love this bet. I’ve had this ballclub under a microscope this entire offseason and they look GOOD. Scary good. So good that people that aren’t even diehard Jays fans are picking them to win the World Series.

While those are some pretty lofty expectations, I truly think the Jays are in great shape heading into the ’22. They have the best lineup in baseball, a top rotation, and an improved bullpen. This club has depth which is needed to last over an entire season.

There’s still some question marks with the Jays. Will George Springer stay healthy? Can Hyun-Jin Ryu bounce back? Will José Berrios and Kevin Gausman acclimate to the hitter-friendly AL East? As we know the East is by far the best division in baseball but I have the Jays at the top. The Red Sox pitching will be bad while Chris Sale is injured, and as much as the Rays seemingly surprise everyone by outperforming their payroll every season I don’t see it this year with a subpar offense and Tyler Glasnow on the shelf. I have it as a near toss-up between the Blue Jays and the Yankees to win the division and if you’re a Jays fan like I am, this plus money play to win the East is a fun bet to root for especially at those odds.

Free PLUS Money Parlay?

Chicago White sox to win AL Central + Los Angeles Dodgers to win NL West (+106 / 2.06)

When I say baseball is the toughest sport to bet on it’s the truth. When even the best teams lose 60 games a season that shows you that there’s never any guarantees. But how good does this division winner parlay look at plus money??

The Chicago White Sox are the best club in the AL Central by a MILE. They have a phenomenal rotation headlined by Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, and Lance Lynn (when he gets healthy) along with the best closer in baseball in Liam Hendriks. The lineup is chock-full of mashers as well. Besides, all they have to do to hit their part of the parlay is beat out the Twins, Tigers, Guardians, and Royals. The White Sox are one of the most loaded teams playing in the softest division in baseball. I feel comfortable giving them the Central.

Now the Los Angeles Dodgers need to hold up their end of the parlay, and I think they’ll have an easier road to the division this time around. The 2019 champs only got a Wild Card spot last season as the Giants surprised everyone, but they lost Gausman and Buster Posey and I don’t see them grossly over-performing again this year. And without Fernando Tatis Jr. for the first half of the season I’m not high on the Padres whatsoever.

The Dodgers did what they do best this offseason by adding a ton of pitching depth, and filled their open closer role with Craig Kimbrel. If Clayton Kershaw is healthy and Dustin May can come back down the stretch this rotation is going to be lights out with ace Walker Buehler and Julio Urias. The lineup is full of superstars headlined by Mookie Betts and new acquisition Freddie Freeman, and if the 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger can remember how to hit again there’s no stopping this team.

For the White Sox and Dodgers, their divisions are theirs to lose. A lot can happen across 162 games but I don’t see anyone in their division on the same stratosphere as them. They’re two World Series favourites who will be beating up on clubs that won’t make the playoffs and that’s why I love this division winner parlay at plus money.

Watch out for these guys

Seattle Mariners team wins o83.5 (-122 / 1.82)

Mariners to make playoffs: Yes (+180 / 2.80)

Mariners to win the AL West (+450 / 5.50)

If you can’t tell I am heavily optimistic about the Seattle Mariners this season. I was flabbergasted watching them compete for a Wild Card spot late last season and finish with 90 wins, the same as the Blue Jays. And you’re telling me their regular season win total is set at just 83.5 while their roster has improved leaps and bounds? I’m smashing that over.

The Mariners may have lost Kyle Seager and Yusei Kikuchi in the offseason, but their additions far outweight their subtractions. Reigning AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray and All-Star outfielder Jesse Winker are now in Seattle, along with Adam Frazier, Eugenio Suarez, and Ken Giles. Add those guys to a young core of Jared Kelenic, Logan Gilbert, and J.P. Crawford and this team is suddenly legit. The 2020 AL ROY Kyle Lewis should be back after knee problems last season, and Julio Rodriguez might just win the same award this year. The M’s are making it clear that they’re a real threat.

I can’t imagine the Mariners will regress, and even if they do I think 84 wins is very attainable. If you like this bet then I’d also consider sprinkling on them to make the playoffs (+180) and even win the AL West (+450) at great odds. While it’s no longer a cupcake division I think the M’s deserve to be right up there with the Astros, who lost Carlos Correa to free agency and has a rotation that’s full of questions marks. This Mariners team is fun and will play some great baseball this season. And they provide a ton of value for bettors.

Detroit Tigers team wins o78.5 (-110 / 1.90)

Like the Mariners, I think the Detroit Tigers improved leaps and bounds this offseason. They went out and got Eduardo Rodriguez and Javier Baez in free agency, and just acquired Austin Meadows this week. They also have a bevy of young talent coming down the pipeline ready to contribute at the big league level, headlined by Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene who are the 3rd and 4th ranked MLB Pipeline prospects. Their rotation isn’t amazing but it figures to improve with E-Rod and youngsters looking to take big steps in Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal.

I especially like this bet because of the division the Tigers happen to play in. While the White Sox are expected to run away with the Central I like Detroit’s chances to beat up on the other three clubs. The Tigers have completely reshaped themselves and appear to be on the cusp, and they’ll play a lot of games against bad teams which makes me love their team win total over 78.5. I don’t think a .500 season is out of reach whatsoever for these guys. They could be sneaky good.

Are we sure these teams are any good?

Oakland Athletics team wins u69.5 (-120 / 1.80)

That question is as rhetorical as it gets when you’re talking about the Oakland A’s. We fully know that this club STINKS. All of their best players were traded or walked this offseason, and I imagine their one remaining good player Frankie Montas will be dealt as well. To top it off the A’s spent ZERO dollars in free agency which is an absolute embarrassment to the sport. Leaving your roster decimated and choosing not to address it is a bold move.

Everyone knows the Athletics are gonna be terrible this season, there’s no doubt about that. But I think they’ll be even worse than the sportsbooks do and I’ll happily fade them at under 69.5 regular season wins. The AL West is getting stronger with the Mariners, Angels, and Rangers presumably on the rise. And like I said this club has nothing going for them.

The fact that the A’s didn’t spend a dime to improve the roster in the offseason probably feels like a big slap in the face to the players they have and I truly think it’ll be a dumpster fire in Oakland this year. I have them winning 65 games at best.

NY Mets to make the MLB playoffs: No (+195 / 2.95)

Since Steve Cohen purchased the New York Mets last year, becoming the richest owner in the Majors, hopes have been sky-high for this club. They had one a lucrative offseason acquiring a ton of talent including Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, and Chris Bassitt. With Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso at the top of the lineup the potential is certainly there. And MLB On Fox crowned them as having the best rotation in all of baseball. This team could win 95 games!

Oh wait, Jacob DeGrom is already hurt?

This is why I can’t have any faith in the Mets. The franchise is riddled with bad luck and misfortunes. DeGrom might be the best pitcher in baseball but he can’t stay on the mound. And I love watching Scherzer pitch but he’s 37-years old and injuries are always a possibility when you play for a club that’s as cursed as the Mets. They were looking great last season before they were derailed by a late-season collapse that led to their players thumbs-downing THEIR OWN FANS.

Everyone’s handing them the NL East but I really can’t buy in. They still play in the same division as the reigning World Series champs who are in good shape to make another run, and I’m high on the Phillies this season with their loaded lineup and solid rotation. The Marlins pitching staff will give teams fits as well.

As a Mets doubter I love this play for them to miss the playoffs at +195. The value is too good to pass up. Their division’s anything but a cake walk and I can’t see them overcoming all of their offseason improvements. At the end of the day the Mets are the Mets and they’ll continue to be the Mets this season and World Series hopes will be replaced with chaos.

Longshots

Aaron Nola to win NL Cy Young +1200

Like I said in my top pitchers to watch post yesterday, I’m expecting a big season from Aaron Nola. Not only do I like him to bounceback after an underwhelming ’21 but I think he has the tools to be among the NL’s top arms. Although his ERA and win/loss record would suggest differently he had great peripherals last season. MLB award voters love strikeout throwers and Nola is one of the best at that, and he should qualify for more wins this season with a better team around him. I like the Philadelphia Phillies’ rotation to make big strides under their second-year pitching coach and I think Nola will be nasty for them this season. He certainly has the stuff to win NL Cy Young.

Dylan Cease to win AL Cy Young +1200

While I just talked about Lucas Giolito as the anchor of the White Sox rotation, I think Dylan Cease to win the AL Cy Young has more value. The 26-year old is a fiend for missing bats and led the junior circuit in K/9 (12.3) last season, and he has so much room to improve. He doesn’t give up basehits and he his 3.91 ERA was underscored by a promising 3.41 FIP. Cease has a filthy arsenal of pitches and if he can find more accuracy to lower his walk rate he has a real shot at the Cy. He’s a great dark horse pick at +1200 pitching in such a weak division.

Rafael Devers to win AL MVP +2000

While I would love to see Vladdy Jr. win the AL MVP award after losing to phenom Shohei Ohtani last season, this section is reserved for longshots. In that case I love Rafael Devers at +2000 because all the kid does is send baseballs into orbit.

The third baseman has become the key cog of the Red Sox lineup and he can do it all with the bat. With 38 homers and 113 RBI I think he had a much better season than MVP voters credit him for, and the 25-year old is only getting better.If Raffy can lower his strikeouts and get more walks to raise his OPS, which is certainly easier said than done, he’ll be one of the most complete (and feared) hitters in the game.

 

 

https://crier.co/sports/mlb/the-top-pitchers-worth-watching-heading-into-the-2022-mlb-season/

Nick Reid

Blue Jays Contributor for DeanBlundell.com. Sport Management student at Brock University. Have seen a game at all 30 Major League ballparks. Would rather be eating poutine at the Rogers Centre.

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