Major League Baseball Futures – Cardinals and Rangers Regular Season Wins

My favorite preseason Major League Baseball futures picks are the regular season win totals. By evaluating the team’s performance the prior season and analyzing the changes, additions, and strategies employed during the offseason and preseason, the win totals are a great way to test your MLB futures knowledge and start betting before Opening Day!

Let’s take a look at the predicted win totals for two teams with great chances to compete in the 2011 postseason, the St Louis Cardinals of the National League and the Texas Rangers of the American League.

Regular Season Wins:

St Louis Cardinals

Over 83.5     +105           Under 83.5   -135

Texas Rangers

Over 86.5     -110             Under 86.5   -120  

The Cardinals finished the 2010 season with 86 wins for second place in the National League Central behind the Cincinnati Reds. The futures odds for this season place the number of wins 2.5 games lower.

St Louis skidded to a disappointing finish last season with two five-game losing streaks.  Without those melt-downs, the team likely would have been competitive for the top spot in the NL Central.

Two years prior, the Cardinals finished with 91 wins, taking the NL Central. Of course, the team’s chemistry changes each season, but taking the Over on the St Louis Cardinals for the upcoming season with 83.5 regular season wins seems like a money-making wager.

In the American League, the Texas Rangers had the best season ever in team history, reaching the World Series before falling to the San Francisco Giants. The Rangers finished the season with a 90-72 record.

However, Texas struggled during the season, finishing the month of August under .500.  Despite their streakiness, the team nevertheless ended the season with a great record, clinching the AL West division early.

The Over/Under odds are quite close for the Rangers this upcoming season.  The futures have the team set at 86.5 wins, 3.5 games less than last season’s finish.  If the Rangers can manage to stay healthy and play smart baseball consistently, they should manage to win at least 86.5 games in 2011. 

Major League Baseball Futures Pick –
St Louis Cardinals:   Over 83.5 wins
Texas Rangers:       Over 86.5 wins