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The Most Profitable Starting Pitchers in the American League

As June approaches, sports bettors are always looking for profitable opportunities. With the NBA and NHL seasons coming to an end, and no current NFL action underway, MLB is on center stage. When it comes to Major League Baseball, starting pitchers play a crucial role in determining a team’s success. While looking for potential angles going forward, let’s look at which starters in the American League have been the most profitable for sports bettors to back, based on their team’s performance when they have taken the mound as of May 28, 2023. These statistics are available on covers.com.

1. Matthew Boyd – Detroit Tigers (+565)

Left-handed starting pitcher Matthew Boyd of the Detroit Tigers leads the American League in profitability, despite his unimpressive 5.74 ERA. The Tigers have managed a 6-3 record when Boyd starts this season. Since Detroit has been an underdog in 22 of its first 24 wins this season, the team’s wins typically come with a nice return. Due to the almost always being an underdog, even in losses, backing Boyd and the Tigers’ has yet to come with additional risk, minimizing the house advantage. With the Tigers playing hard under manager A.J. Hinch and upcoming future starts for Boyd scheduled to be against teams like the Rangers, White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Twins, backing Boyd will continue to offer the potential for low-risk situations with chances for significant returns.

2. Brayan Bello – Boston Red Sox (+468)

At just 24 years old, Bello has been delivering solid performances for the Boston Red Sox. Despite not having an All-Star-caliber season, Bello has contributed to the team’s success helping the Red Sox win five of his last six starts. Over the recent stretch, Bello has maintained a 3.03 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 32.2 innings. He will be favored in his May 30th start against the Reds and then will have a tough test against the Rays, possibly on June 4th. Bello’s unproven name, but recent solid form and the support of a potent offense will likely continue to give sports bettors value in supporting him.

3. Shane McClanahan – Tampa Bay Rays (+450)

Unlike the other names on this list, Shane McClanahan stands out as a Cy Young candidate. The Tampa Bay Rays have excelled when he starts, boasting an impressive 10-1 record. With a stellar 1.22 ERA at home, McClanahan provides a reliable option for bettors, regardless of the opposition. As the Rays continue to perform with the best record in baseball, backing McClanahn should be a profitable strategy in the future. However, as great as McClanahn has been, bettors will often have to lay hefty prices on him as we advance, and it’s not realistic to expect the Rays to win more than 90% of his starts. Still with a career 30-14 record and 2.75 ERA in 64 starts, McClanahan’s success is no fluke.

4. Dean Kremer – Baltimore Orioles (+425)

Baltimore has found success behind Dean Kremer going 7-4 in his starts. Although Kremer initially struggled this season, he has shown improvement with a 2.45 ERA in his last five games, with four of those starts resulting in Orioles victories. With upcoming road starts against the Giants and Brewers scheduled for Kremer, bettors should take advantage of the positive trends and consider backing him in these matchups. Not only has Kremer been steady on the mound, but the market still undervalues how good the Orioles are as a team overall. Keep looking for chances to back Kremer and the Orioles, who have been the most profitable team for sports bettors to back in MLB both this season and last season as well.

5. Ken Waldichuk – Oakland Athletics (+385)

Despite being a part of a historically terrible team, Waldichuk finds himself on this list due to the team’s 5-4 record when he starts. With a 7.40 ERA, Waldichuk’s appearance on this list has more to do with the A’s being such a significant underdog whenever he steps on the mound. Given the A’s struggles this season and Waldichuk’s upcoming matchups against the Braves, Pirates, and either the Brewers or Rays, it’s hard to make a strong case for Waldichuk as a trustworthy option in the near future.

Here as some of the best of the rest to consider as summer officially approaches:

6. Martin Perez- Texas Rangers +385
7. Marco Gonzales- Seattle Mariners +370 8. Chris Sale-Boston Red Sox +361
9. Zach Eflin-Tampa Bay Rays +359
10. Gerrit Cole- New York Yankees +342

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How to make NBA Live Betting Work for You

Live betting has helped revolutionize how fans are able to engage with their favorite sports. With the NBA in particular, point spreads and totals often see large shifts throughout the course of a game. Due to the sometimes drastic changes, live odds can help bettors gain an edge on the books when done correctly. However, if sports bettors go in without a sound game plan or discipline, a bankroll can be buried fast.

Unlike traditional pregame betting, making live wagers allows sports bettors to observe what is going on and then take advantage of real-time information and dynamic odds. To help live betting work for you, it is vital first to familiarize yourself with the basics of NBA live betting. Make sure you understand the different types of bets you can make, especially how to read point spreads, moneylines, and totals. If you are wagering on game or player props, make sure that you research what bets you may want to target before the game begins and understand how those bets work as well.

No matter what type of bets you are considering, it is crucial to go in with a plan. Sports bettors should have a maximum limit on how much they are willing to wager on a live event and be careful not to exceed that. As odds constantly change, you do not want to keep pouring money into more live bets throughout the game. Know when to walk away.
The odds in live betting are very dynamic so you want to do your research before the game starts and know what you are looking for. Once the game gets going, neither you nor the odds makers will have a lot of time to decide how you feel about the new line, so think about some of the different possibilities beforehand. For example, let’s say you have been researching a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. After analyzing the game, you feel extremely confident that the Lakers will win outright, but they are a five-point favorite, and the money line price is -225, which you don’t see as great value. In many cases, both teams will go through hot and cold spells throughout an NBA game, so if you wait for the game to start, at some point, the opportunity to get the Lakers at a better money line price or even as an underdog may present itself. Or if you are on the other side and like Denver as an underdog, you could get even better value if the Lakers get off to a hot start.

Unlike pregame betting, if you plan to get the most out of live betting, it is important to actively watch the game you’re betting on. Watching the game will allow you to observe momentum shifts, key player body language, and coaching adjustments. Also, remember that unless you are physically at the game, you are likely listening or watching the game on a delay. Radio, television, and internet delays can be up to several seconds and even minutes. I recommend following the score on multiple platforms, and often timeout breaks are a good time to place your wagers.
Ultimately, remember to come in with a plan and do not get too impulsive. If you came into the game liking the Lakers and were looking to get a better number than the -5, remember if they fall behind early 19-12 in the first quarter and are now available at -1.5, that is actually one of the reasons you waited. If you think about it too long, the Lakers can be up 25-22 in a matter of minutes, and the odds can be up to -7.5, just like that. But also watch the game because there could be an injury or player ejection affecting the odds as well.
Like anything, live betting takes practice, some skill, and a lot of discipline that can be learned over time. However, because the oddsmakers are so good at the pregame lines they set, getting a few extra points due to a brief momentum swing in a live wager can make a big difference between you winning and losing.

Which former Brooklyn Big 3 member is under the most pressure before the close of the 2023 season?

When James Harden was traded to Brooklyn in January 2021 to join forces with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets looked destined for a series of championship runs. The dynamic trio won 81% of their games when they all played; unfortunately, that was just 13 wins out of the 16 total games they all played together. Harden is now with the 76ers, Irving is with the Mavericks, and Durant is with the Suns.

Kevin Durant has received a lot of criticism, notably from Charles Barkley lately, but I still believe he has the least to prove. Durant is a four-time scoring champ, won a regular season MVP in 2014, and is also a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Even with several critics coming down on him for joining the Warriors in 2016 after the franchise went 73-9, Durant was the X-Factor in ensuring the Dubs got revenge on Cleveland in the 2017 and 2018 Finals.

What Kyrie Irving is looking for from a basketball standpoint is a complex question that I wonder if he even has the answer for. Still, Irving does have a World Championship under his belt, but unlike Harden or Durant, he has never won an MVP award or scoring title. Even if the Mavericks fail to reach the postseason in 2023, Irving has had limited time to mesh with Mavs star Luka Doncic and head coach Jason Kidd. Still, how much blame is fair to put on Irving for the team’s shortcomings?

I believe James Harden has the most to prove. Harden is a three-time scoring champion and won the MVP in 2018, but he has never won an NBA championship, and he has not been to the finals since 2012 when he was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although Harden had a dynamic career with the Houston Rockets, he did not lead that franchise to a Western Conference championship but still has a good situation now paired with MVP candidate Joel Embiid in Philadelphia. The 76ers will have a tall task in the Eastern Conference playoffs, with the Bucks and Celtics favored above them, but the opportunity is still there for Harden to take his legacy to another level.

With each former Nets member now on a different franchise, which superstar’s legacy do you believe is under the most pressure to prove himself as the 2023 postseason approaches?

Thanksgiving Football Preview

The Lions will host the Bills in the opening Thanksgiving game at 12:30 pm EST. The Bills were a 10-point favorite as of Tuesday night, and the total was set at 54 points.
The Bills are the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl this season, but the Lions have won three straight games outright as an underdog. Both teams are also cooking offensively, ranking in the top 11 in total offense, passing, rushing, and scoring.
While I believe the Bills will get more stops than the Lions, 10 points is a lot to lay against a surging team on their home turf. My favorite play for this game is over 54.

America’s team will host the Giants during the heart of the day. The Cowboys are a 9.5-point favorite, with the total set at 45.5. Although the spread is large, the Cowboys did beat the Giants earlier this season on the road by seven without Dak Prescot. The Giants also have a long list of injuries that continue to pile up since Sunday’s loss to Detroit. One thing about the Cowboys is when they win, they have won big lately, with their last five wins coming by 12 points or more. I’d either lay the 9.5 on the Boys for this game or pass. But I can’t trust New York in this spot.

For the NFL nightcap, we have the Minnesota Vikings, who are coming off an embarrassing 40-3 home loss, hosting the New England Patriots, who are on a three-game winning streak and have won five of their last six games. With the Vikings sitting as a 2.5-point favorite and the total set at 42.5, this is expected to be the closest game on the turkey day slate.

On the college side, there’s the Egg Bowl between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Ole Miss is a two-point home favorite, and the total is set at 59. The Rebels beat the Bulldogs as a 2.5-point road underdog last season.
A big story around this game involves rumors that Lane Kiffin is in talks with Auburn to become their next head coach. Will the rumors have any effect on the Ole Miss players? Soon we shall see.
Let me know which Thanksgiving game you are most excited to watch and what is your favorite personal bet for the day.