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Best and Worst Run Line Teams in MLB Through First Month of 2022 Season

By Ben Heisler

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts congratulates his squad following another win by more than one run this season.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts congratulates his squad following another win by more than one run this season. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Back on April 21, BetSided's Iain MacMillan wrote about the Los Angeles Dodgers being the smart bet to make in the early going. In all nine of their victories en route to a 9-3 start, the Dodgers also were 9-3 on the run line.

Now two weeks later, with a full month of the season underway, the Dodgers' dominance on the run line has continued at its torrid pace. Through 21 games and into a new month, L.A. has yet to win a game straight up without also covering on the run line.

L.A. is 14-7-0 on both the run line and moneyline this season; covering 66.7% of their games for bettors at WynnBET Sportsbook and elsewhere. They have had just two games winning by two runs or less. In victories this year, the Dodgers have outscored their opponents by 88-24 for a margin of victory of 2.2 runs PER GAME!

Top MLB Run Line Teams in 2022 (as of May 3, 2022)

Run Line Record via TeamRankings

  1. Dodgers: 14-7-0 (66.7%)
  2. Padres: 15-8-0 (65.2%)
  3. Mets: 15-9-0 (62.5%)
  4. Mariners: 14-9-0 (60.9%)
  5. Yankees 14-9-0 (60.9%)

There's no real surprises at the top of the leaderboard, considering all five teams are at the top of their division (Dodgers and Padres both tied for first).

It's important to point out that the Padres, while having the same number of moneyline wins as they do run line wins, is a slightly different distinction than the Dodgers. The Dodgers have been favored in all 21 games this year, so they've needed to win by more than two runs in every game to hit on the run line. The Padres, while an impressive 12-5-0 ATS as a favorite, have won multiple one-run games this year as a run line underdog.

Worst MLB Run Line Teams in 2022 (as of May 3, 2022)

  1. Reds: 6-16-0 (27.3%)
  2. Tigers: 8-13-0 (38.1%)
  3. White Sox: 9-13-0 (40.9%)
  4. Rays: 9-14-0 (39.1%)
  5. Nationals: 9-15-0 (37.5%)

This list has a few more surprises to it after bettors realize just how brutal the Reds' start to the season has been. Via Codify Baseball, Cincinnati is on pace to have an OPS+ (on-base plus-slugging plus) of 63. No team in Major League Baseball history has ever finished with a number that low (league average is 100).

Both the Chicago White Sox as well as the Tampa Bay Rays are notable surprises on this list. Chicago remains a massive favorite at WynnBET to win the AL Central and trails only the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees in the American League for the shortest odds to win the World Series. Chicago sits at 9-13 on the season thus far with a run differential of -21 runs. Their expected win-loss record is actually 8-14, compared to the 9-13 record they currently own.

The Rays project to be slowly coming out of their early season funk; sitting at 13-10 in the standings with a run differential of +2. Where the Rays have really hurt bettors this season is as a favorite. Tampa Bay is 6-14-0 ATS as a favorite, and 4-12-0 ATS at home. As an underdog, the Rays are 3-0-0 this season.

Follow all of Ben Heisler's betting plays in real-time HERE

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