MLB Predictions, Picks, and Best Futures Bets for the 2022 Season (Roundtable)
Opening Day of the 2022 MLB season is here!
While the lead-up from the conclusion of the lockout has almost felt non-existent with March Madness, and now Masters week going on, there's still plenty of great opportunities for season-long betting. Set it today, and keep the stakes going throughout the entirety of the MLB season!
Here are the BetSided editorial team's favorite bets for the 2022 season, with all odds courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.
2022 MLB Best Bets to Make on Opening Day
Ben Heisler
Best OVER Win Total Bet: Minnesota Twins OVER 81.5 Wins
The Twins' signing Carlos Correa to a short term 3-year contract may have been the most pleasantly surprising move of the offseason, but one that I think may pay enormous dividends in getting Minnesota back into the postseason.
Even in a heavy regression year, the Twins still finished ninth in baseball in Fangraphs' offensive runs above average.
The rest of the division may be on the rise in a few years, but the team everyone is chasing, the Chicago White Sox still have glaring holes
81.5 feels far too low for a team that should find their groove again offensively, and has more depth in their rotation and bullpen to not be taken seriously. -- Ben Heisler
Best UNDER Win Total Bet: White Sox UNDER 91.5 Wins
What should have been an offseason full of improvements and motivated upgrades for a World Series contender resulted in very little for the White Sox. Their starting rotation, once considered the top strength of this team is now relying on the upside of Dylan Cease in the No. 2 spot, and Carlos Rodon, a Cy Young contender a season ago is now in San Francisco.
They shored up right field with the trade for A.J. Pollock, but now Craig Kimbrel is gone to bring him in, and the bullpen just lost a mighty weapon in the left arm of Garrett Crochet who's likely done for the season with an elbow injury.
Oh, and their manager is 77 years old while still finding new ways to piss off the fanbase.
AL Cy Young: Logan Gilbert (+7000)
May not be familiar with the Mariners' flame-thrower? Throw down $10 to win $700 and you'll start staying up late for west coast baseball.
The 24-year old righty has nasty stuff, sitting in the mid to high 90's with his fastball while also mixing in a slider, curveball and change. He was a bit unlucky last year as his ERA wasn't a true reflection of how dominant he was, but that will change in 2022 with nearly a full season under his belt.
My former co-worker Shawn Childs at Sports Illustrated, is also in agreement. If I get someone nicknamed "The Oracle" backing a play I'm on, I feel like I may want to double down!
NL Cy Young: Chris Bassitt (+3000)
Fresh off his fire sale trade from the Mets, Bassitt heads to New York where he doesn't have to be the ace of the staff and can settle in and dominate like he did for much of last season, but on a far improved roster.
The swing-and-miss is continuing to get better, finishing with by far his highest strikeout-per-nine innings numbers of his career, and should continue to improve with teammates like Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer available on the roster.
He doesn't have the stuff that his two teammates has, but he has longevity and the ability to start every game; something that we may not see from the others in 2022.
AL MVP: Kyle Tucker (+3000)
Tucker finished 11th in Fangraphs' Offensive Runs Above Average metric last season, ranking 5th in the AL. But, offense aside, he's also an outstanding defender as well.
The Astros will be looking to him even more with Correa gone in Minneapolis for consistent offensive production in the middle of the lineup; something he provided especially in the second half of the season. Tucker was the top hitter in the American League during that stretch, sporting a wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) of 177. That's the third best in baseball, with league average coming in at 100.
NL MVP: Trea Turner (+1000)
In the midst of the stacked Dodger lineup, Turner gets to hit behind Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, with guys like Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger right behind him. Does it get any better than that?
When healthy, Turner is a .300-plus average guy with 20-plus home run power, far over 100 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, and an outstanding middle infielder. Now with a full offseason under his belt in L.A, he'll shine even brighter in the city of stars.
American League Pennant: Toronto Blue Jays (+525)
I'm buying the hype!
Toronto's lineup is as stacked as ever, and after falling a game short of the final wild card spot a season ago, they went out and addressed the core pitching issues plaguing them from a season ago in their rotation.
Alek Manoah in the rotation for a full season makes an already good rotation a very good one, and they have multiple MVP candidates in their lineup from Vlad Guerrero Jr, to Bo Bichette.
National League Pennant: Los Angeles Dodgers (+250)
The rich get richer as Corey Seager goes and Freddie Freeman arrives in La La Land.
The Dodgers are projected by WynnBET to win 98 games, and they've won over 100 in three of the last five seasons; one of which was the 60-game COVID season so let's call it three of four and move on.
I can't fathom a team that has the ability other than the Mets with a healthy deGrom or Scherzer that stand a chance.
World Series Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers (+500)
Boo me, chalk in the World Series, I know, I know, shame on me.
Believe it or not, the odds actually aren't that unreasonable. Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projections has L.A. with a 18.1% to win the World Series. The second-highest team is the Yankees at 17.9% in a much tougher division.
The Dodgers have no weaknesses in their lineup with a rotation that includes Walker Buehler and Julio Urias at the top of the mix. There's going to toy with teams all season long.
Peter Dewey
Best OVER Win Total Bet: Seattle Mariners OVER 85.5 Wins
The Mariners may be the most fun young team in baseball, with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Jarred Kelenic, Julio Rodriguez and others, but can they make the leap to a division winner?
The Mariners’ win total is set at 85.5 this season after they won 90 in the 2021 campaign, and they are one of my favorite OVER bets for the 2022 season.
I think it’s possible they also win the division, but it’s going to come with a better offense than last season. Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez should help immediately, and the Mariners almost made the playoffs in 2021 despite ranking in the bottom 10 in the league in OPS and runs scored.
With better bats and some young arms coming into their own, the Mariners could make some serious noise in 2022.
Best UNDER Win Total Bet: San Diego Padres UNDER 88.5 Wins
Count me out on this Padres team winning 90 games with Fernando Tatis Jr. expected to miss a major chunk of the 2022 season. Yes, the Padres make all the splashy trades, but this team is still trying to unload Eric Hosmer because it has too many players and nowhere to play some of them.
The Padres are way overvalued after winning just 79 games last season, and they actually went 20-12 without Tatis last year! I don’t see that happening again, and I am skeptical that the Padres can compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the NL West.
AL Cy Young: Shohei Ohtani (+2500)
The reigning MVP is coming for some new hardware in 2022.
With the new rule change that allows Ohtani to remain in games to hit after his starts, the Los Angeles Angels may have more of an incentive to pitch him every fifth day after he made just 23 starts last season.
Ohtani has dealt with some arm injuries in the past, but he was also really solid last season, going 9-2 with a 3.18 earned run average and striking out 10.8 batters per nine innings.
I think he has a serious chance at Cy Young if he makes closer to 30 starts, and the numbers are certainly on par with some of the top pitchers in the league. At +2500 this is a bargain to take Ohtani.
NL Cy Young: Zack Wheeler (+1500)
There was an argument to be made for Zack Wheeler to win the Cy Young award last season, as he finished with a 2.78 earned run average, led the National League in strikeouts, innings pitched, complete games and shutouts.
Wheeler ultimately finished second to Corbin Burnes, but with the Phillies improving their offense, there may be less opportunities for the bullpen to completely implode and blow leads for Wheeler and the rest of the staff in 2022. If Wheeler comes anywhere near last season’s performance, he will be in the running for sure.
AL MVP: Bo Bichette (+3000)
I made my pick for American League MVP in our BetSided 2022 MLB Season Bold Predictions video, and I’m sticking to it.
Give me Bo Bichette.
Last season, Bichette did it all for the Jays, and he appeared in 159 of 162 regular season games. The shortstop hit .298 with 29 homers, 102 runs batted in and finished 16th in the league with 5.9 win shares.
Yes, he plays on the same team as Vlad Guerrero Jr. (+475), but there’s a ton more value at this point in taking Bichette, who is also an anchor for a Blue Jays team that is projected to have the most wins in the American League.
NL MVP: Juan Soto (+275)
I’m going to be boring and take the favorite in this one, but Juan Soto may have deserved MVP last year even though the Washington Nationals struggled.
Soto ended up finishing in second, and he’s now hit .313 or higher in two straight seasons and led the NL in on-base percentage last season. In 2020, Soto had an OPS+ of 217 (league average is 100) and he followed it up with a 175 OPS+ last season.
This kid is the real deal, and I don’t really love anyone else at the top of the odds board to pass him.
American League Pennant: Toronto Blue Jays (+525)
You can poke holes in just about every AL contender (the Blue Jays, for example, need a better bullpen), but the Jays have probably the most complete lineup and starting rotation in the American League.
If they live up to expectations, I think they'll make a move for a bullpen arm or two at the deadline and solidify themselves as the best team in the AL. The AL East is a juggernaut, but if the Jays win the division, I think they’re going all the way to the World Series.
National League Pennant: Atlanta Braves (+600)
We may be witnessing the beginning of an Atlanta Braves dynasty, as the team won the World Series in 2021 without its best player, Ronald Acuna Jr.
Yes, Freddie Freeman is a Dodger, but the Matt Olson trade was a savvy move by the Braves. I’d love to see them upgrade in the rotation, but adding Kenley Jansen to the bullpen was another underrated offseason move.
I think Atlanta makes it back to the Fall Classic.
World Series Winner: Atlanta Braves (+1200)
A dynasty in the making? We might have it.
With Jacob deGrom hurt I think the Braves have an easy path to potentially the top spot in the National League, and the return of Acuna makes them the most dangerous team in baseball after last season’s amazing run.
The Dodgers are my only concern in the National League, and I simply think Atlanta’s lineup is way too deep to count out in the postseason.
Iain MacMillan
Best OVER Win Total Bet: Detroit Tigers OVER 79 Wins
The Detroit Tigers are loaded with young talent and have the benefit of playing in one of the weaker divisions in baseball. Rookie Spencer Torkelson will be in the mix to win AL Rookie of the Year, and while they may not make the playoffs, I think they’ll hit the OVER on their win total.
Best UNDER Win Total Bet: Yankees UNDER 92 Wins
The Yankees are done, my friends. Gone are the Yankees of old who will out-spend every team in the Majors to buy their way to a championship. Good luck with Josh Donaldson, who left his best days in Toronto a half decade ago. Pair all that with having to play in the unbelievably stacked AL East. No-brainer.
AL Cy Young: Shane McClanahan (+1500)
If there’s one thing the Rays do well, it’s developing young pitchers. McClanahan sported an impressive 3.43 ERA in his rookie season, and is now poised to become one of the most dominant pitchers in the American League.
NL Cy Young: Walker Buehler (+1000)
Buehler finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting last year, and I think the 27-year old is ready to take the next big step. With a 2.64 ERA last season, he’s set to be Dodgers’ ace for years to come.
AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr (+475)
They won’t be able to deny Vladimir Guerrero Jr the MVP award when he smashes 60 dingers this season. End of story.
NL MVP: Bryce Harper (+750)
The two-time MVP, including the winner of the year last season, is +750 to win it again this year? Easy bet. Sign me up.
American League Pennant: Toronto Blue Jays (+525)
People forget the Blue Jays had the 5th best run differential in the Majors last season and were ripped off from getting into the postseason. It won’t happen again this year. They’re the best team in the AL by a wide margin.
National League Pennant: Los Angeles Dodgers (+250)
It’s the square pick, but it’s the right one. The rich got richer this offseason when the Dodgers signed Freddie Freeman. Who else can contend with them in the NL this year? No one.
World Series Winner: Toronto Blue Jays (+1000)
Donnavan Smoot
Best OVER Win Total Bet: Los Angeles Dodgers OVER 98 Wins
The Dodgers have extreme talent at every position on their roster and I expect them to cruise through the regular season. Los Angeles has cleared 100 wins in three of the last five seasons. This will be the first time since 1941-1942 that they will win 100 games in consecutive seasons.
Best UNDER Win Total Bet: Baltimore Orioles UNDER 61.5 Wins
The Orioles lost 110 games last season, and a majority of them weren’t fluky losses. Baltimore had the worst run differential in the Majors. It also had the worst defense, ranking in the bottom five in several categories. In a stacked division, the Orioles will get lost in the mix.
AL Cy Young: Kevin Gausman (+2000)
Guasman is one big leap away from winning it all. He finished just outside the top 5 last season. Guasman can get up to the top this season based on his durability (most games played) and his ERA (6th in the majors last year). With the Jays expected to close games better, Gausman can sneak in a few more wins.
NL Cy Young: Zack Wheeler (+1500)
Wheeler is the definition of an ace. He pitched the most innings of any pitcher last season and led the majors in strikeouts. He also had the most complete games and shutouts. If Wheeler can show that same level of durability, the trophy is his.
AL MVP: Mike Trout (+425)
When Trout is healthy, he’s an MVP candidate. Before he lost last season due to injury, he had nine straight top 5 MVP finishes. Trout might be the best player of all-time and I’ll back him in a comeback season.
NL MVP: Juan Soto (+275)
Soto has slowly been creeping up the MVP finishing list. He’s finished in the top 5 in the last two seasons, and I think this is the year he can get it. He can do everything and will be one of the best two-way players in the game.
American League Pennant: Chicago White Sox (+600)
The American League is wide open and the White Sox are coming. They are in a weak division and will secure a spot in the ALDS easily. Chicago has an ace in Lance Lynn, the fifth-best team ERA and the seventh highest scoring offense. They are a complete team and can shock the league this season.
National League Pennant: Los Angeles Dodgers (+250)
The Dodgers have won the NL Pennant in three of the last five years and went to the NLCS in another year. They are consistently in the NLCS, which gives them the best chance to keep getting to the World Series.
World Series Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers (+500)
It’s hard to look at the Dodgers and not see a World Series team. They have all the stars, experience and a winning culture. At this point, it is a surprise when they get beat and although that puts a lot of pressure on them, they have the personnel to get the job done.
Reed Wallach
Best OVER Win Total Bet: Los Angeles Dodgers OVER 98 Wins
Don’t know what to tell you guys. The Dodgers are a wagon. Again.
LA reloaded after their 8 year NL West title streak came to an end last season, bringing in World Series champ Freddie Freeman and trading for Craig Kimbrel to replace Kenley Jansen. The Dodgers lineup is as vaunted as ever and the pitching staff is still deep around Cy Young contenders Walker Buehler and Julio Urias. Los Angeles won 106 games last season, I don’t see why they can’t flirt with that number again.
Best UNDER Win Total Bet: Cardinals UNDER 85.5 Wins
I think the Cardinals were a bit of smoke and mirrors last season, leading to their 90-72 record. The team closed winning 22 of their final 29 games to qualify for the postseason, and I’ll fade that in this season's win total. The team is going to be without their ace Jack Flaherty indefinitely, who has a nagging shoulder injury, and the team is short on reliable bullpen arms.
I’m not buying this team even in a weak division, give me the under.
AL Cy Young: Nathan Eovaldi (+2000)
Eovaldi led the AL in WAR last season and will be filling in at the top of the rotation for an injured Chris Sale to start the year. Eovaldi is a workhorse and can build up his strikeout numbers quickly. He’s in a tough division, the AL East, but that can help his case if the Red Sox rise to the top of the division.
NL Cy Young: Sandy Alcantara (+2500)
I don’t have a real feel here, so I’ll take a stab at a team with upside. If the Marlins can navigate a tricky, but vulnerable, NL East, somebody is going to get an award, so why not their best pitcher?
He is a volume pitcher that can compile stats all season, I think this price is a bit wide.
AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+475)
It’s so strange to see two teammates at the top of the oddsboard in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. So why not take the third fiddle in a three-man race heading into the year? Vladdy is a monster hitter, MLB best 48th in homers last season, and is on one of the most talented rosters in baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays.
While the two Angels cancel each other out, Guerrero will jump to the top and lead the Jays to the American League’s best record.
NL MVP: Pete Alonso (+3000)
Best power hitter in baseball? What if he just mashes 50 in a loaded Mets lineup that finds a way to stay healthy and competes for the National League Pennant? The odds are too long here.
American League Pennant: Blue Jays (+525)
Too much talent, I think they walk away with the best record in the league and navigate the American League into a World Series berth.
National League Pennant: Mets (+500)
Sure, it’s the Dodgers world, but the Mets –when healthy – have the rotation to go toe-to-toe with them. They also now have the lineup to match anyone in the MLB, so let’s hope they stay healthy and get over the hump.
World Series Winner: Mets (+1200)
It was always the Mets. Team is so talented they just need to find a way to stay on the field for 162 games. Jacob DeGrom and Max Scherzer are the best 1-2 punch in baseball on the mound and Francisco Lindor will hopefully find his footing around a vaunted lineup with Pete Alonso and Starling Marte.
Follow BetSided's MLB coverage all season long with predictions, picks, and more to help make 162 games a little more actionable...