Betting April baseball games
There is nothing perhaps more exciting than an early spring baseball game in April, but for sports bettors it can be a real challenge.
Baseball games played in the month of April are different than baseball games in any other month of the season, as players and coaches make adjustments in preparation for the long season ahead of them, making it a difficult task for baseball handicappers to really cash in.
However, if handicappers are aware of the uniqueness of April games, and can compensate for the differences, then it can be very profitable for them. So to help, we have assembled a list of things that makes April a distinctive month for baseball.
First and foremost, there is very little statistical data available, but especially for pitchers, who will have virtually no real track record to speak of until early May. With so much about wining baseball games resting in large part upon starting pitchers, this can make things extremely difficult for handicappers to accurately predict the outcome of any baseball game in April. However, the work around is to base decisions on how a pitcher threw in the spring, how he finished the prior season, how healthy he is and how he has done against the team in the past.
The second issue surrounding handicapping MLB games in April, is trying to figure out if a team’s new player acquisitions are, or will be working out.
With so many trades or free-agent signings being made to improve a team’s ability to win games and make a playoff push, new players often times don’t gel within their new environment until later in the season. Team chemistry can take time as a new player figures out his role and how he can best contribute to the team. This leads to a lot of public speculation, which in turn can present real opportunities for handicappers who recognize lines that are shaded because the public is banking on a team’s newest slugger to contribute right away.
The next thing baseball handicappers need to be aware of when betting April games is that many hot young prospects are usually not brought up to their MLB affiliates early in the season, as team’s usually don’t have the finances to pay for the extra talent. That means teams will not get the benefit of a talented young player in the lineup until later in the season, when possible trades may free enough funds.
When a team has a solid rookie in the system, it can create a lot of headaches for handicappers, and most of those headaches come in April.
Finally, any new manager situation can create a challenge for baseball handicappers. And while a new skipper may have had spring training to work with his new team, it’s not nearly enough time.
A manager needs to work with his team under regular season conditions before he really knows what he has to work with. Therefore, handicappers betting on games in April have to spend some serious time new managers to see how a team should be dealt with based on a new direction.
