Closers & Baseball Picks

Written by Jimmy Boyd on July 12, 2008

Jimmy Boyd and his team release winning baseball picks to his clients every single day of the summer, but if you want to learn more about sports handicapping and be able to beat the MLB betting odds on your own then we also write articles detailing the thought processes we go through in finding our winners. Today we are going to be taking a look at how closers affect our betting decisions. If you only focus on starters then you are making a major baseball handicapping mistake.

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It’s nice when the team that you are backing can turn the game from a nine inning contest to an eight inning one. Certainly if you have Mariano Rivera or Jonathan Papelbon in the pen then this is the case, but there are also some others out there who can do the same such as Francisco Rodriguez for the Angels, Joe Nathan for the Twins, Trevor Hoffman in San Diego. All of these guys will save 40 plus games for their team this year and won’t blow but a save or two during the year.

All of these guys come in during late inning situations when their team needs to put a fire out, when they are needing to protect a close lead and the game is on the line. If they get the job done then the team and the people doing baseball betting on those teams pick up the win. If they don’t then these kinds of losses are the most heartbreaking that you will see.

It seems like when I’m watching a game and I see Papelbon come into the game I think one of two things. If I’m betting on Boston then I crack open a beer with a big smile on my face since I know the game is all but over. If I’m going against the Red Sox then I’ll more than likely turn the TV off and leave the room in a pissed off mood.

One of the ways you can use this with your baseball betting is that if you see a team the day before, then most likely you won’t see them on back-to-back nights. If you want to go against Boston or New York then you have to feel a little bit better even if you team is down. If the closer hasn’t pitched in two or three days and the team has a lead late in the game, you are going to see this guy march to the hill to lock it up. When adding up factors for and against on each game, take a plus if the closer has had a couple days off, and a negative if the closer pitched the night before.

Another key is whether the team is on home or on the road and the umpire behind the plate. If the closer is pitching at home then it seems to amplify their effectiveness. Trevor Hoffman coming in to the Bells of AC/DC’s Hells Bells is intimidating to the hitters, but if he’s coming in without the fanfare on the road then it’s just not the same.

So that’s how we treat closers, and also remember to read the newspapers to win more baseball bets!

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