If you find yourself struggling to find free MLB picks that actually hit, it might be time to start doing the hard work yourself. It’s possible to come up with winning picks on your own, but you are going to have to do some research.
Many would argue that betting on baseball can be a bit more challenging than some other sports, but that’s not necessarily the case. Just like with other sports, if you follow a certain plan, then you can make some successful baseball predictions.
Here are some tips to remember when you set out to make baseball predictions.
Look at Starting Pitchers
Many factors can decide a baseball game, but the starting pitchers for each team are always going to play a key role. If you are going to make good baseball predictions, then you have to take a close look at the starting pitching matchup for each game.
The new pitching rules at the MLB level are going to have an impact on starting pitchers as well, and it should actually keep those players in the game longer. You can’t stop with the starting pitcher matchup, but it has to be the first place to start. Additionally, the implementation of new pitching rules won’t eliminate the importance of human skill and strategy, as pitchers still have to outperform a pitching machine.
Check the Weather
Because baseball is an outdoor sport, you are always going to have to look into the weather forecast for a particular game. Of course, this point doesn’t matter if the game you are looking at is going to be played indoors.
Weather can have a huge impact on how a certain game is played out, and it can definitely have an impact if you are going to try and predict the number of runs that will be scored.
Always Wait For Lineups
It’s usually common practice to make baseball predictions as early as possible, but that’s not always the proper thing to do. Instead, you are going to want to wait until the lineups are posted before making predictions so that you know who will be on the field.
Even the best MLB players are not going to be on the field every single night, as managers are always looking to give players rest. You don’t want to bet on a team until you know that the best players will be in the lineup.
Check Injury Report
Even if you aren’t going to wait until the lineups are announced, you have to take at least a look at the injury report for each team. Baseball teams don’t have to be as thorough when it comes to announcing injuries, but you can usually get good information.
Just like with waiting for the lineups to be posted, you don’t want to pick a team that isn’t going to have its best players available to play.
Search For Recent Trends
You always want to look for recent trends when making predictions for any sport, but it might be more important in baseball. Baseball players tend to be streaky, and you can learn a lot by seeing how players have been performing of late.
Those trends are always going to change at some point, but it’s at least something to look at when trying to predict what is going to take place in a game. The more trends you find, the better off you are going to be.
Look at Player Stats
Don’t forget to make baseball predictions on player props, and that can be done by looking closely at player stats. Prop betting isn’t always as popular with baseball as it is in other sports, but it’s still something that you will want to consider.
Be sure to look at both pitchers and batters when trying to predict player stats, and sometimes those predictions are going to work together.
Can Always Predict Live Action
While most of your baseball predictions are likely going to take place pregame, that’s not your only opportunity to make some predictions. You should also be trying to make baseball predictions during live action, and that might actually be easier to do.
If you wait until the games start to make predictions, then you are going to get a feel for how the game is being played out.