MLB Predictions

In a league where the best teams usually have regular-season winning percentages just above .600, it might seem nearly impossible to make accurate MLB predictions. However, baseball also has a few trends that can lend themselves to helping you making winning MLB predictions.

Here are some tips you can use when attempting to make top mlb predictions.

Watch the starting pitchers at all times. Baseball is one of the few sports where one player can completely control the outcome of the game. A strong starting pitcher can really give his team a great opportunity to win. Consequently, a poor start by a pitcher often costs his team a win. When making predictions on MLB games straight up, starting pitching is the component most worth studying.

When attempting to make MLB predictions against the money line, keep in mind that Las Vegas strongly factors in the starting pitching matchup when setting the money line. Betting on teams with great starting pitchers in the lineup usually will not yield great odds for bettors. At that point, it pays to delve a little deeper when making MLB predictions. Pay attention to how a particular pitcher fares in a certain visiting ballpark and how he fares against certain teams. A great starting pitcher might always struggle in Fenway Park, for example. Because MLB teams play each other several times per season, you often can obtain some good trends on how a particular pitcher will perform against a particular opponent.

Several places on the Internet track the performance and statistics of home-plate umpires, which can be beneficial in trying to determine how certain starting pitchers will perform. For example, if one umpire happens to have a large strike zone, and one team's starting pitcher is a veteran who has pinpoint control to take advantage of the large zone, that can be beneficial in helping you make your MLB predictions. Studying umpire statistics is a bit more difficult recently than it used to be, because Major League Baseball more closely watches umpire performances, trying to develop a consistent strike zone from umpire to umpire. However, such umpire statistics still can hold some benefits.

Tracking lineup changes can be particularly frustrating when trying to make MLB predictions. Starting hitters sometimes are left out of the lineup at the last minute, because of an injury that wasn't well publicized. However, such last-minute lineup changes are easier to track now than they've ever been, thanks to all of the Internet sites devoted to baseball. Some good places to check for last-minute lineup changes include: Blogs from newspapers that regularly cover a particular team, fantasy baseball Web sites, and BBS sites devoted to a particular team, where fans may be listening to a local radio pre-game show. Before making a final prediction on an MLB game, check on the lineups. If one team decides to rest a couple of star players at the last minute, you'll have an informational advantage.

Finally, try to keep emotions out of your MLB predictions. Baseball players always try to keep their emotions on an even keel to make it through an entire season, and bettors should do the same. Just because one starting pitcher let you down on one of your predictions his last time out, it doesn't mean he'll do the same this time. Don't hold grudges; even the best starting pitchers will have several poor outings per season. Making accurate MLB predictions requires you to look at the facts, and ignore feelings about your favorite players or teams. Because sports are based on emotion, it's difficult to take objective looks at all teams and players, but it's a must if you want to be successful at making MLB predictions.