The most promising part of spring training is only tangentially related to the games on the field (unless, of course, you get to go). For most of us it’s the promise that a new season of baseball is upon us. Part of that promise is the prospect of wagering American currency on various possible outcomes. Earlier this month we looked at the Rockies’ World Series odds, and earlier this week Bovada released their MLB win total over/unders.
Bovada Opening MLB Win Total Over/Unders
| Team | Over/Under |
|---|---|
| Team | Over/Under |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 77½ |
| Atlanta Braves | 73½ |
| Baltimore Orioles | 80½ |
| Boston Red Sox | 92½ |
| Chicago Cubs | 95½ |
| Chicago White Sox | 69½ |
| Cincinnati Reds | 70½ |
| Cleveland Indians | 92½ |
| Colorado Rockies | 80½ |
| Detroit Tigers | 82½ |
| Houston Astros | 89½ |
| Kansas City Royals | 76½ |
| Los Angeles Angels | 79½ |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 93½ |
| Miami Marlins | 76½ |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 69½ |
| Minnesota Twins | 74½ |
| New York Mets | 88½ |
| New York Yankees | 82½ |
| Oakland Athletics | 73½ |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 73½ |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 82½ |
| San Diego Padres | 66½ |
| San Francisco Giants | 87½ |
| Seattle Mariners | 85½ |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 84½ |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 77½ |
| Texas Rangers | 84½ |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 84½ |
| Washington Nationals | 90½ |
The oddsmakers in Vegas have set the Rockies over/under for the 2017 season at 801⁄2 wins. As we noted last time, these shouldn’t be viewed as predictions or projections from this faceless group, but moreso how they expect people (namely, their customers) to evaluate and bet on teams. As expected the Cubs (951⁄2) have the highest over/under and the Padres (661⁄2) have the lowest. I’ll let you decide in the comments if any others are particularly interesting, but see if you can spy our beloved Rockies.
An over/under at 801⁄2 is a proclamation of mediocrity for the Rockies. But after five straight losing seasons, a lot of us would gladly take that! If you believe in the depth of the lineup and pitching staff and like the direction the Rockies are taking, you’re probably going to take the over. If you’re skeptical about whether this team has improved that much over the one that won 76 games a year ago, you might take the under.
Which one are you going to take?