2022 MLB over/under betting picks & season predictions

MLB rosters are just about set with Opening Day just a couple of weeks away. With the exception of some trades and the last bit of free agent signings, what you see today is likely what will be seen on Opening Day.

For the second year in a row, there will be a ghost runner at second base at the start of extra innings. As the MLB prepares to play a full 162-game season in just 172 days, it’s extremely important that players remain fresh throughout, which is why the MLB and MLBPA agreed upon the ghost runner again this season.

With that being said, here are some of our favorite over/under win totals for the upcoming 2022 Major League Baseball season.

Seattle Mariners UNDER 85.5 wins

The Mariners came out of nowhere a season ago, finishing with 90 wins. They ended up missing the playoffs in the last game of the season but came so close to breaking their 20-year playoff drought.

On paper, the Mariners upgraded, there is no doubt about it. The addition of reigning Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray will help stabilize the rotation for the Seattle, but the loss of Kyle Seager will cut deep this season. Seager served as the team’s emotional leader mostly because he had been through so many terrible Mariners seasons. Seager came up in 2011 and spent his entire 10-year MLB career in Seattle. Last year was only the fourth time since 2011 that the Mariners finished with a winning record. They have not had back-to-back winning records since 2002 and 2003 seasons.

There have been countless teams that have come out of nowhere to surprise people over the years, but it’s easy for teams to succeed when no one expects them to. The Mariners have expectations this year, and we don’t find it very likely that they reach 86 wins. Hammer the under for the Mariners – the magic is gone.

Chicago Cubs OVER 74.5 wins

The Cubs are going to surprise some people this year. While the former core of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Kyle Schwarber all signed big deals elsewhere this winter, the Cubs are slowly building a new nucleus. The Cubs struggled last year, they endured not one but two 11-game losing streaks last year but still managed to finish with a record of 71-91. They were moving along just fine prior to the first big losing streak where they decided to blow the nucleus of the 2016 World Series team up. Bryant got shipped to Giants, Rizzo to the Yankees, and Baez to the Mets. The team also parted ways with Craig Kimbrel, who was traded to the other side of town, and Yu Darvish was traded to the Padres.

The Cubs yielded some decent returns in exchange for their fire sale at the 2021 trade deadline. Nick Madrigal is a stud second baseman and should hit at the top of the Cubs lineup for years to come. The former first round pick has a career batting average of .317 since his debut in 2020. The Cubs also brought in Seiya Suzuki from Japan this offseason, as well as Clint Frazier, and Marcus Stroman, all should serve huge roles in the coming season. David Ross has proven to be a very good manager and should hold things steady when times get tough in Chicago. No one is saying that the Cubs are going to win the division or even make the playoffs, but 74 wins is too low for a Cubs team that is not that bad. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Cubs finish with a winning record, they’re our favorite bet on the board.

New York Mets UNDER 90.5 wins

When’s the last time the Mets were favored to win this many games? Oh, that’s right, last year. After a crazy offseason last year that included the addition of Francisco Lindor and James McCann, people were all over the Mets. They yet again failed to meet expectations as they finished third in the NL East with a record of 77-85. Lindor finished the season below his career average in many offensive categories and Jacob DeGrom was the best pitcher in the world until injuries derailed his season. They even tried to double down at the trade deadline and brought in Javier Baez from the Cubs, but that didn’t work out.

On paper, the Mets look like one of the best teams in the National League. The duo of DeGrom and Max Scherzer looks terrifying for opposing lineups but how many times do the Mets have to show us that they are indeed the Mets? The year 2021 was one that Mets fans would surely like to forget, it included injuries, underwhelming performances, and the whole team booing the fans at Citi Field. It’s easy to have high hopes for the 2022 Mets but meeting expectations have never been the Mets strong suit, taking the under here is all but a lock.

Boston Red Sox OVER 85.5 wins

The Red Sox are in a stacked AL East that includes some legitimate players. You can make a case for each of the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Rays being the top team in the entire American League, but let’s not forget about the Red Sox.

Say what you want about Alex Cora, but any Cora-led team should be expected to be in the playoffs. In three full seasons as manager, the Red Sox have never finished with a losing record and have even won a World Series. Cora is the perfect mix of analytics and gut feel in a town that is home to the best coach in all of sports. Cora always seems to get the most out of his players, and with talents like Trevor Story, Xander Bogarts, and Rafael Devers the Red Sox have the ability to make some serious noise this season.

A season ago, the Red Sox finished second in the AL East with a 91-70 record. The Sox were two wins away from a second World Series berth under Cora but the over/under is set at 85 wins? The Red Sox are a high-80s, low-90s win team this season.

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