In this article, we’ll take a look back on the 2017 MLB regular season and identify the five best over teams in terms of betting on game totals. Although the most common line of thinking would be that the best offensive teams would also make for the best teams for betting on the over, in many cases, the opposite is actually true. This is due to the fact that Vegas oddsmakers are very accurate in terms of setting the game totals. As a result, teams with a high-powered offense will usually have this fact reflected in their game totals as well, making it more difficult for these teams to exceed their game totals. Here’s the five best over teams during the 2017 MLB regular season.
New York Mets
Over-Under Record: 90-60-12
Surprisingly, the offensively-limited New York Mets were the best over team during the regular season, posting a 90-60-12 record for a .600 winning percentage. This was likely due to the fact that the game totals for the games that the Mets were involved in were set at a very low number since oddsmakers did not have high expectations for them offensively. The Mets ranked slightly below average in terms of runs scored per game at 4.54. However, since the Mets’ starting rotation was ravaged by injuries, this also contributed to opposing team having an easier time scoring runs against them.
Detroit Tigers
Over-Under Record: 87-68-7
The Detroit Tigers posted a 87-68-7 record for game totals going over, resulting in a .561 winning percentage. In terms of runs scored per game, the Tigers were tied exactly with the Mets, also scoring 4.54 runs per game on average. The Tigers, similar to the Mets, had a lost season, finishing in the bottom of the American League Central division. Furthermore, the Justin Verlander midseason trade certainly didn’t help the Tigers with run prevention.
It’s not surprising to see the Tigers in this spot as their 5.36 ERA was the worst in all of baseball. No team allowed more runs than them (894) and they also gave up the 12th-most walks and had the sixth-fewest strikeouts. Opposing batters hit .282 against them, which was the worst number by any pitching staff in the Majors.
Miami Marlins
Over-Under Record: 84-67-11
The Miami Marlins scored an average of 4.80 runs per game during the regular season, which was slightly above average. With home-run leader Giancarlo Stanton in the Marlins’ lineup, you can never be too sure about betting on the under since one swing of Stanton’s bet can really change things in a hurry. During the regular season, the Marlins posted a 84-67-11 record on the over, resulting in a .556 winning percentage. While the Marlins were never truly out of the race for the final wild card spot, their 2017 season ended in disappointment nonetheless as they failed to qualify for the postseason.
Oakland Athletics
Over-Under Record: 84-73-5
Another bottom feeder has made our list. As the fourth best over team during the regular season, the Oakland Athletics posted a 84-73-5 record, corresponding to a .535 winning percentage. Had you bet on every Athletics game to go over, you would have made a bit of money – not much compared to the Mets, Tigers, and Marlins. In terms of average runs scored per game, the Athletics ranked just above the Mets and Tigers, scoring 4.56 runs per game.
Cincinnati Reds
Over-Under Record: 83-73-6
The Cincinnati Reds also had a laughable 2017 regular season but somehow made this list as the top five best over teams. The Reds posted a 83-73-6 record for games going over, resulting in a .532 winning percentage, slightly worse than the Athletics, but would have still made you a bit of money. In terms of average runs scored per game, the Reds were league average, scoring 4.65 runs per game.
The other main factor here was that the Reds pitching staff was quite terrible. Their 5.17 team ERA was the worst in the National League and the second-worst in all of baseball. Opponents batted a healthy .263 against them, which is why so many of their games trended to the over.
The 2017 MLB season has come to a conclusion as the Houston Astros were crowned champions. The 2018 World Series futures are already posted, so if you’re looking at betting lines, click here to bet on MLB (or any other sports) at BetDSI!
