By Ryan Bologna
We are two days away from the start of the MLB season and rosters have rounded into shape. Here are three of the best win total bets for teams this season.
Philadelphia Phillies Under 86.5 Wins
The Phillies should be one of the most entertaining teams to watch this season. After adding Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to a lineup that already has Bryce Harper, they should score a lot of runs. But they will give up a lot of runs as well, as they have one of the worst defenses in MLB.
The Phillies rotation has some really good pieces. Zack Wheeler had a Cy Young case last year and Aaron Nola is a good arm. The question marks start after those two. Kyle Gibson and Zack Eflin are good arms, but both are sinker-ball pitchers who rely on ground ball outs. A middle infield of Didi Gregorius and Alec Bohm might not be the best pairing for them.
The bullpen has been a problem for years for the Phillies as well, and additions like Brad Hand, Jeurys Familia and Corey Knebel are no guarantee to be solutions.
Given the weaknesses of the Phillies and being in a division with the Braves and Mets, under 86.5 wins seems like a good bet.
Milwaukee Brewers Over 89.5 Wins
The defending National League Central champion Brewers are built on the same strength as last year. They have a great case for the best pitching staff in baseball. Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff are about as good as you can get for the top two spots in a rotation and Freddy Peralta is no slouch. Their bullpen is elite and headlined by Josh Hader and Devin Williams.
The Brewers will not be known for their offense, but their elite pitching combined helped them win 95 games last season. Being in the NL Central helps as well, as the only team that can likely challenge them for the division is the Cardinals. With the Cubs, Reds and Pirates rebuilding the Brewers could easily reach 90 wins again.
Chicago White Sox Over 91.5 Wins
While the White Sox will be missing Lance Lynn for April, the rest of the rotation should still be enough for it not to make too much of a difference. Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Dallas Keuchel and Michael Kopech provide plenty of depth. Johnny Cueto and Vince Velasquez should be good spot starters as well.
They added A.J. Pollock to an outfield that already includes Eloy Gimenez and Luis Robert. Even though they gave up Craig Kimbrel to get Pollock, they dealt from a position of depth. The White Sox bullpen is still among the best in MLB with Liam Hendricks, Aaron Bummer and Kendall Graveman.
While teams in their division like the Twins, Tigers and Royals could be improved this season, the White Sox are still the team to beat in the American League Central. They should be able to win 92 games or more in 2022.
Picture Credit: Keith Allison
