MLB best bets: These early 2023 MLB betting trends will help you win

Most profitable team in baseball ... the Brewers?

Yes, you read that right. The Milwaukee Brewers are the most profitable team in baseball so far. No, not the Rays, the Brewers. We were shocked at first too, but the more we studied the numbers, the more and more clear it became. Milwaukee has played in the most shutouts this season — seven — having won four of them. The Brewers also have third best record in baseball at 11-5, including five wins as moneyline underdogs, and are 10-6 against the run line. 

World Series hangover? Yeah, it's real.

Houston beat Philadelphia in the World Series last year, but if you watched both teams play this year, you might not believe us. Both clubs are below .500 and both rank in the bottom third of the league in terms of profitability. Both the Astros and Phils are below .500 as moneyline underdogs and each have won just one series a piece so far.

Biggest surprises

Excluding the Rays' 13-0 start, the Pirates and D-Backs have to be the two biggest surprises so far this season. Both clubs lead their respective division and both rank in the top six in terms of profitability. Both clubs are .500 or better as moneyline underdogs, rank first and second, respectively, as underdogs against the run line and are both above .500 against the under. 

How many teams have yet to win a series?

The answer here is four, with the most surprising being the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox split a four-game series against the reigning champs but have lost each series since. The Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies are the other three teams that haven't won a series this season. And to be honest, we're not that surprised. All three were bad last season, and we didn't expect much from either club this year. 

Over/Under leaders

The Baltimore Orioles are the best team against the over at 11-4-1 after covering the over for the sixth straight game on Sunday while the Minnesota Twins are the best team against the under at 10-4-2 after covering the under for the third straight game on Sunday. Of the 30 teams in baseball, 18 are above .500 against the over with the remaining 12 siting .500 or below. 

When these guys pitch, you need to win bet on them to record the win, not just their team to

Shane McClanahan and Gerrit Cole have each made four starts, and both have recorded the win in all four of their starts. So, don't just bet on their team to record the win, bet on them to record the win too. Cole (+500), the current AL Cy Young betting favorite tossed a complete game shutout on Sunday over the Twins and has allowed two runs or less in each of his last four starts. Cole has also recorded 10 or more strikeouts in three of his four starts. Meanwhile McClanahan picked up his fourth win on Sunday and just like Cole, hasn't allowed more than two runs in each of his four starts. 

World Series betting favorite

Kind of hard to believe the Rays aren't the betting favorite to win the AL Pennant or the World Series after starting out the season, 13-0, but it is what it is. The Braves, who lead the NL with 12 wins are the betting favorite to win the World Series (+600) and the NL Pennant (+300) while the Astros, who aren't even above .500, are still the betting favorites to win the AL Pennant (+380). The Rays are currently 10/1 to win the World Series, 5/1 to win the AL Pennant and favored ahead of the New York Yankees to win the AL East (+155).