MLB Predictions Preview … Betting the MLB All-Star game is a lot like playing Baccarat. Anybody who plays baccarat knows the game has two sides, the player and banker, and one side tends to take off on long runs before the game shifts to another side. So is the case with the MLB All-Star Game. The cards have all fallen with the American League over the past dozen years with 10 wins and a tie, the National League last notching a win in 1996. The National League has the longest winning streak of 11, 1972-82.
Oddsmakers at online sportsbook SBGglobal.com have installed the American League as -144 money line favorite while NL backers are getting +124 money line odds. The game total is holding at 10-runs.
The tendency for this game is to bet with the American League. If you believe the hype then the AL is your side to win. After all, the game is in New York in the final year of Yankee Stadium before the swinging ball takes the old lady down following the season. Early betting trends show this to be the case with 54 percent of wagers on the AL. The OVER is most popular in totals betting among the public at 61 percent of online bets taken.
As a handicapper I prefer to avoid any kind of all-star event but I love to watch baseball’s showcase. If forced to take a side I usually fade the favorite. In this game and almost all star-studded events, the talent is evenly matched, however; the tangibles are on the side of the AL in this one. After all, the game is in Yankee Stadium in front of a rabid AL crowd. With the game at an AL site, the Designated Hitter rule is in effect. I always like the NL when the pitcher must bat but that hasn’t really mattered of late.
MLB All-Star Game Prediction: I am going to buck the trend and go with the NL tonight and take the +124 money line odds. The AL has owned the game for many years now and it is bound to swing the other way at any time… Just like a game of Baccarat.
