Pitchers and catchers have reported and hope springs eternal around Major League Baseball. Still, realistic expectations are important and, for teams like the Atlanta Braves that are not expected to contend for the 2018 World Series crown, it becomes quite interesting to see what exactly is projected by experts in the industry.
The good people of FanGraphs currently project Atlanta to finish with a 75-87 record, with PECOTA projections outlining a 76-win outcome and USA Today’s predictions landing in the same range. Still, the experts in the desert had not fully weighed in until recently, when Las Vegas sportsbooks began setting season win total over/under lines for all of baseball.
South Point released those numbers on Tuesday and the Braves landed with an over/under of 75 wins.
MLB season win totals @southpointlv via @andrewssports pic.twitter.com/CwNiFUYLa6
— Marc - EDGeVegas (@MeltzVegas) February 13, 2018
This does not come as a full-blown surprise, especially with knowledge from the projection systems and an off-shore book like BetOnline.ag, which is currently set at 74.5 wins. In 2017, there were periods of optimism but, in the end, Atlanta finished with a 72-90 record that wasn’t necessarily out of line with the team’s overall performance.
Of course, the Braves have a great deal of young talent that could take steps forward, led by Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and a slew of youthful arms. That kind of uncertainty can bring variance to the table and, if you are interested in the handicapping angle of baseball (or, frankly, something to root for financially on a daily basis), this could be a useful guideline for your immediate future.
Predictions and projections will continue to fly in over the next few weeks but the early Las Vegas line is 75 wins for the Braves. Argue amongst yourselves.