MLB Betting – Marlins Could Have A Legitimate Shot At The Division

The Miami Marlins were the talk of the baseball world this past winter, with a new stadium, new team name, new jerseys, and a ton of new faces taking their talents to SouthBeachin the MLB version of Extreme Makeover. However, even with all of the change that encompassed the team in the offseason, the Marlins were overlooked as a legitimate contender by the majority of MLB blogs, in a division that also features the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals and New York Mets. Things haven’t exactly carried out according to the script through the first couple of weeks of the season though, with the Nationals winnings 10 of their first 13 games to climb to the top of the division, while the defending NL East champion Phillies are stuck at the bottom. Lost in the craziness early on is the performance of the Marlins, which has been enough to make some fans in theMiami area believe they have a legitimate shot at the division.

Of course, with Marlins’ manager Ozzie Guillen stealing the spotlight with the ridiculous comments that earned him a suspension from the team, and the new stadium with its almost as ridiculous Marlins’ home run attraction in the outfield adding to the distractions from the actual product on the field, there is no doubt that this actual Miami team has been under the radar. The Marlins overall record hasn’t been very impressive either as they have hovered around the .500 mark to open the year, but if you look at the finer details, there are several reasons to believe this team could become a legitimate sports betting contender.

The Marlins rank in the top-third of the league with a combined .256 batting average, and most of the players are still getting settled in to their new digs. The combination of 2011 NL batting champion Jose Reyes at the top of the order with Hanley Ramirez batting in the three-spot has already looked like one of the best in baseball, including Ramirez hammering home runs in three straight games earlier in the week. Emilio Bonifacio and Omar Infante are both batting over .330 to open the year, and with some quality depth in Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison, the Marlins have a ton of betting options.

With the offense accounted for, the focus can change to the starting rotation, where Mark Buehrle got his first win on Wednesday throwing five strikeouts through eight-strong with just one earned run allowed. Buehrle should be fine in terms of givingMiamia shot to win every game and sometimes stealing one, but the Marlins are going to need more from both Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez. Johnson has struggled early on this season and needs to be better forMiamito have a shot, and if the team can get something from Sanchez in Carlos Zambrano, they very well could surprise.

A quick look over the Betonline preseason favorites to win the NL East shows that the Marlins weren’t considered among the top choices, and the lack of respect that they have gotten could lead to some good value out there throughout the year. Whether or not the talent in Guillen’s clubhouse has what it takes to win games is an entirely different story altogether, but don’t sleep on them as a team capable of winning some big games this season. The Nationals will be in tough to keep up their current pace, and neither the Braves or Phillies have been overwhelming early on, so while Miami may not be the flashiest choice as a betting option, they could surprise by contending for the division.