Editor’s Note: For about two and a half years now, Joe has been publishing picks here and back at All Things NIT, our former site. There have been moments of elation (the Nationals winning the 2019 World Series, the first two months of the 2019-20 college basketball season). There have been moments of frustration (the Dodgers’ 2020 NLCS comeback, the second two months of the 2019-20 college basketball season). Overall, the results have been positive, with an average return on investment, per pick, of 2% when weighting by confidence (1 for low, 2 for medium, 3 for high) across 1,369 published picks, not including pending futures. And while 2% might not sound enormous, you can do a lot with it over time.
Use these picks at your own risk. Only you are responsible for any money you lose, and you should not bet more than you can afford to lose. If you have a gambling problem, get help.
Lines for these come from the Vegas consensus or the closest approximation available at the time picks are written, unless otherwise noted. FanGraphs is heavily used in making MLB picks.
Pittsburgh @ Minnesota
There isn’t a lot of cause for confidence in Pirates starter Wil Crowe, who came to Pittsburgh in the Josh Bell deal. He was once a decent prospect in the Nationals system, but he struggled upon promotion to AAA and his nine MLB innings so far haven’t gone well. He may surprise, but for all Matt Shoemaker’s struggles, the Twins are still a relatively safe play today.
Pick: Minnesota to win -200. Low confidence.
Anaheim @ Houston
No Mike Trout again in the Anaheim lineup as the Astros go for a four-game sweep.
Pick: Houston -1.5 (+140). Low confidence.
