Doug
2
Written by Brian Steinberg ( aka Sherwood)
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All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
Washington over 71? -1.26 PINNACLE <o
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If you’ve been a reader of this site over the years then you’re fully aware that I never use the words “lock” or “cinch” but man, this is about as close to a sure thing as I’ve ever posted in the last seven years or so. Not only will the Nats crush this number, they actually have a chance to win the division. That’s right, they have a chance to win the division. The Nats biggest problem last season was scoring runs but they’ll score a ton more this season. In a recent spring training game, Manny Acta's first five hitters were Nick Johnson, Elijah Dukes, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham. The oldest two are 30. Four have had seasons with 23 or more homers; Dukes clearly could. Lastings Milledge and Jes?s Flores, both good hitting prospects, didn't play. Austin Kearns, one year removed from being considered a pro's pro, can't get mentioned here. Neither can Dmitri Young, a career .292 hitter. "Last year, we never had enough pieces for a [good] lineup," Kearns said. "Now, we have extra ones." Ryan Zimmerman and Elijah Dukes could both have monster years with hitters around them. As for the pitching, well, it just might be the best in the business. Daniel Cabrera came over from Baltimore and everyone knows he has some of the nastiest stuff in the league. With the right guidance he could easily be a 15-game winner or better, especially in this park. Scott Olsen came over from Florida and he, too, is a quality starter. Then there’s Jordan Zimmerman, one of the best pitching prospects in some time. The kid can downright bring it and he’s been phenomenal in the spring. In one of his first innings, Zimmermann faced Carlos Guill?n, Magglio Ord??ez and Miguel Cabrera and, on eight pitches, seven of them strikes, fanned the first two, then got a first-pitch dribbler to shortstop. John Lannan and Shairon Martis rounds out the rotation and both are extremely talented. In fact, Lannan is the opening day pitcher after throwing 182 frames last season and allowing just 172 hits for a BAA of .252. The pen is decent, as is their bench and with a new attitude, new staff and coaches, these Nationals are going to very competitive indeed and even if everything goes wrong they’ll still get well over 71 wins. Play: Washington Nationals over 71? -1.26 (Risking 5.02 units to win 4).
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Washington to win the World Series @ 200-1 PINNACLE <o></o>
Although it’s highly unlikely, it’s still worth a bet, as a lot of good things can happen for this team, especially in a pitcher friendly park like the one they play in where arms will not get as worn out like they do in other places. Several players have the potential to have career years and if they get off to a good start and gain some confidence they could be very dangerous. This is a young team with a ton of potential and I’ll acknowledge that there are a lot of “ifs”. However, if you want a “throwaway” bet with a chance for a huge return, this is it. Play: Washington to win the World Series +20,000 (Risking 0.5 units to win 100).
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All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
Washington over 71? -1.26 PINNACLE <o
></o>If you’ve been a reader of this site over the years then you’re fully aware that I never use the words “lock” or “cinch” but man, this is about as close to a sure thing as I’ve ever posted in the last seven years or so. Not only will the Nats crush this number, they actually have a chance to win the division. That’s right, they have a chance to win the division. The Nats biggest problem last season was scoring runs but they’ll score a ton more this season. In a recent spring training game, Manny Acta's first five hitters were Nick Johnson, Elijah Dukes, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham. The oldest two are 30. Four have had seasons with 23 or more homers; Dukes clearly could. Lastings Milledge and Jes?s Flores, both good hitting prospects, didn't play. Austin Kearns, one year removed from being considered a pro's pro, can't get mentioned here. Neither can Dmitri Young, a career .292 hitter. "Last year, we never had enough pieces for a [good] lineup," Kearns said. "Now, we have extra ones." Ryan Zimmerman and Elijah Dukes could both have monster years with hitters around them. As for the pitching, well, it just might be the best in the business. Daniel Cabrera came over from Baltimore and everyone knows he has some of the nastiest stuff in the league. With the right guidance he could easily be a 15-game winner or better, especially in this park. Scott Olsen came over from Florida and he, too, is a quality starter. Then there’s Jordan Zimmerman, one of the best pitching prospects in some time. The kid can downright bring it and he’s been phenomenal in the spring. In one of his first innings, Zimmermann faced Carlos Guill?n, Magglio Ord??ez and Miguel Cabrera and, on eight pitches, seven of them strikes, fanned the first two, then got a first-pitch dribbler to shortstop. John Lannan and Shairon Martis rounds out the rotation and both are extremely talented. In fact, Lannan is the opening day pitcher after throwing 182 frames last season and allowing just 172 hits for a BAA of .252. The pen is decent, as is their bench and with a new attitude, new staff and coaches, these Nationals are going to very competitive indeed and even if everything goes wrong they’ll still get well over 71 wins. Play: Washington Nationals over 71? -1.26 (Risking 5.02 units to win 4).
<o
></o>Washington to win the World Series @ 200-1 PINNACLE <o
></o>Although it’s highly unlikely, it’s still worth a bet, as a lot of good things can happen for this team, especially in a pitcher friendly park like the one they play in where arms will not get as worn out like they do in other places. Several players have the potential to have career years and if they get off to a good start and gain some confidence they could be very dangerous. This is a young team with a ton of potential and I’ll acknowledge that there are a lot of “ifs”. However, if you want a “throwaway” bet with a chance for a huge return, this is it. Play: Washington to win the World Series +20,000 (Risking 0.5 units to win 100).
