Updated 2020 MLB Win Totals: National League Preview And Picks

Greetings gang! Optimistically speaking we should have MLB this year, at least in a limited form. You have to go back over 100 years in history (1878) to find the last time the MLB season featured only 60 games. The only positive thing that I can take away from the upcoming season is that we will still see two separate meetings between all the major rival matches (Yankees/Mets, Dodgers/Angels, Cubs/White Sox, etc.).

Given that everything goes without a hitch and the league can pull off 60 games in 66 days across 28 cities, there are MLB still win totals available to bet. Handicapping these are different than normal as scheduling will play more of an effect than natural. Also, there is an option for players to opt to stay home instead of playing, and some of these have yet to be announced. I’ll update these as schedules are released and when any breaking news is announced, but until then, here’s my take on the win totals.

*You can bet these win totals as well as tons of other things over at MyBookie.ag!*

NL East Division

Atlanta Braves – 33.5 (O-130/U+100)

Let’s get things started with one of the best teams in the NL shall we? The Braves finished second in the NL last year with 97 wins, and they are primed for another run. They lost starting pitchers Julio Teheran and Dallas Keuchel as well as veteran catcher Brian McCann, but replaced them nicely. They were able to add outfielder Marcell Ozuna and catcher Travis d’Arnaud as well as starting pitcher Cole Hamels and closing pitcher Will Smith. Long story short, Atlanta is going to be a force this season regardless of the length.

Pick: Over 33.5 Wins (-130)

New York Mets – 32.5 (O-115/U-115)

I don’t really know what to make of this year’s Mets team. They should have Yoenis Cespedes back from injury which should boost their batting order (and it needs it desperately). The team also signed starting pitchers Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha, however neither had a great season last year. The Mets will also be without superstar pitcher Noah Syndergaard for at least a period of the season. This win total is about right so proceed with caution, but I am siding with the slight over.

Pick: Over 32.5 Wins (-115)

Miami Marlins – 24.5 (O-115/U-115)

Heads up Marlins fans who may be in denial, this season is going to be another rough one. Miami was the worst team in the NL with only 57 wins last season, and to put this in perspective the closest team to that was the awful Pirates with 69 wins. The only addition of note for the team during the offseason was Jonathan Villar, and he’s never had a batting average higher than .285 any season in his seven year career. The Marlins have a lot of young potential future stars, but this won’t be their year.

Pick: Under 24.5 Wins (-115)

Philadelphia Phillies – 30.5 (O-115/U-115)

Okay, so let me start by mentioning that the Phillies made a hell of a signing in shortstop Didi Gregorius. He joins a lineup that has a ton of potential, but couldn’t live up to the hype last year. They have a pretty nice rotation of starting pitchers as well as a decent bullpen too, however the whole team can be inconsistent. I expect Philadelphia to figure things out this year to an extent, and I fully believe as do many experts that that they will end the limited season with a record better than .500.

Pick: Over 30.5 Wins (-115)

Washington Nationals – 33.5 (O-115/U-115)

We’re going to see if the World Series run by the Nationals was a fluke or not this year. They lost two big pieces of the team in third baseman Anthony Rendon and fan favorite Gerardo Parra. They did add Starlin Castro who is looking for a career resurgence and this could be a great move. There’s a ton of question marks in the lineup of Washington this year, but one thing will be certain. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and rest of the pitching staff will do enough to get them over this win total.

Pick: Over 33.5 Wins (-115)

NL Central Division

Chicago Cubs – 31.5 (O-115/U-115)

Onto the toughest division in baseball, the NL Central. The Cubs are the interesting team in this division, not only because I am a fan, but also because they didn’t make many changes. They lost starting pitcher Cole Hamels to free agency, and they will have a new manager with Joe Maddon off to the Angels. Maddon made some questionable calls during his time there, and one can assume the Cubs will have a somewhat different approach to the game now. I don’t think Chicago has a division win in their arsenal, but 32 wins is easily achievable given the amount of veterans on the team.

Pick: Over 31.5 Wins (-115)

Pittsburgh Pirates – 25.5 (O-130/U+100)

Don’t look now Pittsburgh fans, but things aren’t getting better for you this year. The Pirates batting order is going to be about like it was last year, and that is mediocre at best. Pitching was a massive problem for them last season due to injuries and suspensions, but I have a feeling it will be a huge issue this year without any help. The team did little to nothing to help their case during the break, and there’s a reason their win total is this low.

Pick: Under 25.5 Wins (+100)

Milwaukee Brewers – 31.5 (O-115/U-115)

I’ve been telling anyone that will listen that Milwaukee is going to be legit. This is a team that didn’t lose much during the offseason, and they were able to replace what they did lose. They also won 89 games last year, and they were missing their best player in former MVP Christian Yelich for 100 of the games during the year. Pitching could potentially be an issue for the Brew Crew, but with a lineup this potent you’re guaranteed to get your fair share of wins.

Pick: Over 31.5 Wins (-115)

Cincinnati Reds – 31.5 (O-115/U-115)

The Reds could potentially be a sneaky play this year. I will say that they didn’t make a ton of changes during the offseason, but the team was just catching stride towards the end of the season last year. Cincinnati’s batting order leaves much room for improvement, however their pitching rotation is solid with Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer and Wade Miley. I don’t know if I believe that the Reds can win the division, but they will certainly hit the over on this win total.

Pick: Over 31.5 Wins (-115)

St. Louis Cardinals – 31.5 (O-115/U-115)

If you’re looking for a division winner to bet, then St. Louis is the one to take. They didn’t add much during the break and they did lose some players. This won’t be a hindrance for the team though because they had the depth to replace said players. The Cardinals have been known in the past to be a spotty team that tends to go on hot and cold streaks, but I believe this will be a good year for them. I expect them to be in the playoffs this year, and this win total is almost a give-me.

Pick: Over 31.5 Wins (-115)

NL West Division

Colorado Rockies – 27.5 (O-120/U-110)

The Rockies have an uphill battle ahead of themselves for this season. I expect their batting order to be absolute garbage this year, and they somehow gotten worse during the offseason. It is always worth noting when talking about Colorado that Coors Field is a joke of a stadium. It is super easy to hit home runs there, and I believe this is going to ultimately hurt them this year with a poor pitching staff. I am on the under for this one due to the poor nature of the roster of the Rockies, but proceed with caution as this is a super low total.

Pick: Under 27.5 Wins (-110)

Los Angeles Dodgers – 37.5 (O-130/U+100)

This is one team that I feel as though I don’t need to spend a ton of time talking about. It is worth noting that Los Angeles with have a somewhat new look with some new players in place. However, they still had a great offseason despite losses to the pitching staff. They traded outfielder Alex Verdugo for Mookie Betts and David Price, both of which are figured to step in and make a difference. You can take the over on this win total to the bank, and look for some potential futures as well.

Pick: Over 37.5 Wins (-130)

San Francisco Giants – 25.5 (O-115/U-115)

It appears as though we are back on a team that has been under-performing in recent years. You would think a team with Brandon Belt, Evan Longoria, Hunter Pence and Buster Posey in its batting order would be more potent. I don’t expect San Francisco to have quite as dominant of pitching as we have become accustomed to as ace Madison Bumgarner and closer Will Smith both left via free agency. For what it’s worth, I do like most of what they are left with. I believe there is some upside in this young pitching rotation and this veteran batting order should find their groove this year.

Pick: Over 25.5 Wins (-115)

Arizona Diamondbacks – 30.5 (O-115/U-115)

If I was forced into playing a longshot to win this division, it will be the Diamondbacks. The team didn’t have many losses in the clubhouse and they added two big pieces in outfielder Kole Calhoun and ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner from division-rival San Francisco. Arizona pieced together a very quiet 85 win season last year, and they will certainly either be the winner or most like second in this division this year. Pound the over on this win total before it moves because this one is surely to go up.

Pick: Over 30.5 Wins (-115)

San Diego Padres – 30.5 (O-115/U-115)

To wrap things up, we will look into yet another under-performer in this division. The Padres did pick up 70 wins a year ago which isn’t bad, but there is plenty of room for improvement here. They traded their best player in Hunter Renfroe, although picking up Tommy Pham in return isn’t a bad flip. San Diego also picked up Jurickson Profar which should help boost a stagnant lineup. I am terrified of backing this pitching staff though, and I have zero faith that they can piece together a .500 season.