Spring Training Off and Running – February 26

MLB teams are a couple games into the spring training exhibition season. There have been no surprises thus far. The Los Angeles Dodgers, the betting favorite to win the 2024 World Series, are off and running in spring training. They lead the Cactus League with a 3-0 record. Baltimore, which had the best record in the American League last year (101-61), leads the Grapefruit League with a 2-0 record.

One of the biggest stories heading into the 2024 season is Shohei Ohtani and his move to the Dodgers. Ohtani will make his spring training debut tomorrow. He will DH for Los Angeles in their spring training game against the Chicago White Sox. Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason. The reigning AL MVP will not pitch this season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn UCL. Ohtani will be available as a designated hitter for the Dodgers who are given +350 odds to win this year’s World Series.

How Spring Training Works

Spring training typically starts in early to mid-February. Pitchers and catchers are the first to report to their teams’ spring training sites. Position players follow a few days later. Pitchers need the extended training time as their training also involves rest. Once all the position players have arrived at a team’s spring training facility, team practices can begin.

In the late 1800s, the early days of major league baseball, the New York Mutuals were the first team to go south to practice for an upcoming season. By the 1870s, many teams were going south to places like New Orleans and Savannah, Ga., for spring training. The Washington Nationals were the first MLB team to go to Florida for spring training. 

These days, teams go to either Florida or Arizona for their spring training. Teams that hold spring training workouts in Florida compete in the Grapefruit League. Arizona-based teams play in the Cactus League. After a couple weeks of workouts, teams begin to play exhibition games. They play teams in their particular league. The leagues are made up of both American and National League teams. Spring training concludes in late March and the regular season begins.

Our Cappers Win Big

As mentioned yesterday, sometimes it pays to fade the public. Remember, fading the public is simply betting against the public. Yesterday’s overall leader, Knup Sports, went against the popular picks and played the draw in two MLS matches. Both ended in ties and Knup Sports took home +630 on just two picks.

Three Sports Hub exclusive cappers, including my super smart cousin Computer Picks, made the top-5 yesterday. A total of 36 handicappers made at least $100 yesterday. Can they do it again? We shall see.

Let’s check out yesterday’s results first.

• Knup Sports: It was only two picks, but when you bet on plus-money odds, you have the potential to win big. That’s exactly what our friends at Knup Sports did yesterday. They went 2-0 on two MLS picks and earned a total of $630. That’s a great day! With a 54.6 percent winning percentage, Knup Sports is our 30-day leader with $1994 in winnings.
• Scott’s Picks: Paid picks from Scott had another solid day, going 8-3 and earning $481. Scott’s Picks now sits at the top of the 7-day leaderboard ($1202) and 14-day leaderboard ($1997). Scott is winning 62.6 percent of his picks over the last two weeks.
• SWJ Sports: Scott at SWJ Sports had a great day with a combination of NHL and NBA picks. SWJ Sports went 9-5 on 14 picks and won $470 to take the No. 3 spot on the board.
• Robert Ferguson: Robert is a name you should recognize. He’s in and around the daily top-5 on a regular basis. Yesterday, it was four college basketball picks…4-0 and $400. That gives Robert $930 in winnings over the last seven days. That is No. 2 on the 7-day leaderboard. His picks are 17-7 over the last week.
• Computer Picks: Then, there is our illustrious Computer Picks. These AI-generated picks only release when there is at least a two-point difference between the actual betting line and the computer-generated line. Yesterday, that meant a total of 15 picks. CP went 9-6 and added $240 to the bankroll. Over the last five years, Computer Picks hits 58 to 59 percent of its picks.

Ohtani to Make Spring Training Debut

Ohtani hasn’t played yet in any of the Dodgers’ three spring training games. He has participated in practices, drills, and batting practice. He’ll make his Dodgers debut tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how his rehabilitation is coming along.

There’s more trending in the sports world. Let’s check it out.

• Ohtani debuts tomorrow: The Dodgers will play the Chicago White Sox tomorrow in a Cactus League spring training matchup. Ohtani will be the Dodgers’ DH in his first live action in this spring training.
• Caitlin Clark: The Iowa star was at it again yesterday. Clark, the NCAA career leading scorer in women’s basketball, recorded her 16th career triple-double yesterday. The Hawkeyes beat Illinois 101-85. Clark had 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. Iowa has won all 16 of the games in which Clark recorded a triple-double.
• NBA suspensions: After a fight in Friday night’s Miami-New Orleans game, five players have been suspended by the league. Jimmy Butler got into it with Naji Marshall to begin the ordeal. Butler and Nikola Jovic will miss Miami’s game tonight in Sacramento. Thomas Bryant will miss the rest of the Heat’s road trip.

• Messi: Lionel Messi scored a goal late in yesterday’s match between Inter Miami and the LA Galaxy. The result was a 1-1 draw, giving Inter Miami a 1-1-0 record over the first weekend of play in MLS. 

Busy Monday Sports Schedule

Coming off a pretty intense weekend chock full of sports and betting action, Monday’s are usually the lull after the storm. That’s not the case today. There are a couple key college basketball games on tap. There is elite level international soccer as well as enough NBA and NHL games to keep bettors happy.

What’s on the schedule today?

1. NCAAB: There are only two games featuring ranked opponents. No. 10 North Carolina will host Miami. The Hurricanes have lost six straight and haven’t been a factor in NCAA tournament bubble talk for some time. No. 11 Baylor will try and bounce back from a tough loss to No. 2 Houston on Saturday. The Bears will play at TCU tonight. Baylor is a 2.5-point road underdog.

2. NBA: There are only four NBA games tonight. Sacramento hosts Miami, which has won three straight. The Heat won’t have Jimmy Butler or Nikola Jovic tonight and Tyler Herro is questionable. The Kings are a 7.5-point favorite. Our own Sports Hub Insider is 11-5 ($599) on its NBA picks over the last 14 days. 
3. NHL: There are four games on the NHL schedule tonight. NHL Network will broadcast the New York Islanders at the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars. Game time is 8:00 p.m ET.
4. Soccer: There is still some professional soccer in the world’s best leagues today. You can find one match each in the Premier League and La Liga. Italy’s Serie A has two matches. Coventry City plays Maidstone United in an English FA Cup match.
5. Tennis: The ATP Tour continues today with play in three tournaments – the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the Movistar Chile Open, and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel. On the WTA Tour, women are playing in the Cymbiotika San Diego Open and the ATX Open. Check our members’ area for tennis picks. 
6. MLB: All 30 MLB teams will play today in spring training. Teams will play most every day in spring training until the 2024 season begins. This season will start in South Korea where the Dodgers and Padres will play the Seoul Series starting on March 20. All 30 MLB teams are set to play on the official Opening Day on March 28, ending spring training.

Need help navigating today’s bets? We’ve got your back here at Sports Hub. We have expert handicappers in every sport. You can search our database to find the best of the best and to find out who has the hot hand over the last 3, 5, or 7 days. It’s just one of the many great features here at Sports Hub. 

If you’re not a member already, hit that bright orange button at the top of the page to get started. It takes just a few minutes. When done, your membership will give you access to the best handicappers in the entire sports betting industry…and most of them you can find only here at Sports Hub. Until tomorrow…