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The concept of <a href="http://bangthebook.com/picks/umpires.php"><strong>tracking umpires for betting</strong></a> purposes has been around for a number of years now. The majority of baseball bettors probably don’t pay much attention to them. That’s not the case for everybody, however, as some people are quick to follow along with the latest umpire trend.

You can safely count me in the group who could really care less who the umpire is. That not only goes for sides, but totals as well. Sure, some umpires might be a little more generous with the strike zone than others, but the pitchers and hitters get to know each umpire’s quirks and tendencies and can make the proper adjustments.

There were 87 umpires who called at least 10 games behind home plate in the 2015 season. With any group that size and what is basically a 50-50 proposition, you’re going to have some umpires with a high percentage of overs and others with a large number of unders. That’s basic math. If the same umpires continued their trends year in and year out, you would be on to something. But the fact is umpires are just as likely to have a reversal as they are to continue with their trend.

I tracked all of the umpires who saw 62.5% of their games go over or under the total in 2015 and looked how a bettor would have fared betting on those trends to continue in 2016. Bettors would have had a 165-163-13 record, which is about as close to a random occurrence as one could get. I’ve tracked other seasons in the past and have found the same thing, so you can safely discount the umpires from your totals handicapping.

The differences between home and away umpires were even more pronounced than they were for totals. In 2015 home teams lost $1,274 when Ted Barrett was behind home plate, but won $410 in 2016. Then there is somebody like Jim Reynolds, who saw away teams finish $2,005 in the hole with him behind home plate in 2015. In 2016, visiting teams were +$1,344 with Reynolds calling balls and strikes. Jerry Meals went from road teams losing $1,506 in 2015 to winning $989 in 2016 and Sam Holbrook saw road teams go from -$931 to +$826 the following year.

There were 16 umpires in 2015 who saw either the home team or the away team show a flat bet loss of $800 or more. In 2015, only five of them saw a continuation of their 2015 trends, with one of them retiring.

Umpires are one part of the game that can be safely ignored.

Handicapping MLB Umpires

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<p>Tip-off for this Western Conference matchup between the Suns and Spurs is set for 8:00 ET at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. The Suns are favored by 9.5 points over the Spurs, and the over/under line is currently sitting at 229 points.</p>

<p>Phoenix enters this game with a record of 41-29, and they are currently 7th in the Western Conference. The Suns have won two straight games, while San Antonio has dropped their last two contests. The Spurs are 15-55, making them the 15th seed out West.</p><h3>PHOENIX SUNS VS SAN ANTONIO SPURS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: San Antonio Spurs +9.5</p><p>This game will be played at Frost Bank Center at 8:00 ET on Saturday, March 23rd.</p><h3>WHY BET THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 112-104 in favor of the Suns.</li><li>Our projections have Kevin Durant finishing with Kevin Durant points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.</li><li>From the field, we have the Suns finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.2% and knocking down 17 threes.</li></ul><h3>Does Phoenix Have A Chance at Frost Bank Center?</h3><p>The Suns are currently favored by 9.5 points against the Spurs. This season, Phoenix has been favored in 52 of their 70 games and has gone 35-17 as the favorite. Their ATS record as the favorite is 21-30.</p>

<p>Phoenix has won their last two games straight up and against the spread. In their most recent game, they defeated the Hawks by a score of 128-115. The O/U line for that game was 227 points.</p>

<p>For the season, the Suns have an O/U record of 31-38-1. In their games, the average over/under line is 231.9 points, and the average combined scoring is 231.5 points.</p>

<p>In the Western Conference, the Suns are currently in 7th place with a record of 41-29. Against other Western Conference teams, they are 22-19 compared to 19-10 against the East.</p>

<p>Phoenix's ATS record for the season is 28-41, including a road ATS record of 14-19. On the road, the Suns are 18-15 straight up and have an average scoring margin of +2.2 points per game.</p><p>Heading into the game, the Suns are ranked 10th in the NBA in scoring at 117.1 points per game. In terms of their road scoring, they are 8th at 117.0 points per game.</p>

<p>When it comes to pace, Phoenix is 15th in the league at 98.4 possessions per game. In terms of field goal percentage, they are 5th at 49%.</p>

<p>So far this season, the Suns have made an average of 12.2 three-pointers per game, which is 19th in the NBA. In terms of free throws, they are 2nd in the league at 19.6 made per game.</p><p>Coming into the game, the Suns' defense has finished two straight games with an increased number of points allowed. Overall, they are 16th in the league at 114.4 points per game allowed. The Suns defense is coming off a game in which they held the Hawks offense to just 55.4% shooting. Overall, they gave up 115 points to Atlanta.</p><h3>Can the San Antonio Offense Score Enough at Home?</h3><p>This season, the Spurs have gone 35-35 against the spread, including an 18-18 ATS record on the road. They have failed to cover the spread in their last two road games and are 17-17 ATS at home.</p>

<p>San Antonio's O/U record for the season is 34-35-1, and the under has hit in their last two games. Today's O/U line of 229 is lower than their season average of 231.4 points per game.</p>

<p>As the underdog, the Spurs have gone 30-33 ATS this season. They have been the underdog in all but seven of their games and have a scoring differential of -9.4 points per game as the underdog.</p>

<p>In their most recent game, the Spurs lost to the Grizzlies by a score of 99-97. The O/U line for that game was 216, and San Antonio was favored by -6.5 points.</p>

<p>San Antonio is currently in 15th place in the Western Conference with a record of 15-55. Against other Western Conference teams, they are 9-33 and 1-13 against division opponents. The Spurs are 8-26 at home and 7-29 on the road.</p><p>At home, the Spurs are averaging 113.6 points per game, which is 19th in the NBA. Overall, they are 22nd in scoring at 112.1 points per game. In terms of offensive style, San Antonio is 3rd in pace at 101.1 possessions per game.</p>

<p>When it comes to shooting, the Spurs are 25th in field goal percentage at 46%. In terms of three-point shooting, they are 29th in the league at 34%. Overall, they are 27th in true shooting percentage.</p>

<p>So far this season, San Antonio has made an average of 12.5 three-pointers per game, which is 16th in the league. In terms of free throws, they are 25th in made free throws at 15.7 per game.</p><p>As they prepare for the upcoming game, the Spurs is focused on shoring up their defense, as they are currently allowing an average of 119.4 points per game (25th). In terms of two point field goal attempts, the Spurs defense has allowed a shooting percentage of 55.8% while allowing 37.6% from downtown.</p>

Phoenix Suns vs San Antonio Spurs Betting Pick & Prediction 3/23/24

<p>The Trail Blazers and Mavericks are set to face off at 8:30 ET on BSSW. The Mavericks will host the game at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. The over/under for this Western conference contest is set at 238.5 points, with the Mavericks being the favored team playing at home against the Trail Blazers.</p><h3>PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS DALLAS MAVERICKS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Dallas Mavericks -10.5</p><p>This game will be played at American Airlines Center at 8:30 ET on Friday, January 5th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE DALLAS MAVERICKS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 113-100 in favor of the Mavericks.</li><li>Our projections have Luka Doncic finishing with Luka Doncic points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.</li><li>From the field, we have the Mavericks finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.3% and knocking down 17 threes.</li></ul><h3>Can Portland Pull Off A Win at American Airlines Center?</h3><p>As the Trail Blazers travel to take on the Mavericks, they are the 10.5-point underdogs and just 14th in the Western Conference at 9-24. Portland will also look to snap a two-game losing streak today.</p>

<p>So far, the Blazers have really struggled on the road this season, going just 4-13. They have also been the underdog in 29 of their 33 games and have an average scoring margin of -8.2 points per game as the underdog this season.</p>

<p>Portland's ATS record as the underdog for the season is 14-15, but they have failed to cover the spread in each of their last two road games. The Blazers' average road scoring margin of -8.2 points per game is 18th in the West.</p>

<p>Out of the Blazers' 33 games, 30 of them have had lower over/under lines than today's line of 238.5. Portland's over/under record for the season is 14-18-1, and they have two straight games finish below the projected totals.</p><p>In 78.8% of their games, the Trail Blazers offense has scored below what their opponents allow on average. Overall, Portland ranks 29th in scoring with 108.4 points per game. When it comes to field goal percentage, the Trail Blazers are 29th in the NBA at 43%. In terms of three-pointers, they are 19th in percentage and 19th in made three-pointers.</p><p>At this time, the Trail Blazers' defense is positioned 18th in the NBA, permitting 115.3 points per game. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Trail Blazers squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 58.8% inside the arc, and they're also giving up 33.1% from downtown.</p><h3>Can Dallas Deliver Being Favored at Home?</h3><p>With an overall record of 20-15, the Mavericks will look to pick up a win over the Trail Blazers as 10.5-point favorites. Going into today's game, Dallas is 7th in the West and 2nd in the Southwest.</p>

<p>Against the spread, the Mavericks have gone 7-9 at home and have an average scoring margin of +4.6 points per contest at home. When favored, Dallas has gone 16-6 this season.</p>

<p>The over/under record in Dallas' games is 21-14, and the under has come in each of their last two games. For the season, 24 of their games have had lower over/under lines than today's line of 238.5. The average over/under line in their games has been 234.6.</p>

<p>So far, the Mavericks and their fans have seen the Blazers already today, as Dallas won the game by a score of 126-97. The Mavs were also favored by 11 points coming into the game.</p><p>In terms of scoring, the Mavericks offense ranks 7th in the league at 118.5 points per game. In 68.6% of their games, the Mavericks have outscored their opponent's season-long defensive average. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks in scoring with 41 points in their most recent game against the Trail Blazers, while Kyrie Irving added 29 points.</p><p>Looking at the Mavericks defense, they will be looking for a better performance considering they are currently conceding 117.4 points per game (22nd). Most recently, the Mavericks' defense put together a solid performance, giving up just 97 points to the Trail Blazers.</p>

Portland Trail Blazers vs Dallas Mavericks Betting Pick & Prediction 1/5/24

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