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Two of the division races in the National League are pretty wide-open and the first of them is the NL East. The reigning champion Atlanta Braves have the shortest price, but the reigning World Series champs and the best third-place team in 2019 also reside in this division.

On one hand, these types of divisions are nice because everybody is available at a plus price. On the other hand, these types of divisions are tough because you aren’t going to find any really big plus prices that you can sink your teeth into like you can in the AL East or the AL West.

There also isn’t a clear “winner of the offseason” in this division. The Braves lost Josh Donaldson, but picked up Marcell Ozuna and signed the best free agent reliever in Will Smith. The Nationals could be considered a loser because they lost Anthony Rendon, but they also managed to retain Stephen Strasburg when he opted out of his contract. The Mets have a new manager and also made a few moves to strengthen the bullpen and the depth of the roster, but also lost Zack Wheeler.

Offseason transactions frequently shape the market and shape the viewpoints of those betting into the early MLB futures market. As far as the three most likely contenders go in this division, nobody really stands out. That is true of how the offseason went and true of the odds as well.

Here are the odds to win the NL East per <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/5dimes"><strong>5Dimes Sportsbook</strong></a> as of February 20, 2020:

<a href="http://bangthebook.com/atlanta-braves-win-total-analysis/161/"><strong>Atlanta</strong></a><strong><a href="http://bangthebook.com/atlanta-braves-win-total-analysis/161/"> Braves</a> +193</strong>

<a href="http://bangthebook.com/washington-nationals-win-total-analysis/133/"><strong>Washington</strong></a><strong><a href="http://bangthebook.com/washington-nationals-win-total-analysis/133/"> Nationals</a> +255</strong>

<a href="http://bangthebook.com/new-york-mets-win-total-analysis/145/"><strong>New York</strong></a><strong><a href="http://bangthebook.com/new-york-mets-win-total-analysis/145/"> Mets</a> +335</strong>

<a href="http://bangthebook.com/philadelphia-phillies-win-total-analysis/142/"><strong>Philadelphia</strong></a><strong><a href="http://bangthebook.com/philadelphia-phillies-win-total-analysis/142/"> Phillies</a> +385</strong>

<a href="http://bangthebook.com/miami-marlins-win-total-analysis/148/"><strong>Miami</strong></a><strong><a href="http://bangthebook.com/miami-marlins-win-total-analysis/148/"> Marlins</a> +37500</strong>

The poor Miami Marlins. We can scratch them off the list. In my estimation, we can also scratch the Philadelphia Phillies off of the list. There is very little upside with that team relative to the other three top dogs in the division. That is a team that just doesn’t stack up in my humble opinion.

In all honesty, it is a little bit of a surprise to see the Braves lined the way that they are. They won the NL East last season, but became an afterthought because of a first-round playoff exit. They became more of an afterthought when a division rival won the World Series as a Wild Card, becoming the first team to do that since the 2014 San Francisco Giants.

The Braves also overachieved per their alternate standings metrics. The Nationals were actually 5.5 games better than the Braves per 3rd Order Win% and five games by BaseRuns.

While I personally do like the Braves, I couldn’t bet them as a favorite. The Nationals could also be subject to a World Series hangover and also have the production of Rendon to replace.

The team right there to take advantage is the New York Mets. Admittedly, I do wish the price was bigger than +335 because the Mets are a flawed team in their own right. Most of their flaws are on the health side, so this is really a question of whether or not this team can stay healthy and really make a big push. They do have a big gap to overcome from where their alternate standings put them, both relative to the Braves and the Nationals, while not having added much of consequence to the roster.

With a lot of different ways that things could play out in the NL East, there just isn’t enough line value to really take any of the teams in this division, but the Mets at +335 would be the closest one for me. This is one where we can definitely shop around as the season approaches and possibly find a better number.

2020 NL East Division Betting Odds & Prediction

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<p>Looking to win big? The Bison and Tigers face off at 8:00 ET on None. The Tigers are hosting the game at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, MO. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 150.5 points, with Missouri being favored by -19 over Howard.</p><h3>HOWARD BISON VS MISSOURI TIGERS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Howard Bison +19</p><p>This game will be played at Mizzou Arena at 8:00 ET on Friday, November 8th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE HOWARD BISON:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-72 in favor of the Tigers.</li><li>Even though we have Missouri winning straight-up, we like Howard at +19.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 150.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.</li></ul><h3>Can the Bison Offense Score Enough on the Road?</h3><h3>Howard Bison Recent Game/Games</h3> 

<p>Howard faced a tough challenge on Monday, November 4th, as they took on the Jayhawks in an away game. The Bison entered the game as +27.5 point underdogs and ended up losing 87-57, failing to cover the spread.</p> 

<p>After a rough first half where they trailed 46-19, Howard managed to score 38 points in the second half while allowing 41. The total points for the game were 144, which was under the 155.5-point line.</p><p>Howard's offense struggled in their last game, putting up just 57 points on 37.9% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.8%, and they hit 36.4% of their threes, going 8-for-22 from beyond the arc. At the free-throw line, they connected on just 5 of 12 attempts, shooting 41.7%.</p> <p>Zeke Mayo led the way with 19 points, hitting 5 of 8 threes, while Blake Harper and Hunter Dickinson each added 16 points. Flory Bidunga was perfect from the field, going 6-for-6 and grabbing 8 rebounds. Howard finished with 8 offensive rebounds and 12 assists as a team.</p><p>Howard's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 87 points on 60% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 67% of their two-point attempts, with 21 makes on 31 tries.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, Howard's opponent shot 50%, connecting on 11 of 22 three-pointers. They also sent them to the line 16 times, where they made 12 free throws (75%). Howard limited them to 5 offensive rebounds.</p><h3>Do the Tigers Stand a Chance at Home?</h3><h3>Missouri Tigers Recent Game/Games</h3> 

<p>Missouri dropped their season opener on Monday, falling 83-75 to Memphis on the road. Entering the game as +3.5 point underdogs, the Tigers not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.</p> 

<p>Missouri led 42-32 at halftime but allowed 51 points in the 2nd half while scoring just 33. The game’s total points of 158 exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 154.5.</p><p>In their latest game, Missouri's offense put up 75 points, shooting 45.6% from the field. They connected on 57.6% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 29.2% of their threes. Their effective field goal percentage came in at 52.6%.</p> <p>PJ Haggerty led the way with 25 points and 5 assists, while Anthony Robinson II added 16 points and 7 assists, shooting 80% from the field. Missouri finished with 16 assists and 7 offensive rebounds, shooting 64% from the free-throw line.</p><p>Missouri's defense gave up 83 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 44% from the field. They allowed 47% shooting on two-point attempts, with the other team going 18/38.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, the Tigers' defense conceded 8 threes on 20 attempts, a 40% shooting rate. They also sent the other team to the line 29 times, where they hit 23 free throws, a 79% success rate. Missouri gave up 13 offensive rebounds.</p>

Howard Bison vs Missouri Tigers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/8/24

<p>The Red Raiders and Longhorns are set to face off at 8:00 ET on ESPN2. The Longhorns will host the game at Moody Center in Austin, TX. This Big 12 conference matchup has an over/under of 141.5 points, and the Longhorns are favored to win at home vs. the Red Raiders.</p><h3>TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS VS TEXAS LONGHORNS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Texas Longhorns -6.5</p><p>This game will be played at Moody Center at 8:00 ET on Saturday, January 6th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE TEXAS LONGHORNS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-68 in favor of the Longhorns.</li><li>Not only will Texas pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -6.5.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 141.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 144 points.</li></ul><h3>Can The Red Raiders Secure a Road Victory?</h3><p>After starting the season 5-0, the Red Raiders have gone 6-2 in their last eight games and are currently riding a six-game winning streak. Texas Tech is 11-2 overall and 3-2 on the road this season.</p>

<p>In their last game, the Red Raiders defeated North Alabama by a score of 85-57. Over their last 10 road games, Texas Tech is just 5-5.</p><p>As the underdog, Texas Tech has gone 1-2 against the spread this season. On the road, the Red Raiders are 2-3 vs. the spread, and over their last 10 road games, they are 6-4 vs. the spread. Overall, Texas Tech has an ATS record of 6-7 this year.</p><p>Today's over/under line of 141.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Texas Tech's games this season (138.2). So far, 5 of their games have finished with more points than today's line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total is 147 points.</p><p>Texas Tech recently showcased a strong offensive performance, scoring 85 points against North Alabama. This output exceeded their season average of 78 points per game. The top scorer for the Red Raiders was Pop Isaacs with 21 points, while Chance McMillian also added 16 to the scoreboard.</p><p>Coming into today's game, the Texas Tech defense is giving up an average of 64.5 points per contest. In today's game vs. Texas, the Texas Tech defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Texas Tech made 17 free-throws vs. the Red Raiders.</p><h3>Can Texas Pull Off a Home Win?</h3><p>Heading into today's matchup, the Texas Longhorns are favored by 6.5 points over the Texas Tech Red Raiders. So far this season, Texas has an overall record of 11-2 and has won their last five games.</p>

<p>At home, the Longhorns are 10-1 and have an average scoring margin of +19.4 points per game. In their last game, they defeated UT Arlington by a score of 79-62. Over their last ten games at home, Texas has gone 9-1.</p><p>As the favorite this season, Texas has gone just 4-7 vs. the spread. At home, their ATS record is 4-7 and their last 10 ATS mark as the favorite is 3-7. Over their last 3 home games, the Longhorns are 1-2 vs. the spread.</p><p>So far this season, the over/under record for Texas games is 5-8. The average scoring total in their games is 143.5, which is 2 points higher than the average over/under line of 141.5. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is just 125 points.</p><p>In their latest game, Texas' offense looked good, scoring 79 points against UT Arlington. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 42.9% and made 16/20 free throws. Max Abmas led the scoring for the Longhorns, contributing 18 points. Additionally, Kadin Shedrick chipped in with 17 points.</p><p>The Longhorns' defense is presently ranked 36th nationally, allowing an average of 64.3 points per contest. In today's game vs. Texas Tech, the Texas defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Texas made 16 free-throws vs. the Longhorns.</p>

Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Texas Longhorns Betting Pick & Prediction 1/6/24

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