Baltimore Orioles

Why bet the Orioles: The lineup is getting deeper despite losing Mark Reynolds. If Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis can somehow stay healthy, this is a dangerous group 1 thru 9. Manny Machado is a year older and has solid potential. Deep bullpen as well with a lot of power arms that can shut teams down late in games.

Why not bet the Orioles: Unlikely they will perform as well and be as lucky in close games this season after going 54-23 in games decided by two runs or less last year. The pitching staff is full of question marks as Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez, Chris Tillman, and Jake Arrieta don't have a consistent pedigree of success. Everything seemed to go right for the Orioles last year, but the division is tougher this season.

Season Win Total Pick: Under 78.5

Boston Red Sox

Why bet the Red Sox: No one is expecting success, so Boston is no longer the hunted, but the hunter. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz present a solid 1-2 combination in the pitching rotation. Joel Hanrahan is an upgrade at closer as well. Jacoby Ellsbury is playing for a free agent contract which will make him more motivated to succeed.

Why not bet the Red Sox: The lineup is no longer a potent unit. David Ortiz is a year older and there's a chance guys like Jonny Gomes, Stephen Drew, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia will struggle. The rest of the pitching rotation is a question mark with John Lackey and Felix Doubront being depended upon to win ballgames in a tough AL East division.

Season Win Total Pick: Under 83.5

New York Yankees

Why bet the Yankees: Mariano Rivera is making his swan song this season and will be motivated to get to the playoffs. He backs a bullpen that was pretty good last season even without him. David Robertson, Cody Eppley, and David Phelps got valuable experience last season. CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda are a solid top of the rotation and Michael Pineda could help as well if he returns healthy by mid-season.

Why not bet the Yankees: Injuries are already killing this team with Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson out until May. They will also be without Alex Rodriguez until July and are hoping that Derek Jeter will recover from his ankle injury. Kevin Youkilis joins the team, but he was not a good hitter last season hitting only .233 with Boston and .236 with the White Sox. The star power on this team is aging and may no longer be able to win a division.

Season Win Total Pick: Under 87.5

Tampa Bay Rays

Why bet the Rays: Strong pitching led by David Price who is 33-11 versus AL East teams during his career. Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore are still young, but improving. Trading James Shields for Wil Myers addressed a need for more offense in a lineup that struggled to score at times last year. The bullpen is fantastic once again and filled with many arms that can win close games.

Why not bet the Rays: Fernando Rodney can't be as good as he was last year when he sported a 0.60 ERA as the team's closer. A lot is being asked from 1B James Loney and SS Yunel Escobar who are inconsistent at best. The batting lineup is not very deep and could still use another addition or two, especially if Evan Longoria has troubling staying healthy after missing 88 games last year.

Season Win Total Pick: Over 86

Toronto Blue Jays

Why bet the Jays: This is the most talented team in the division. The rotation will be tough to beat with R.A. Dickey and Josh Johnson joining Brandon Morrow and Mark Buehrle. Jose Bautista will now have more help in the offensive lineup with Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera joining the team. Brett Lawrie hit .319 against lefties last season and could be good protection for Bautista if Edwin Encarnacion fails.

Why not bet the Jays: Toronto has suddenly become a popular pick this season after taking the Marlins' stars in an off-season trade. Keep in mind, these are the same Miami players who went thru a team's off-season spending spree last year, only to under-perform. Ricky Romero lost 13 straight games at one point last season. The bullpen is dicey and filled with youth outside of Darren Oliver. Colby Rasmus is a question mark after fading the past two seasons.

Season Win Total Pick: Under 89

Chicago White Sox

Why bet the White Sox: The rotation is a strength with Chris Sale, Jake Peavy, and Jose Quintana atop the list. The bullpen mixes youth and veterans with Addison Reed closing and Matt Thornton bridging the gap. Paul Konerko was having a spectacular season before wrist surgery last year. This team has the pitching to win low scoring games.

Why not bet the White Sox: This is an inconsistent lineup that is filled with age. Jeff Keppinger, Alex Rios, and Adam Dunn are sliding towards the end of their career. Gavin Floyd and John Danks were below average last year and the team is counting on them for victories in the rotation. Can Sale and Quintana continue their success in their second year as starters?

Season Win Total Pick: Under 81

Cleveland Indians

Why bet the Indians: A busy off-season led to upgrades for a mediocre lineup. Michael Bourn will set the table for Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana. The additions of Mark Reynolds and Nick Swisher were also good for this team. If Brett Myers can return to being a starter with no problems, their rotation should be improved, especially if Justin Masterson can figure things out on the road.

Why not bet the Indians: Zach McAllister and Trevor Bauer at the back end of the pitching rotation are question marks, along with Masterson who allowed six or more earned runs in eight starts last season. Reynolds hit just three home runs off left-handed pitching and is prone to striking out. Can Yan Gomes, Drew Stubbs and Michael Brantley be a solid outfield if called upon?

Season Win Total Pick: Over 77.5

Detroit Tigers

Why bet the Tigers: Justin Verlander is the best pitcher in baseball and is seemingly only getting better. Victor Martinez is back to join a lineup that is packed with power. Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are jumping for joy as they now have even more protection. The addition of Torii Hunter will be a good presence in the clubhouse for a team that almost made it to the top last year.

Why not bet the Tigers: The bullpen is a mess again and this team is searching for a closer. They previously thought Bruce Rendon was going to do it, but now they are searching elsewhere. Octavio Dotel and Phil Coke are inconsistent out of the bullpen, although Coke did have a clutch postseason. Starter Rick Porcello allowed 11.5 hits per nine innings pitched last season with a weak 1.53 WHIP.

Season Win Total Pick: Under 92.5

Kansas City Royals

Why bet the Royals: James Shields finally gives Kansas City their first true No. 1 starter since the team lost Zack Greinke. Jeremy Guthrie pitched like an ace over the final two months last year. Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon, and Billy Butler are a year older and should improve. Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez also have the potential to surprise and play better than expectations.

Why not bet the Royals: The rotation also features Ervin Santana, Wade Davis, and Luke Hochevar who have been inconsistent as starters the past few seasons. The bullpen is filled with no names and are depending upon Greg Holland as a closer. 1B Eric Hosmer had his average, home runs, and RBI numbers all go down from his rookie season, despite playing 24 more games last year.

Season Win Total Pick: Over 78

Minnesota Twins

Why bet the Twins: Mauer and Morneau. They are back once again and are part of a potent 3-4-5 combination in the lineup with OF Josh Willingham posting career highs in games played, home runs, and RBI last year. Scott Diamond and Vance Worley are a decent 1-2 combination in the pitching rotation, especially for a young team.

Why not bet the Twins: The bullpen is a mess with Glen Perkins in the closer role. The lefty blew nearly half of his save opportunities last year. Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey are mediocre at best, which means there is not much talent in the bottom half of the pitching rotation. Outside of the big three, there is a lot of youth and inconsistency in the offensive lineup.

Season Win Total Pick: Under 68.5

Houston Astros

Why bet the Astros: Houston actually finished on a decent 15-15 SU run during their final 30 games of the 2012 season, compared to their awful 40-92 SU which started the year. Bud Norris is a decent wager at home where his ERA has been much better than on the road. Lucas Harrell was 11-11 as a rookie last season and will improve as he gets better command of his pitches. Wesley Wright allowed lefties to hit just .198 in 77 appearances last season. Jose Altuve should get better after hitting .290 last season with 33 steals and 37 RBI's.

Why not bet the Astros: This is an awful team. Norris is terrible on the road and his past success against the Cardinals is now a non-issue. The rest of the rotation pitched awful last season with Alex White going 2-9 and Philip Humber sporting a 6.44 ERA for the White Sox. The lineup is sorely lacking in power and average. The bullpen is weak and must rely on Jose Veras and other sub-par pitchers.

Season Wins Total Pick: Under 59.5

Los Angeles Angels

Why bet the Angels: The lineup is even deeper now from No. 1 thru No. 5 with the addition of Josh Hamilton. Mike Trout is an amazing leadoff hitter with Albert Pujols hoping to bounce back from his slow start last year. Erick Aybar hit .326 over the final four months of the season and Peter Bourjos is a solid hitter for the bottom of the order. The pitching rotation is intriguing with Jered Weaver, CJ Wilson and Tommy Hanson leading the way. The bullpen is deep with Sean Burnett and Ryan Madson joining Ernesto Frieri.

Why not bet the Angels: Hamilton is not the hitter he used to be as his strikeout rate increased in 2012 and he might now underachieve after getting a big contract, just like Albert Pujols did last year. Jason Vargas and Joe Blanton are questionable at the back end of the rotation. Vargas was terrible on the road and enjoyed the spacious Safeco Field. Frieri cannot be as good as he was last season, giving up his first run after 26.1 innings of scoreless appearances.

Season Wins Total Pick: Over 91.5

Oakland Athletics

Why bet the Athletics: The rotation is young and full of firepower, especially if Brett Anderson returns to what he used to be. Anderson has dominated runners in scoring position, holding batters to a .195 average over the last three seasons. Tommy Milone, Jarrod Parker, and A.J. Griffin all took care of business as well last year. The bullpen is solid with Grant Balfour and Ryan Cook holding down the back end. If either fails, Sean Doolittle is an able replacement. Yoenis Cespedes is also an underrated player.

Why not bet the Athletics: The offensive lineup is still suspect. Josh Reddick hit 32 home runs last year, but he also struck out 151 times. Chris Young is a nice addition, but he hit only .231 last season with Arizona. A.J. Griffin had a 7.27 ERA in his last four starts, showing the rookie slowed down as the campaign wore on. This team got 54 wins from rookie pitchers last year. Opponents will now be better prepared and more familiar this season when facing those sophomore hurlers.

Season Wins Total Pick: Under 84.5

Seattle Mariners

Why bet the Mariners: Felix Hernandez remains a dominant pitcher with 223 strikeouts in 232 innings pitched last year. He has now struck out at least 217+ batters in each of the past four seasons. Hisashi Iwakuma was 8-4 in his fifteen second half starts for Seattle and is a decent No. 2 in the rotation. The batting lineup now has more pop with the additions of Michael Morse and Kendrys Morales. Dustin Ackley will be healthier as he dealt with bone spurs last season. There is also potential help in the future with Taijuan Walker and Danny Hultzen.

Why not bet the Mariners: The rest of the pitching rotation is suspect with Erasmo Ramirez, Blake Beaven, and Hector Noesi. The rest of the hitting lineup is mediocre as well with John Jaso and Raul Ibanez being counted on for production. Franklin Gutierrez is injury prone and he had only 163 at-bats last season. Jesus Montero hit only .228 off right-handed pitching.

Season Wins Total Pick: Under 77.5

Texas Rangers

Why bet the Rangers: The lineup is still strong despite the loss of Josh Hamilton. Lance Berkman can duplicate some of Hamilton's production if healthy. A.J. Pierzynski is an upgrade at the catcher position. The pitching rotation returns nearly intact with Martin Perez replacing Colby Lewis until he gets back from his injury. When Joakim Soria is healthy enough to return, which should be around June, he'll make that bullpen even stronger.

Why not bet the Rangers: Berkman's health is always a question mark. Rumors have linked Nelson Cruz to performance enhancing drugs, so we'll see if his performance suffers this year. Michael Young is gone and he was a stabilizing force. Derek Holland allowed 32 home runs last year. Middle relievers are a question mark which could make getting to Joe Nathan and Joakim Soria a problem.

Season Wins Total Pick: Over 86.5

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