MLB 2012: 5 Surefire Best Bet Over/Unders for the Season

Everyone has their vices. Some drink, some gamble and some even do things that aren't exactly legal.  For those of you that like to place the occasional sports wager, I present to you my 2012 baseball Over/Under predictions.

I don't think there is one team in baseball that doesn't have at least one glaring weakness or question mark. You can easily make an argument for at least 10 teams to make the World Series, especially with the expanded wild card in 2012.

Are the Yankees aging? Will the mighty Red Sox with Bobby Valentine thrive or implode? Will the Madoff Mess still continue to haunt the stingy Mets? Is this the year the Pirates put a winning team on the field? Is this the most balanced and talented Angels team for Mike Scioscia? Can the Giants hit enough to support their awesome rotation?  Will injuries to Chase Utley (again!) and Ryan Howard sink the Phils?

So.....here's to kickoff a hopefully exciting season of baseball!

By the way, just so you don't think I am blowing hot air, I actually went 4-for-5 in my NFL predictions last Fall and would have been perfect if I had correctly predicted the rise of Andy Dalton and the Bengals, but who knew?

New York Mets UNDER 72.5 Wins

I'm really trying to be optimistic......

I'm glad to see Johan back for Opening Day, but is he going to be the Johan of pre-2010 or something more similar to Pete Falcone?  (Pete Falcone was a so-so lefty with the Mets in the lean years of the late 70's/early 80's for you younger Mets fans!) I think Ike Davis and David Wright will benefit from the friendlier dimensions at Citi Field, and I like Terry Collins, who the team played hard for late last year despite the limited amount of talent.

On the negative side, who is going to close?  Frank Francisco is a bum. He's only here because he's cheap. Now he's hurt and although I'm not exactly broken up over that, Jon Rauch has been absolutely brutal during spring training.  Bobby Parnell had a great spring, but bombed when given the chance to close last year.  Tim Byrdak will be the lone lefty out of the pen, too.

Jason Bay, who has been a total bust, might be losing his starting job if he doesn't hit by Memorial Day. I'm also not sold on Ruben Tejada at short or Andres Torres in CF.

All in all, it seems as though a LOT has to go right for the Mets to win more than 72 games in 2012.  They are in a tough division where the Marlins and Nationals are not only much improved, but hoping for wild-card berths.  The Braves and Phillies are, well, the Braves and the Phillies.

The $64,000 question is, will David Wright still be playing in Flushing in a few months?

Pittsburgh Pirates: Over 73 Wins

Don't break out the champagne just yet in Pittsburgh, but I can definitely see them eclipsing 73 wins in 2012.

Partly because the bottom half of the division is so bad!  The Astros, in their last year before heading to the American League, are going to be awful.  (Can anybody outside of the Houston area name more than two starters there?)   The Cubs, under Theo Epstein, will eventually start to improve, but will probably take a step backward before they start moving forward.

AJ Burnett is probably starting the year on the DL, but I can see him thriving in the non-pressure atmosphere of Western PA.  Andrew McCutchen is a legit up and coming star with speed and power and  rookie Alex Presley will probably lead off and play LF.

Manager Clint Hurdle doesn't have the same talent here as he did in Colorado, but there are bright spots and the Pirates will be entertaining in 2012.

Washington Nationals: Over 84 Wins

It's going to be a fun summer in our nation's capital.  Perhaps not for Mr. Obama, but certainly for manager Davey Johnson and the Nats.

Ryan Zimmerman is the heart and soul of this team and he was rewarded with a long-term deal to keep him in DC.  If he stays healthy, he is an impact player that can carry a team.  A rotation of Stephen Strasburg, (even with an innings limit), Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and Edwin Jackson (pitching for a multi-year contract) is dangerous.

Danny Espinosa at 2B and Michael Morse in the outfield are potential stars.  I can't see Jayson Werth struggling like last year and waiting in the wings in stud prospect Bryce Harper.

Yes, closer Drew Storen is going to start the year on the DL, but Brad Lidge or Henry Rodriguez should be able to hold down the ninth inning.

Davey Johnson knows how to get the most out of young players and if things go right, this team will be playing for a playoff spot in late September!

Toronto Blue Jays: Over 81.5 Wins

Back to the American League.

Things are looking up north of the border.

Can you imagine how much press and PR Jose Bautista would get if he were playing in a large market? The guy has slugged 97 home runs in the past two seasons and is still only 31.

While the Jays reside in the unfriendly confines of the American League East, I can see them easily notching 82 wins or more.

In addition to the real possibility of the Yankees and Red Sox taking a slight step back and not being as dominant, Toronto possesses a nice mix of hitting (Bautista, SS Yunel Escobar, 1B Adam Lind and newcomer Colby Rasmus) and starting pitching anchored by Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero.

The farm system is stocked and come July, can definitely pick up a missing piece with quality prospects.

The only drawback is that this is the first time in a long time that there are actual real expectations with this club.

Will the Jays be playing meaningful games in September or will fans be getting ready for the NHL season?

Chicago White Sox UNDER 75.5 Wins

Baseball is going to suck in the city of Chicago this year.

Over on the North Side, Theo Epstein may have a plan, but it's not going to produce much this year.

On the South Side, new skipper Robin Ventura is just in time for a semi-rebuild.

Mark Buehrle and Juan Pierre left via free agency and Carlos Quentin and Sergio Santos were traded.

Still in town though, are three underachieving/overpaid/unproductive guys, Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and Jake Peavy.

Seriously, after Paul Konerko, who is the best player on the team?

The farm system doesn't seem to have much help on the way either.

The division could be tougher, too. Kansas City is improving and although the Twins might be weaker, the Tigers are the class of the division.  I'm not sure about which way Cleveland is headed.

Regardless, ChiSox fans will be lamenting the glory days of Frank Thomas, Jack McDowell and Lance Johnson.