The line between winning and losing sometimes becomes very thin. For instance, someone may wager $10 that the Chicago Cubs will win the World Series this year. If they win, they would win $20; if they lose they would lose $10. In most cases, this would be a winning bet. However, sometimes the line between winning and losing is much more blurred. In other words, there are times when a team wins despite the fact that they certainly should not have, and there are times when a team loses despite the fact that they certainly should have. Although sportsbooks make use of odds to set the line, sometimes an even mixture of luck and skill is needed to unravel the mystery behind why some games end in a tie.
The Basics Of Statistically Speaking
Every year there is always one team that defies expectations and wins the World Series, and another team that wins less than expected. When this happens, it is customary for sportswriters and broadcasters to scratch their heads and wonder how these teams fared so well against all odds. To answer this question, we need to look at the numbers and find out what the underlying factors were that contributed to the teams’ victories. For this, we will need to examine several numbers and statistics to get a full picture of why the games ended the way they did.
The first number we need to examine is the line, or more specifically, the -2 line. On the surface, this looks like a very negative number, and the betting public often panics and drifts away from this number quickly because it seems counterintuitive that a team could lose a game with a -2 line. However, keep in mind that we are looking at the numbers from an outsider’s perspective, looking at this number without knowing the context in which it appears. Therefore, we have to look at these numbers in relation to the rest of the stats and figure out the underlying reason this line was so negative for these two teams.
Why Were The Los Angeles Angels So Lucky?
The Los Angeles Angels entered the 2019 season with low expectations, partly due to the fact that they were coming off a 2018 season that saw them win 68 games but also had them lose 116 games. They had high hopes, however, that they could improve upon their 2018 performance and return to the playoffs. Much to their delight, they finished the season with a 82-77 record and narrowly missed out on the postseason. This was mainly thanks to some excellent pitching and solid defense.
One of the main reasons why the Angles had such a lucky season was because of the -2 line. The team’s pitching staff had a grand total of 11 losses this year, which is almost half of their total losses for the entire season. Of those 11 losses, nine of them came by the arm of James Paxton. The only other starter to have a losing record was Blake Snell, who had three losses. It is no coincidence that most of the team’s losses came from the pitching side. This reflects the importance of pitching in today’s game, especially in a league like the Majors where the team that wins the most games usually prevails. In other words, the more wins a pitcher has, the more likely it is that the pitcher will be entrusted with starting a game during the season.
Statistically Speaking, The Chicago Cubs Were One Of The Most Effective Teams In The History Of The MLB
The Chicago Cubs enter the 2019 season after winning the World Series in 2008 and then losing nearly a decade with only one playoff appearance in 2019. The Cubs had high expectations this season considering the team’s rich history and the fact that they finished the 2018 season with a record of 90-70, which was their second-best record since 1934. Due to their recent championship drought, the Cubs are looking for any way to spark some nostalgia in their fans and give them a feeling of deja vu. Much to their delight, the Cubs finished the season with a 100-62 record, becoming one of the stingiest teams in the history of the MLB. This was mainly due to the fact that they relied heavily on pitching and defense, the two areas where they are usually very strong. Especially so, since the pitching side of the ball was led by arguably the best pitcher of all time, the great Roger Clemens. (Yes, that Roger Clemens.).
The 2019 Cubs were extremely efficient offensively, scoring 7.1 runs per game, which is the highest total they have had since 2002. This offensive output was made possible by the emergence of several stars, particularly Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber. Although many people saw the season as disappointing, considering what the team was able to accomplish, it cannot be considered as such. This is especially so since it brought back many long-time fans, who had given up on the Cubs due to their prolonged championship drought. It also made newly-minted fans consider the team as a potential buy-in option for their fantasy leagues. (Yes, that Roger Clemens..)
One of the main reasons why the Cubs were so effective this year was because of their -2 line. As mentioned earlier, the pitching staff had a losing record this year, which was the main reason why many people expected the team to underperform. However, consider the fact that the pitching staff had two all-stars in Clemens and Javier Báez, and that they each had 20-plus wins, which is the second-most in the entire league. This shows that even though the pitching staff had a losing record, they were, in fact, one of the best in the league. This is mainly because their opponents’ batting averages were among the lowest in the league. In other words, the line was -2 for the pitching staff, but it turned out to be +2 for the entire team. This means that the pitching staff effectively won more than half the games they started. (Yes, that Roger Clemens.).
It is always pleasing when a team wins even when they are not supposed to, and even when we look at the numbers, it is evident that the 2019 Chicago Cubs were just such a team. Even though they finished with the best record in the major leagues, there was still something special about this year’s team. After one of the most dominant pitching performances in recent memory, the great Roger Clemens is now retired, which will make the 2020 season an extremely interesting one for the Cubs. (Yes, that Roger Clemens.).
More information about sports betting and statistics can be found online at sites like OddsShark, or your local library’s online sports statistics resources.