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The 2020 MLB season is right around the corner. As more becomes known about 60-man player pools and depth charts begin to finalize ahead of what will be a wildly unpredictable 60-game season, it’s time to get action on the top MLB prop bets. Below, we look at the best bets for the pitcher to lead MLB in saves in 2020.
2020 MLB saves leader best bets
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, July 10 at 1:40 p.m. ET.
Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees; Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers (+800)
Chapman and Jansen are the co-favorites to lead baseball in saves in 2020. This is largely due to their respective teams being favored to win the American and National Leagues, respectively, and being the top contenders for the 2020 World Series. The Dodgers are +350 favorites to win it all, while the Yankees are +400.
There’s no denying the abilities of either pitcher. Chapman converted 37 of 42 save opportunities last season with a 2.21 ERA and 13.42 strikeouts per nine innings. Jansen converted 33 of 41 chances with a 3.71 ERA and 11.43 K/9. Both the Yankees and Dodgers will rack up plenty of wins in 2020. The concern is too many of those games coming in blowout fashion.
With pitcher usage likely to vary wildly from game-to-game and situation-to-situation in 2020, this bet is best saved for long shots with higher, more profitable odds. PASS on betting the favorites.
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Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers (+1400)
There’s a little better value with Hader, who tied for third in MLB while converting 37 of 44 save opportunities last season. The Brewers are expected to take a step back after qualifying for the playoffs as a wild-card team last year, but his 75 innings pitched were the most among the top-15 saves leaders last year.
The Brewers will lean heavily on their top reliever in 2020, and he’s likely to have more multi-inning opportunities than any other closer.
Also see: Best MLB bets to win the 2020 World Series
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Raisel Iglesias, Cincinnati Reds (+2200)
Iglesias backs what is expected to be a greatly improved Reds squad in 2020. He’ll come in behind the trio of front-line starters of Trevor Bauer, Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo and should have control of the lead more often than not when stepping on the mound.
He had a win-loss record of just 3-12 last season, but he converted 34 of 40 save opportunities. More run support and a strongly-defined role make him a great value at 22-1.
Nick Anderson, Tampa Bay Rays (+5000)
The Rays never hesitate to stray from conventional pitcher roles and that’ll be truer this season than ever before. Still, Anderson is a tremendous value while being priced among the closers from the lowly Miami Marlins, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners.
The Rays are World Series hopefuls once again and should provide their bullpen with plenty of save opportunities. Anderson converted just one of five opportunities last year, but he has an incredible 15.23 K/9 and should get the bulk of the late-inning duties in 2020.
Want action on any 2020 MLB futures? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
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