Yankees show the standings are not really the $standings

When is a plateau more like a ski slope? When you’re talking about the Yankees’ performance against betting lines the past six weeks.

The Yankees largely have been treading water in terms of pure wins and losses during that period. They were 28 games over .500 after sweeping the Mariners from June 19-21 and were still within arm’s reach of that entering Tuesday.

But against betting lines? A financial chart with the arrow racing downhill. Alternating wins and losses at prices like -175, -200, -230 and even -400 burns capital fast. You win one unit with every victory, lose two or more with many of the losses.

The period from June 22 through Monday’s win in Chicago saw a net loss of around 15 units against market prices. Yankees backers who had ridden the team every day had been up doubledigit units after the Seattle series. Now they’re slightly down for the season.

If you’re new to betting baseball, it’s very important you realize the impact that pricing has on team profit/loss performance. You can’t just look at the standings and assume those represent return. Top contenders typically lose money for bettors because they’re so high-priced. Some off-the-radar teams can earn a profit with a record near .500.

Believe it or not, the Marlins entered the week in the black despite being around 20 games below .500 straight up.

Make sure your focus is on how teams are performing compared to expectations. You generally make money backing “surprises” rather than pure talent in this sport. Oddsmakers stack the deck against the most talented teams because everyone wants to bet them.

As we’ve seen with the Yankees the past six weeks, very few rosters can keep the pedal to the metal all the time through a 162-game marathon. Championship contenders become financial burdens when their engines overheat.