2017 MLB Picks – National League East Division Odds & NL East Expert Picks

2017 MLB Picks – National League East Division Odds & NL East Expert Picks: The odds makers at Bovada Sportsbook have released the odds to win the 2017 MLB National League East Division and the Washington Nationals are listed as the -150 favorites. The Nationals are followed by the New York Mets at +160 odds, Miami Marlins at +1400 odds, Atlanta Braves at +1600 odds and the Philadelphia Phillies at +2000 odds. Let’s take a closer look at how our MLB expert handicapper, Sonny LaFouchi(aka The Legend), sees the NL East Division ending up this 2017 MLB season. Be sure and visit NSAwins.com all season long for the best 2017 MLB picks and daily LIVE 2017 MLB Betting Odds.

2017 MLB Picks – National League East Division Odds & NL East Expert Picks

1. Washington Nationals(95-67 last season, 92-70 prediction for 2017) – The Nationals won the National League East Division title last season for the 3rd time in the last 5 seasons. They are still looking for their first repeat division title as they have finished 2nd the following season after their last two division titles. The Nationals are in great shape to repeat and make a run at the World Series this season thanks to a super starting rotation led by aces Max Scherzer(20-7, 2.96 ERA in 2016) and Stephen Strasburg(15-4, 3.60 ERA in 2016). The Nationals finished with the 2nd best ERA as a staff in the majors last season and should be amongst the best again this year. The lineup is solid led by outfielder Bryce Harper who looks to bounce back after a down year last season that saw him hit just .243 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs.

2. New York Mets(87-75 last season, 90-72 prediction for 2017) – The New York Mets will look to wrestle the NL East Division back from the Washington Nationals this season after finishing 2nd to the National in two of the last three seasons while beating them for the division in 2015. The Mets have a great chance to get back to the postseason this year thanks to a top notch pitching rotation led by Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz. The Mets finished 3rd in team ERA last season and could challenge for the top spot this season. Their staff is that good. The hitting lineup was mediocre at best last season as they finished 25th in runs scored and that must improve if they want to play in October this fall. The jury is still out on the Mets lineup but the pitching staff is too good to keep the Mets out of the hunt for the postseason all season long.

3. Miami Marlins(79-82 last season, 74-88 prediction for 2017) – It’s tough to see any reason for excitement or optimism going into the 2017 season if you are a Miami Marlins fan. The team and it’s fan base was absolutely crushed when star pitcher Jose Fernandez was killed in a boat accident last September and the gaping hole that he has left in the clubhouse and in the Marlins rotation will be hard to replace anytime soon. The Marlins have no ace and have one of the worse everyday hitting lineups in all of baseball. The Marlins finished just 27th in the majors last year in runs scored and we don’t see how they will be much better this season. It’s going to be a long season in Miami for the players and fans.

4. Atlanta Braves(68-93 last season, 69-93 prediction for 2017) – The Braves have fallen far from the days of Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine as this Atlanta Braves team is an absolute mess in just about all phases of the game. The Braves won just 68 games last season after winning just 67 in 2015 and they will be lucky to be any better this season. We will give them one extra win because we don’t want to be too harsh on them but it’s hard to find any reason to believe this Braves squad won’t be one of the worst teams in the majors again. The Braves finished 29th in runs scored and 24th in team ERA last season and haven’t exactly made moves to improve much especially after adding veteran pitchers Bartolo Colon and R.A. Dickey who are well past their prime. They are lucky the Phillies are in their division or they would be a shoo in for last place.

5. Philadelphia Phillies(71-91 last season, 65-97 prediction for 2017) – The Phillies avoided finishing in last place in the NL East last season for the 3rd straight season after finishing in last in 2014 and 2015. The Phillies have now finished in 4th or 5th place in the last four seasons and they will no doubt finish 4th or 5th from the 5th straight season this year. The Phillies are an absolute train wreck with the game’s worst everyday lineup in our opinion and a pitching staff that is amongst the worst as well. Just how bad is the hitting lineup? They finished 29th in batting, 30th in runs scored, 29th in slugging, 30th in total bases, 29th in on base percentage and 30th in OPS. They didn’t add anyone in free agency to help this anemic offense either. The Bad News Bears could give this team a run for it’s money. They stink.

Odds to Win 2017 National League East Division
Washington Nationals -150
New York Mets +160
Miami Marlins +1400
Atlanta Braves +1600
Philadelphia Phillies +2000