ESPN Chalk's Joe Peta is sharing his season win total projections for every MLB team, including a reason for optimism and pessimism.
Plus, he recommends an over/under play, or a pass. This is the entry for the Baltimore Orioles.
Baltimore Orioles
Reason for optimism: The Orioles outperform expectations every year under Buck Showalter.
Reason for pessimism: Replacing 40 home runs from one player just can't be done in this era of scoring.
Baltimore fans can be forgiven if they think Vegas has something against them. The Orioles won 93 regular-season games in 2012, the inaugural AL wild-card playoff game against the heavily favored Texas Rangers, and then pushed the Yankees to a deciding fifth game in the ALDS. Oddsmakers scoffed and opened the O's total wins market at 77.5 games for 2013; the Orioles won 85 games. Vegas set the 2014 over/under at 78.5; last season, the Orioles, en route to the AL East crown and an eventual berth in the ALCS, simply won more total games (99) than anyone else in the American League (and only one less than the World Series Champion Giants).
This season's opening total wins market at the influential Las Vegas-based Westgate? 81.5. Vegas remains indifferent to the Orioles' three-year run of success.
I'd love to be outraged on behalf of Baltimore's fans, but it's hard to support that emotion with data.