MLB

MLB Computer Simulation Predictions 2017-06-08

Photo of author
Original Publish Date:

We are monitoring computer simulation picks from fivethirtyeight.com.  In their own words on how they pick the games…

This forecast is based on 100,000 simulations of the season and accounts for starting pitchers, travel distance and rest. It updates after each game.

What they do is they provide probability of winning for each team each day according to their computer simulations.  In our opinion, there’s two ways to interpret these picks:

  1. Compare their probability to the actual odds of the game and find the perceived value.
  2. Take the pick “as is” and select the team with the higher probability as the selection.

MLB Computer Simulation Predictions Record

Value Pick Record (since 5/27/17)

Units W L Total Units %
5 21 24 7.60 47%
4 4 11 -24.25 27%
3 9 10 0.39 47%
2 19 10 20.61 66%
1 23 19 2.68 55%
Total 76 74 7.03 51%

“As Is” Pick Record (since 5/22/17)

Odds W L Total Units %
 -250 or Greater 1 0 1.00 100%
 -200 to -250 11 4 2.85 73%
 -150 to -200 30 19 -1.57 61%
 +100 to -150 71 61 -4.11 54%
Underdogs 10 14 -1.44 42%
Total 123 98 -3.27 56%

MLB Computer Simulation Predictions

You need a login access to see these picks.  If you don’t already have a login, simply sign up for our EYO Insider Membership to get access to the picks below.

[restrict userlevel=”nbaseason”]

Derived Value Picks

Here we take the computer simulation probability and compared to the actual odds, the further away from the actual odds, the more value to the pick (i.e. if computer simulation suggests 60% chance of winning and the actual odds suggests 55% change of winning, then there’s a perceived 5% value in taking the favorite in this scenario).  We give higher units to higher value plays, and the units are capped at 5 units.

538 Value Pick Odds Risk Units To Win Units Value
Philadelphia 102 4.9 5 7%
Milwaukee 124 4.03 5 6%
Seattle -125 6.25 5 5%
Chi. White Sox 156 2.56 4 4%
Miami 128 2.34 3 3%
Arizona -132 3.96 3 3%
Colorado 163 1.84 3 3%
Baltimore 132 2.27 3 3%
St. Louis -105 1.05 1 1%
Detroit -157 1.57 1 1%
Houston -196 1.96 1 1%
Boston 106 0.94 1 1%

“As Is” Picks

These picks are more straight forward, basically which ever team has the higher probability of winning according to the computer simulation would be the selection.  We make all picks as 1 unit plays.

538 As Is Pick Odds
Houston -196
Chi. Cubs -176
Tampa Bay -166
Detroit -157
Washington -142
Pittsburgh -138
San Francisco -134
Arizona -132
Seattle -125
NY Yankees -116
Cincinnati -105
Philadelphia 102

[/restrict]

Leave a Comment