Good morning. This is LEADOFF, today’s early look inside Atlanta sports.
Early forecasts of win totals for the 2018 Braves are falling within a remarkably narrow range.
We checked six sources, from sports oddsmakers to mainstream media to baseball analytics sites, and found all forecasting the Braves to hover around 73 to 76 wins at the end of the season.
Las Vegas sports books operator CG Technology set the over/under on Braves wins at 73.5, while offshore sports book BetOnline put it at 74.5.
Similar results for the Braves have been forecast recently by analytics site FanGraphs, which projected a 75-87 record; the South Point sports book, which put the Braves' over/under at 75 wins; USA Today Sports, which projected a 76-86 record; and Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA system, which also projected 76-86.
If the above are correct, or close, it would be a fifth consecutive losing season for the Braves, who went 72-90 last season.
This season’s early forecasts generally have the Braves in a tight battle with the Phillies for third place in the five-team NL East. For example, CG Technology’s over/unders for wins by other NL East teams are: Nationals 91.5, Mets 80.5, Phillies 74.5 and Marlins 64.5.
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