Baseball Betting: Surprising Padres are MLB's most profitable squad

With the halfway point of the 2010 Major League Baseball season about 20 games away, the San Diego Padres are the most profitable team in the game. Despite a low payroll and a roster of unheralded players, San Diego has banked +14.8 units of profit for baseball bettors this season. At 37-26, the Padres have the best record in the National League. Pitching has been the key for the club. The Padres are allowing just 3.2 runs per outing to lead all of baseball. In contrast, San Diego is only 25th in the majors in offense at 4.1 runs per contest. The Washington Nationals (31-33) are the next most profitable team at +8.8 units. The Nats are respectable in 2010 after posting the worst record in the majors in 2009. Heralded rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg has won his first two starts for the squad after being the top overall draft choice in last year's draft. With a 34-30 record, the Toronto Blue Jays have been the top producer in the American League at +8.3 units. The Blue Jays have pounded out an MLB-high of 99 homers to help offset the loss of standout pitcher Roy Halladay during the offseason. The Atlanta Braves (37-27) are the only other team that has produced more than seven units of profit at +7.1 units. Orioles in range of dubious record The Baltimore Orioles are on the brink of one of the worst seasons in the history of baseball. At 17-46, Baltimore has been the least profitable squad in the majors at -23.4 units. On its current pace, the Orioles would finish with a record of 44-118. The team is just barely ahead of the pace for the worst record in a single season.The expansion New York Mets in 1960 set the record for futility with a mark of 40-120. While Baltimore wasn't expected to contend in the loaded AL East this season, the Seattle Mariners were expected to challenge for the AL West title in 2010. With Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee forming a potent duo at the top of the rotation, the Mariners had a feared pitching staff heading into this season. With a 24-39 record, Seattle has been one of the biggest disappointments in all of baseball at -17.4 units. In the National League, the Chicago Cubs (28-35) have been the least profitable club at -16.5 units.