Can Bontempo pick ’em? You bet he can! Follow iGamingPlayer’s Davey B for extreme insights into your favorite sports teams.

Each week at iGamingPlayer.com, I present points to sharpen your betting blade, regardless of when you make your pick. Getting the best odds often involves making a leap of faith.

And in that vein. Baseball.

• The defending champion Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals are playing very good ball, but are still under the radar of odds hovering between 10-1 and 20-1 to win either the pennant or the World Series. Take that bet now if you like these ball clubs, as the odds are sure to go down.
• Head-scratcher. The Cleveland Indians traded pitching for hitting at the deadline, unloading one of the game’s fine hurlers in Trevor Bauer. They picked up, among other players, Yasiel Puig, who’s streaky and volatile. Had to be a salary or clubhouse issue for the Indians to unload Bauer in the midst of a pennant chase. Watch the chemistry in Cleveland, which bucked the trading-deadline trend (most teams try to pick up pitching at the deadline, not dump it).
• The Baltimore Orioles are playing well below even their anemic 59-win over-under pace for the year, but got really hot on a West Coast road trip. This team is not a joke right now. Nor are the Miami Marlins, another last-place club.
• Can’t trust this. The San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies have suffered major slumps, caused in part by bullpens coughing up late leads in games they needed to win to break out of mini-slumps.
• Teams needing a victory to avoid a three-game sweep still win more than they lose. Look for good odds on them, maybe even try a parlay.

As always, sports fans, stay tuned to iGamingPlayer.com for the best bets and top sports picks. Good luck!