Investing is a lot like sports betting. So I asked Johnny Avello, head of DraftKings Sportsbook, to pick his MLB playoff favorites like a Wall Street pro would.
Here’s what he has to say. (And, Yankee fans, don’t blame this John for what that John is predicting.)
Blue Chip Stock: Houston Astros. Best overall batting average in baseball. A very solid lineup from top to bottom. Three of the top pitchers in the game. Home field advantage is near the top in the league. Experienced in winning.
Why not buy? Not many flaws. Valuation is at a 52- week high.
Value Stocks: Los Angeles Dodgers. Excellent starting pitching. Adequate hitting. Excellent home field advantage.
Why not buy? Fielding is slightly below average and closing pitching is suspect. Recommendation — good rate of return but don’t invest the grocery money.
New York Yankees. One of the best slugging percentages in the league. Can get back in a game quickly. Excellent home field advantage. Good closers.
Why not buy? Starting pitching is shaky. May not get home field advantage. Evaluation — high P/E ratio already. Team can be snake-bit.
Growth Stock: Atlanta Braves. Excellent road team. Near the top in defense. Batters will accept base on balls.
Why not buy? Young team and frequent strikeouts. Recommendation — buy and hold for another season.
Mid-Cap Stocks: Minnesota Twins. Good hitting team. Hits the long ball. Very good road team.
Why not buy? A little shaky defensively. Could be decent return on investment.
St Louis Cardinals. Great defense. Formidable pitching staff.
Why not buy? Average hitting team. High risk.
Dividend Stocks: Tampa Bay Rays. Plays well on the road. Never stops battling. Could be a tough customer if the team makes it into the wild card game.
Why not buy? Might not make the playoffs. But good bet now.
Washington Nationals. Starting pitching over the top. Excellent base stealers.
Why not buy? Losing record against .500 teams. High volatility.
Cleveland Indians. Surging late season run. Pitchers have season-long 3.6 ERA.
Why not buy? Don’t score enough runs. For high risk investors only.
Day Trades: Oakland A’s. Three decent starting pitchers and a good closer. Formidable defense. Nine and one in their last 10 games.
Why not buy? Don’t believe they can get past the first round. A pink sheet stock for people willing to lose it all.
Milwaukee Brewers. Playing with confidence during this late run. Why not to buy? Missing top players. Recommendation — don’t bet the next mortgage payment on this team.