Bet Baseball! The CPBL begins play in Taipei with Fubon Guardians at Rakuten Monkeys and Uni Lions at Chinatrust Brothers – Here's a primer!
The Chinese Professional Baseball League begins its 31st season Sunday at 5:05 am EDT in front of no human fans and a few robot fans. Beer sales are likely to be reduced and no one should be tossed for unruly behavior.
Barring new COVID-19 problems, the season will run through the summer.
There are only five teams in the CPBL so they get to know each other very well, which could work either way if you're a gambler. All the teams are corporate-owned and named – imagine the Sam Adams Red Sox or Tastykake Phillies.
The five teams are the Chinatrust Brothers, Fubon Guardians, Rakuten Monkeys, Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions and the Wei Chuan Dragons. The Lions and Brothers have been the two most dominant teams winning more than half the titles between them, Lions 9, Brothers 7. The three-time defending champions, however, are the Rakuten Monkeys, previously known as the Lamigo Monkeys, La New Bears and First Financial Holdings Agan.
Teams are allowed four foreign players. Given the pay and lack of union in the league, don't expect to see a Mike Trout on any rosters. Former major leaguer and New York Yankee Esmil Rogers signed in January with the Brothers. Ron Roenicke's nephew Josh Roenicke plays for the Lions and underwent a mandatory 14-day quarantine after returning from America.
The CPBL has also seen five incidents of game-fixing, but none in the past decade. Go team.
(All lines from Parx Online Casino)
We're going to hold off making picks on these games until we get a sense of this year's teams, but in action scheduled for Sunday morning at 5:05 am EDT . . .
Fubon Guardians visit the Rakuten Monkeys with the Monkeys a solid -182 favorite and the Guardians a healthy +140 dog.
Also, the Uni Lions are at Chinatrust Brothers with the Brothers a -132 favorite and the Lions a +104 dog.
Parx Sportsbook is also offer a run line and total runs line on each game and there will be in-game betting.
For info how to watch the games, go here.