New Jersey Institute of Technology Professor Bruce Bukiet's picks are based on a mathematical model he developed in 2000 and which has produced positive results for five of the seven years he has posted results.

His 2008 predictions include:

-- The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels should make the playoffs in the American League with the other teams lagging well behind.

-- The National League should see the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves winning the East and the wild card playoff spot, respectively, while in the Central and West Divisions only the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants have no real shot of making the post-season.

-- The Yankees and Red Sox should tie for baseball's best record with 98 wins.

In the National League Central Division, Bukiet's model calls for the top five teams to be within five wins of each other, with the Milwaukee Brewers winning 84 games, the Chicago Cubs 83, the Cincinnati Reds 81, the St. Louis Cardinals 80 and the Houston Astros winning 79 contests.