The countdown is on to three of the greatest words of the Spring: “Pitchers and Catchers!” That means that it is time to start to make our World Series picks for the upcoming year, and we are set to analyze some of the best teams in the league and how they are going to look this season.

List Of Past World Series Champions (Since 2000)
2011 World Series Champions: St. Louis Cardinals
2010 World Series Champions: San Francisco Giants
2009 World Series Champions: New York Yankees
2008 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies
2007 World Series Champions: Boston Red Sox
2006 World Series Champions: St. Louis Cardinals
2005 World Series Champions: Chicago White Sox
2004 World Series Champions: Boston Red Sox
2003 World Series Champions: Florida Marlins
2002 World Series Champions: Anaheim Angels
2001 World Series Champions: Arizona Diamondbacks
2000 World Series Champions: New York Yankees

The favorites to win the World Series this year for the second straight season are the Philadelphia Phillies (2012 Favorites On The Odds To Win The World Series – 4.85 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). They have had a heck of an offseason, adding Jonathan Papelbon to solidify the back end of a bullpen that has historically been shoddy. The prognosis for Ryan Howard’s Achilles tendon injury are good at this point, and he might not miss all that much of the season. Sure, there are some other issues, but this starting pitching rotation is still remarkable even though Roy Oswalt is no longer a part of it. The NL East is going to be tough this year, as the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves are both going to be solid teams as well. However, this team is clearly the class of the division and the National League as a whole, and once the team gets into the playoffs, it will once again be a remarkable choice to win it all.

The team that has jumped to the front of the class in the American League is the Detroit Tigers (2012 World Series Odds – 6 to 1 at BetOnline Sportsbook). The Tigers started off this offseason in terrible shape, losing Victor Martinez for the season to an ACL injury. However, give Detroit some credit. It went out and stole Prince Fielder in free agency from some of the other teams that might have been a heck of a lot more conducive to give him the big bucks. Now, having Miguel Cabrera and Fielder in the same lineup is tremendous, and a pitching staff anchored by Justin Verlander is going to be great as well. To make matters even better, the rest of the AL Central really has gone backwards this year, and unless the likes of the Minnesota Twins end up with a huge turnaround this season, there shouldn’t be a team that is going to challenge the Tigers this year.

The Texas Rangers have won the AL West for the last two seasons, but after losing out on all of the big time free agents this year, they clearly aren’t the team to watch in their own division. The Los Angeles Angels (2012 World Series Lines – 6.50 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) are instead. Albert Pujols has joined the Anaheim lineup, and CJ Wilson has been added to the pitching staff as well. The bullpen has the potential to be suspect, but all of a sudden, this is a team that looks awfully formidable. The Angels have done everything right over the course of the last few seasons, and they have all of the pieces in place to get back to the top of the AL West once again. Don’t be shocked if they end up being one of the top teams in the league this year.

Of course, all eyes are going to be on the New York Yankees (Odds To Win the 2012 World Series – 6 to 1 at BetOnline Sportsbook) once again. Think about the Bronx Bombers from last season. Alex Rodriguez was hurt for a good chunk of the year. The pitching staff at times was in shambles. The additions in the bullpen just never really panned out for the most part. And yet, the team still won the AL East and was in the playoffs. This year though, New York has a team that is a lot more conducive to succeed in the postseason. Trading for Michael Pineda was genius, not just for now, but for the future as well. He will team with Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes in this rotation for the future, and this trio will only further complement CC Sabathia. Signing Hiroki Kuroda was a smart move as well, and there are still others like AJ Burnett and Freddy Garcia that can help out as well. The Big Apple definitely could be back on top of the baseball world this year.

Current 2012 World Series Odds @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 2/7/12):
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Philadelphia Phillies 4.85 to 1
Detroit Tigers 5 to 1
New York Yankees 5.75 to 1
Los Angeles Angels 6.50 to 1
Boston Red Sox 8.50 to 1
Texas Rangers 9.50 to 1
Tampa Bay Rays 15 to 1
Miami Marlins 18 to 1
St. Louis Cardinals 18 to 1
San Francisco Giants 20 to 1
Atlanta Braves 21 to 1
Cincinnati Reds 25 to 1
Washington Nationals 25 to 1
Arizona Diamondbacks 27 to 1
Milwaukee Brewers 28 to 1
Colorado Rockies 38 to 1
Chicago Cubs 40 to 1
Toronto Blue Jays 40 to 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 45 to 1
Chicago White Sox 55 to 1
Cleveland Indians 75 to 1
Minnesota Twins 80 to 1
Kansas City Royals 85 to 1
New York Mets 85 to 1
Oakland Athletics 90 to 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 100 to 1
Baltimore Orioles 125 to 1
San Diego Padres 125 to 1
Seattle Mariners 150 to 1
Houston Astros 175 to 1

Odds To Win 2012 World Series @ BetOnline Sportsbook (as of 2/7/12):
(Get a AWESOME 100% Sportsbook Bonus at BetOnline.com When Using This Link)
Arizona Diamondbacks 16.50 to 1
Atlanta Braves 18.50 to 1
Baltimore Orioles 85 to 1
Boston Red Sox 8.50 to 1
Chicago Cubs 35 to 1
Chicago White Sox 50 to 1
Cincinnati Reds 24 to 1
Cleveland Indians 42 to 1
Colorado Rockies 30 to 1
Detroit Tigers 6 to 1
Houston Astros 100 to 1
Kansas City Royals 66 to 1
Los Angeles Angels 6.50 to 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 25 to 1
Miami Marlins 13 to 1
Milwaukee Brewers 28 to 1
Minnesota Twins 55 to 1
New York Mets 70 to 1
New York Yankees 6 to 1
Oakland Athletics 70 to 1
Philadelphia Phillies 4.50 to 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 70 to 1
San Diego Padres 90 to 1
San Francisco Giants 15 to 1
Seattle Mariners 75 to 1
St. Louis Cardinals 16.50 to 1
Tampa Bay Rays 16 to 1
Texas Rangers 8.70 to 1
Toronto Blue Jays 32 to 1
Washington Nationals 26 to 1

1. 2011 World Series MVP Odds, Picks, Predictions, and Analysis
2. Complete World Series TV Schedule, World Series Broadcasts
3. 2012 Superbowl Odds: 2012-2013 Super Bowl Odds – Superbowl 47
4. 2012 NBA Finals Odds with Preview & NBA Free Picks

In a shocking move on Thursday, Albert Pujols was announced to sign a new contract reportedly worth over $250 million with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Here at Bankroll Sports, we are breaking down some of the MLB props that have been recently posted, all courtesy of BoDog Sportsbook!

Los Angeles Angels Win Total Over/Under 87.5: Here’s the thing about the Angels on one blush. They have been a relatively average team over the course of the last few years. In the last four years, they have only won more than 82 games once, and now all of a sudden, they are expected to win 88 games in a division that still features an awfully tough Texas Rangers outfit. Pujols immediately becomes the best No. 3 hitter in the game, and the also newly signed CJ Wilson immediately steps into the No. 2 spot in the rotation behind Jered Weaver. But is the rotation better for it? All of a sudden, the dollars have all been spent, and building a bullpen might be difficult. If Wilson, who has gone 31-15 in his last two seasons, can’t figure out how to keep that pace up this year now that he doesn’t have the tremendous Texas lineup and a huge hitter’s ballpark to help him out, we’re really not all that sure. Don’t be shocked if the Angels, who are the toast of the town right now, still don’t turn out to be pretty much a .500 team once again.

Albert Pujols Over/Under 37.5 Home Runs: This past year was the worst of Pujols’ career, as he only hit 37 home runs. He has 445 bombs in his career, and he is sure to at least challenge the all-time home run mark over the course of the end of his career in Tinseltown. Busch Stadium was a place where Pujols was comfortable hitting. The park factor at Busch Stadium ranked No. 26 in the league at .896, runs per game, and that number has decreased now that he is at Angel Stadium on Anaheim to a .836. Not only that, but Miller Park (No. 10), Wrigley Field (No. 23), and PNC Park (No. 17), all of which are stadiums that typically have treated Pujols well in his career have been replaced by parks like the O.co Coliseum (No. 20) and Safeco Field (No. 26). Angel Stadium ranked No. 25 in MLB park factor for home runs this past year. We expect to see Pujols’ home run production dip, especially as he has to get used to a totally new set of pitchers.

Will Albert Pujols Win the AL MVP Award?: We’re only getting 3 to 1 odds at this point on Pujols, and they certainly aren’t worth backing. For one, we’re really not all that sure that Pujols is going to be playing on a playoff team, which generally eliminates players from MVP consideration. The truth of the matter as well, is that this isn’t likely to be another season in which there just aren’t any MVP candidates in the AL. Players like Miguel Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and all of the big bats on the Boston Red Sox are going to have to shine eventually. Pujols will probably need 45 home runs, a .320 batting average, and 130 RBIs to be the MVP in the American League, and we aren’t willing to only take 3 to 1 on that happening.

1. 2012 NFL Draft Props: Odds To Have The #1 Pick In The NFL Draft
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3. 2012 World Series Odds, Picks, & Early World Series Predictions
4. NCAA Football Picks: Thursday Night College Football Props 9/1/11

The Complete World Series TV Schedule Can Be Found Below

Ready to sit down and check out the 2011 MLB playoffs TV schedule? The action gets started on Friday, September 30th and carries all the way through the end of the World Series. Check out the best matchups on the MLB Playoffs TV schedule this week!

Bookmark This Page (Internet Explorer Only) to see the up to date TV schedule, along with the probable starting pitchers and the final scores of each of the games, as this page will be updated nightly in the playoffs!

Full ALDS Television Schedule For October 1st, 2011 – October 7th, 2011

Italics Denote If Necessary Games

Friday, September 30th, 5:07 PM – Game 1: Tampa Bay Rays 8 @ Texas Rangers 1 (TB Leads Series 1-0)
Saturday, October 1st, 2:07 PM – Game 1: Arizona Diamondbacks 1 @ Milwaukee Brewers 4 (MIL Leads Series 1-0)
Saturday, October 1st, 5:07 PM – Game 1: St. Louis Cardinals 6 @ Philadelphia Phillies 11 (PHI Leads Series 1-0)
Saturday, October 1st, 7:07 PM – Game 2: Tampa Bay Rays 6 @ Texas Rangers 8 (Series Tied 1-1)
Saturday, October 1st, 8:37 PM – Game 1: Detroit Tigers 6 @ New York Yankees 8 (NYY Leads Series 1-0)
Saturday, October 1st, 3:07 PM – Game 2: Detroit Tigers 5 @ New York Yankees 3 (Series Tied 1-1)
Sunday, October 2nd, 4:37 PM – Game 2: Arizona Diamondbacks 4 @ Milwaukee Brewers 9 (MIL Leads Series 2-0)
Sunday, October 2nd, 8:07 PM – Game 2: St. Louis Cardinals 5 @ Philadelphia Phillies 4 (Series Tied 1-1)
Monday, October 3rd, 5:07 PM – Game 3: Texas Rangers 4 @ Tampa Bay Rays 3 (TEX Leads Series 2-1)
Monday, October 3rd, 8:37 PM – Game 3: New York Yankees 4 @ Detroit Tigers 5 (DET Leads Series 2-1)
Tuesday, October 4th, 2:07 PM – Game 4: Texas Rangers 4 @ Tampa Bay Rays 3 (TEX Wins Series 3-1)
Tuesday, October 4th, 5:07 PM – Game 3: Philadelphia Phillies 3 @ St. Louis Cardinals 2 (PHI Leads Series 2-1)
Tuesday, October 4th, 8:37 PM – Game 4: New York Yankees 10 @ Detroit Tigers 1 (Series Tied 2-2)
Tuesday, October 4th, 9:37 PM – Game 3: Milwaukee Brewers 1 @ Arizona Diamondbacks 8 (MIL Leads Series 2-1)
Wednesday, October 5th, 6:07 PM – Game 4: Philadelphia Phillies 3 @ St. Louis Cardinals 5 (Series Tied 2-2)
Wednesday, October 5th, 9:37 PM – Game 4: Milwaukee Brewers 6 @ Arizona Diamondbacks 10 (Series Tied 2-2)
Thursday, October 6th, 8:37 PM – Game 5: Detroit Tigers 3 @ New York Yankees 2 (DET Wins Series 3-2)
Friday, October 7th, 5:07 PM – Game 5: Arizona Diamondbacks 2 @ Milwaukee Brewers 3 (MIL Wins Series 3-2)
Friday, October 7th, 8:37 PM – Game 5: St. Louis Cardinals 1 @ Philadelphia Phillies 0 (STL Wins Series 3-2)

The first round of the playoffs are said and done with, and my, were there some surprises to be had! A pair of underdogs, the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals were able to get out of the first round of the playoffs with dramatic Game 5 victories on the road against two of the best teams in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. The entire AL East is said and done with as well, as the Tampa Bay Rays were sent packing in four games by the Texas Rangers. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers were able to survive after blowing a 2-0 series lead against the Arizona Diamondbacks to win a nervy Game 5 at Miller Park in extra innings.

Complete MLB TV Schedule for ALCS & NLCS For October 8th, 2011 – October 17th, 2011

Italics Denote If Necessary Games

Saturday, October 8th, 8:05 PM – Game 1: Detroit Tigers 2 @ Texas Rangers 3 (TEX Leads Series 1-0)
Sunday, October 9th, 4:05 PM – Game 1: St. Louis Cardinals 6 @ Milwaukee Brewers 9 (MIL Leads Series 1-0)
Monday, October 10th, 4:15 PM – Game 2: Detroit Tigers 3 @ Texas Rangers 7 (TEX Leads Series 2-0)
Monday, October 10th, 8:05 PM – Game 2: St. Louis Cardinals 12 @ Milwaukee Brewers 3 (Series Tied 1-1)
Tuesday, October 11th, 8:05 PM – Game 3: Texas Rangers 2 @ Detroit Tigers 5 (TEX Leads Series 2-1)
Wednesday, October 12th, 4:19 PM – Game 4: Texas Rangers 7 @ Detroit Tigers 3 (TEX Leads Series 3-1)
Wednesday, October 12th, 8:05 PM – Game 3: Milwaukee Brewers 3 @ St. Louis Cardinals 4 (STL Leads Series 2-1)
Thursday, October 13th, 4:19 PM – Game 5: Texas Rangers 5 @ Detroit Tigers 7 (TEX Leads Series 3-2)
Thursday, October 13th, 8:05 PM – Game 4: Milwaukee Brewers 4 @ St. Louis Cardinals 2 (Series Tied 2-2)
Friday, October 14th, 8:05 PM – Game 5: Milwaukee Brewers 1 @ St. Louis Cardinals 7 (STL Leads Series 3-2)
Saturday, October 15th, 8:05 PM – Game 6: Detroit Tigers 5 @ Texas Rangers 15 (TEX Wins Series 4-2)
Sunday, October 17th, 8:05 PM – Game 6: St. Louis Cardinals 15 @ Milwaukee Brewers 5 (STL Wins Series 4-2)

The Texas Rangers are heading to the World Series for the second straight year. The boys from the Lone Star State got the job done this year, winning the ALCS in spite of the fact that they don’t truly have an ace pitcher to hand the ball off to. However, between an offense that got a whopping six home runs from Nelson Cruz and a staff that didn’t have an absolutely awful game in the ALCS, the Detroit Tigers never stood a chance of surviving. Cruz predictable won ALCS MVP honors in a series that really didn’t feature much in the way of solid pitching out of the starters.

The Cardinals’ bats were just too tough to tame in this series for the Brewers. They had won their first three games of the playoffs at home, but after that, they were all said and done with, losing two of the final three to seal their fate. St. Louis now goes from the biggest underdog on the World Series odds to one which really has a shot of winning it all, especially after series MVP, David Freese came through. He and Albert Pujols are both batting over .400 for the playoffs. If Manager Tony LaRussa can be concerned about one thing, it is that his starting pitchers were terrible. None of the six were able to even make it into the sixth inning.

World Series TV Broadcast Schedule for October 19th, 2011 – October 27th, 2011

Italics Denote If Necessary Games

Wednesday, October 19th, 8:05 PM – Game 1: Texas Rangers 2 @ St. Louis Cardinals 3 (STL Leads Series 1-0)
Thursday, October 20th, 8:05 PM – Game 2: Texas Rangers 2 @ St. Louis Cardinals 1 (Series Tied 1-1)
Saturday, October 22nd, 8:05 PM – Game 3: St. Louis Cardinals 16 @ Texas Rangers 7 (STL Leads Series 2-1)
Sunday, October 23rd, 8:05 PM – Game 4: St. Louis Cardinals 0 @ Texas Rangers 4 (Series Tied 2-2)
Monday, October 24th, 8:05 PM – Game 5: St. Louis Cardinals 2 @ Texas Rangers 4 (TEX Leads Series 3-2)
Thursday, October 27th, 8:05 PM – Game 6: Texas Rangers 9 @ St. Louis Cardinals 10 (Series Tied 3-3)
Friday, October 28th, 8:05 PM – Game 7: Texas Rangers (Matt Harrison) @ St. Louis Cardinals (Chris Carpenter) (FOX)

What a postseason, and what a World Series! This is officially the most games that have ever been played in a postseason, as we have only been cheated out of a grand total of three playoff games for the entire year. However, after 2,429 regular season games (since one ended up not being made up), 19 in the LDS series, 12 in the LCS series, and six here in the World Series, it comes down to just one more game to determine the champion. The St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers have traded body blow after body blow to one another in this series, but there were no blows like the one that was issued on Thursday night.

The Cards found themselves down on four different occasions jsut in the first seven innings of the game. They were behind 7-4 in the seventh inning before rallying for a run in the eighth. All looked to be lost in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and two strikes to little David Freese, who happened to be the hero of the NLCS. He immediately became the hero that saved St. Louis’ season by blasting a two out, two strike, two run triple to tie up the game.

Josh Hamilton hit a two run homer in the 10th inning that appeared to restore order in the Lone Star State, reinstating Texas’ two run lead. However, again, with two outs and two strikes, the Cardinals struck, getting a two run single from Lance Berkman.

After not scoring in the top of the 11th inning, it was Freese that did it again, hitting the solo homer that forced a Game 7.

Just think about where this St. Louis team has come from… It had to have a miracle just to get into the playoffs, as it was 8.5 games back in September of just making the second season. Then it rallied from down 2-1 against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the playoffs, erased a 1-0 deficit in the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers and won a de facto best of three series down the stretch, needing a win at the impossible Miller Park to get into the Fall Classic, and then, after blowing a 1-0 and 2-1 series lead, the Cardinals rallied on their final strike… twice… just to force a Game 7.

For Texas, this becomes a hard task, as it became the third team in the history of baseball to lose a clinching World Series game when it just needed to get one final out. No one had ever done it twice in the same game. One of those teams, the Boston Red Sox, went on to lose the World Series in Game 7 against the New York Mets, continuing a nearly 100 year curse on the franchise without a title. The other team that lost a game with just one more out needed was in 1911. The Philadelphia A’s blew it against the New York Yankees, but they came back to win the final game of the series.

Neither of those teams were as close as the Rangers were, though… twice. Never had a team been down to its last out and lived to tell about it in the World Series. Not only did St. Louis do it in the 9th inning, but it did it in the 10th inning as well.

Enjoy Game 7, folks. It’s bound to once again be a doozy.

1. 2011 World Series MVP Odds, Picks, Predictions, and Analysis
2. 2011 MLB Baseball Power Ratings (As of 8/15)

The odds to win the World Series MVP award have been posted for the 2011 World Series, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’re tearing apart all of the odds to find the best World Series predictions for you to bet on!

The man that everyone is rightfully going to be afraid of in the World Series MVP voting is Albert Pujols (Favorites On the Odds To Win World Series MVP: 5 to 1 @ BoDog Sportsbook / Unlimited 10% Bonus if you Click Here). And why not? There is no hitter in the game on a nightly basis that is more feared than Pujols, and he is batting well over .400 in the postseason with double digits of RBIs as well. When this lineup is clicking, it’s impossible to avoid Pujols, and with an OPS of nearly 1.200 for the playoffs, there’s no reason to think that he won’t come up with his stats. Don’t think that there isn’t just a tad bit of extra motivation there, as well. Remember that Pujols is a free agent as soon as this series is over, and though we do tend to think that he is staying in St. Louis, every hit, run, RBI, and home run is worth that much more to him when he cashes his first paycheck of next season.

Since we really don’t see too many other options on the Cardinals that we’d like to bet on for World Series MVP picks, we’re going to go with some Rangers now. The man that we absolutely cannot avoid right now is the hottest hitter on the planet, Nelson Cruz (Odds To Win the World Series MVP Award: 8 to 1 @ JustBet Sportsbook / Amazing 100% Bonus if you Click Here). There was never a doubt that Cruz was going to win the ALCS MVP award after hitting a whopping six home runs, two of which came in the 11th inning to essentially end games in the series against the Detroit Tigers. On top of that, there were a few shots that looked like they could have gotten out of the park, especially at Comerica Park. Cruz is dialed in, and there is no way that we can go against him in this situation, especially against a slew of starting pitchers that have, for the most part, been atrocious in the postseason.

And then there is Neftali Feliz (World Series MVP Odds: 25 to 1 @ BoDog Sportsbook / Unlimited 10% Bonus if you Click Here). It’s not often that you see a closer winning this type of award, but Feliz is the type of guy that is fiery enough to get the job done. The righty has only allowed one run in the postseason, and he isn’t going to be blowing games in all likelihood. If you believe that the Rangers are going to win a tight series, this might be the man for you, as four saves is a distinct possibility. Remember that Feliz is a huge strikeout guy, and Manager Ron Washington isn’t afraid to call on him for a four or a five out save situation either. One of those and two or three other saves in a series where no one particularly stands out, and all of a sudden, Feliz could be your man to win the World Series MVP voting.

2011 World Series MVP Odds @ Bodog (as of 10/18/11)
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Albert Pujols 5 to 1
Adrian Beltre 6 to 1
Nelson Cruz 6 to 1
Josh Hamilton 7 to 1
David Freese 10 to 1
Ian Kinsler 10 to 1
Matt Holliday 10 to 1
Michael Young 10 to 1
Field (Any Other Player) 12 to 1
Lance Berkman 14 to 1
Yadier Molina 14 to 1
John Jay 15 to 1
Elvis Andrus 18 to 1
CJ Wilson 20 to 1
Chris Carpenter 20 to 1
Mike Napoli 20 to 1
Jason Motte 25 to 1
Neftali Feliz 25 to 1
Allen Craig 30 to 1

Current Odds To Win World Series MVP Award @ JustBet (as of 10/18/2011):
(Bet The 2011 World Series MVP Odds & Get A 100% Bonus @ JustBet Using This Link)

Albert Pujols 5 to 1
Alexi Ogando 30 to 1
Allen Craig 30 to 1
Chris Carpenter 12 to 1
CJ Wilson 15 to 1
Craig Gentry 40 to 1
David Freese 10 to 1
David Murphy 25 to 1
Elvis Andrus 15 to 1
Ian Kinsler 12 to 1
Jason Motte 15 to 1
Jon Jay 12 to 1
Josh Hamilton 5 to 1
Lance Berkman 12 to 1
Matt Holliday 8 to 1
Michael Young 8 to 1
Mike Napoli 18 to 1
Mitch Moreland 50 to 1
Neftali Feliz 15 to 1
Nelson Cruz 8 to 1
Rafael Furcal 15 to 1
Skip Schumaker 25 to 1
Yadier Molina 12 to 1
Field (Any Other Player) 5 to 1

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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 9/15/2011
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 8/29/2011)

1. Philadelphia Phillies (78-41) – The Philadelphia Phillies remain the top team in Major League Baseball. Philadelphia has won eight of ten games, and are now nine games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. Philadelphia has won both at home and on the road, 42 and 36 on the season. The Phillies have the top pitching rotation in all of baseball, leading in wins, quality starts and earned run average. The Phillies have a +137 run differential on the season; which is second best to Boston.

2. Boston Red Sox (73-46) – The Boston Red Sox are just ½ game ahead of the New York Yankees at the top of the American League East. Boston struggled over the weekend, as they lost their last two games to the Seattle Mariners. The Red Sox have scored a league best 644 runs on the season. Adrian Gonzalez has continued his torrid season, as he is batting .351 on the season with 91 runs batted in. The Red Sox have the most road wins in all of the American League (36).

3. New York Yankees (72-46) – The Yankees were rained out on Sunday; to move to ½ game behind the Red Sox. New York holds the best home record in all of the American League (40-24). New York has seen sluggers Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson torch opposing pitchers as a high clip. Alex Rodriguez expects to return to the lineup for the Yankees, as he has missed extended time with several injuries. New York’s C.C. Sabathia is second in the American League with wins; 16.

4. Atlanta Braves (70-51) – The Atlanta Braves come into the new week four games ahead of the San Francisco Giants for the wildcard out of the National League. The Braves started the series with a win over the Cubs, but dropped the final two games. Atlanta starts a huge four game series at home on Monday against the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Atlanta’s Dan Uggla had his MLB high 33 game hitting streak snapped on Sunday, in large part to a spectacular catch from second base men Darwin Barney.

5. Milwaukee Brewers (70-51) – The Milwaukee Brewers are red-hot. In the last 18 games, Milwaukee has lost just two games; both to St. Louis. The Brewers have moved to 5.5 games ahead of the Cardinals coming into the Sunday night game. Milwaukee has been getting production from their top two – Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, but also guys like Casey McGhee, Yuneski Betancourt and Jonathan Lucroy. The Brewers swept the Pirates on Sunday with a run in the eighth and another in the tenth to walk-off with a win.

6. Texas Rangers (69-52) – The Texas Rangers came from behind to finish a three game sweep in Oakland on Sunday. The Rangers with the win moved them to four full games ahead of the Angles in the AL West. Texas is one of the top hitting teams in all of baseball, with a .277 batting average, and 615 runs scored. The Rangers top offensive players are Michael Young, with a .333 batting average, and Nelson Cruz with 25 homeruns. The Rangers also rank third with 75 quality starts from their starting pitchers.

7. Arizona Diamondbacks (68-53) – The Arizona Diamondbacks are one of the hottest teams in all of baseball. Arizona completed the sweep over the Mets on Sunday, and moved their winning streak to six games. The Diamondbacks lead the National League West by two games over the San Francisco Giants. Arizona got bad news on Sunday when they lost Jason Marquis to a broken leg. Arizona acquired Marquis to help them down the stretch in the starting rotation. The Diamondbacks are the only team in the NL West with a positive run differential.

8. San Francisco Giants (66-55) – The defending World Series champions are two games back in the division, and four games out of the wildcard. The Giants have had problems scoring runs, but picked up five on Sunday.  Also on Sunday, Ryan Vogelsong picked up his 10^th win of the season. On Saturday, Tim Lincecum shut the Marlins offense out, and leads the team with 11 wins, and 175 strikeouts. San Francisco ranks 27^th in batting average with a .241 and 29^th in runs with just 411.

9. Los Angeles Angels (65-56) – The Angels took an 11-2 loss on Saturday, and then were not able to keep a lead on Sunday; losing 5-4 to the Blue Jays. The Angels have dropped to four games back in the American League West; behind Texas. Los Angeles has not hit the ball real well this season; ranking 22^nd in runs with 462 and 20^th in batting average (.249). The top hitter for the Angels is Alberto Callapso, with a .291 batting average. Another youngster, Mark Trumbo has blasted 22 homeruns and drove in 64 runs on the season.

10. Detroit Tigers (64-56) – The Tigers are the current leader of the American League Central; 2.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. The Tigers are seeing Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera carry the offense with a .322 batting average and 23 homeruns respectively. The Tigers also have seen their ace Justin Verlander take over the league lead in wins, with 17. Detroit was forced to put Carlos Guillen on the 15 day disabled list with a sore left wrist.

11.  Tampa Bay Rays (64-55) – The Tampa Bay Rays are trying to hang on by their dear lives for the 2011 postseason. Tampa Bay comes into the new week 8.5 games behind the wildcard, and 9 behind the division leaders. The Rays split a two game series with the Yankees over the weekend. Tampa Bay will look to get back in the race on Tuesday, when they play short two game series in Boston, against the Red Sox. The Rays have seen Casey Kotchman lead the way with a .335 batting average.

12. St. Louis Cardinals (64-56) – The St. Louis Cardinals come into Sunday Night’s game against Colorado 5.5 games out of first place. The Cardinals are desperately seeking ways to string off consecutive wins, as well as Milwaukee losses. The Cardinals won Friday night behind a big offensive inning, and then were downed on Saturday by the Rockies. The Cardinals have seen Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman sit atop the National League in homeruns with 28. The Cardinals have a favorable schedule up until the series against the Brewers in late August.  

13. Toronto Blue Jays (61-59) – Toronto wishes they were part of the American League Central. If they were, they would be just three games behind for the divisional lead. Instead, as they play in the American League East, they are 12.5 games out of first place. The Blue Jays have not been hampered by offense, as they have scored 563 runs on the season. Jose Bautista is batting .311, with 34 homeruns and 77 runs batted in. The Blue Jays will look to extend their two game win streak on Monday in Seattle.

14. Cleveland Indians (60-57) – Cleveland was rained out of Sunday’s game, and moved to 2.5 games behind Detroit in the AL Central. The Indians lost out on a chance to sweep divisional rival Minnesota. On the season, the Indians have scored 500 runs, while allowing 498. Cleveland turns to their new comer Ubaldo Jimenez on Tuesday when they start a three game series at US Cellular Field in Chicago. Jimenez is just 7-9 on the season as a Rockie and Indian.

15. Chicago White Sox (60-60) – Chicago won their second straight on Sunday and moved to .500 on the season. The White Sox are now just four games behind Detroit for the lead in the American League Central. Chicago saw John Danks pitch six strong innings in the win. The White Sox pitching has been led by Mark Buerhle, who leads the staff with 10 wins. On the offensive side, Paul Konerko is batting .311 with 27 homeruns and 82 runs batted in. The White Sox will look to gain ground in the division on Tuesday as they start a series with Cleveland.

16. Cincinnati Reds (59-62) – Cincinnati, after winning the first two games of a series against San Diego was unable to pull of the sweep Sunday. In Saturday’s game, the Reds blasted 5 homeruns and scored 13 runs. With the loss on Sunday, the defending NL Central champions fell to 11 games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central. The Reds may have lost starting pitcher Dontrelle Wills as well, as he was forced to leave the game early with an injury. Good news for the Reds is Jay Bruce is red-hot, homering in 3 straight games, and five in his last seven games.

17. New York Mets (58-62) – After moving to a game over .500, New York has dropped five straight games to fall back to four below .500. The Mets have also fallen to 20.5 games out of first place in the division. New York ranks fourth in baseball with a .267 batting average, led by the .336 of Jose Reyes. The Mets, despite being under .500 have outscored their opponents 540 – 538 on the season. New York starts a series in San Diego on Monday.

18. Pittsburgh Pirates (56-62) – The Pittsburgh Pirates saw two straight games get away from them. On Saturday, after failing to score in the 9^th, after a lead-off triple, the Pirates blew a one run lead in the 8^th on Sunday, only to lose in the 10^th. The Pirates have now fallen to 13 games out in the NL Central. Pittsburgh ranks in the bottom five in all offensive categories, including 26^th in batting average, with .243 and 27^th in runs with 447.

19. Washington Nationals (57-62) – The Nationals were rained out on Sunday in the final game of the series against the Phillies. Washington committed three errors in the loss to Philadelphia on Saturday. The Nationals are now 21 games out of first place in the National League East; ½ game behind the Mets for third place. Washington has seen first base men Michael Morse lead the team with a .321 batting average, along with 20 homeruns and 69 runs batted in.

20. Florida Marlins (56-63) – The Florida Marlins have been a train wreck most of the season. Florida this week sent Logan Morrison down to the minor leagues, despite him having the second highest OBS on the team. The Marlins also released veteran Wes Helms. In the process, Florida was shut-out on Saturday, and downed again Sunday by the Giants. Florida has seen one big bright spot, in outfielder Mike Stanton. Stanton is batting .285 with 26 homeruns and 71 runs batted in on the season.

21. Colorado Rockies (56-65) – The Colorado Rockies picked up a 6-1 win over St. Louis on Saturday. In the win, Colorado saw Carlos Gonzalez blast a three run homerun to take the lead. The Rockies offense seems to go as Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki go. Colorado takes on the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball. The Rockies look to improve on a dreadful 2-16 record in Sunday games in 2011. The Rockies also sent their closer Huston Street to the disabled list this week.

22. Los Angeles Dodgers (55-64) – The Los Angeles Dodgers completed a sweep over the Houston Astros on Sunday. For Los Angeles, it seems to be too little, too late. The Dodgers are nine games under .500, and dropped to 12 games behind the Giants in the divisional race. Los Angeles is seeing Matt Kemp put up MVP type numbers, with a .320 batting average, 28 homeruns, 89 runs batted in and 74 runs scored. On Saturday, Clayton Kershaw picked up his team leading 14^th win, beating the Astros. The Dodgers will look to start hot on Monday when they start a series against Milwaukee.

23. San Diego Padres (54-68) – The San Diego Padres have fallen back to last place in the National League West. San Diego at 54-68 is 14.5 games behind the Diamondbacks in the division. San Diego was able to avoid a sweep on Sunday by downing the Reds 7-3. The Padres rank 29^th in all of baseball with a .238 batting average. The Padres Chase Headley leads the team with a .292 batting average. San Diego is being outscored 471 – 458 on the season.

24. Oakland Athletics (53-66) – The Oakland Athletics were swept over the weekend by the Texas Rangers. Oakland tied the game in the sixth inning, but allowed a run in the 9^th to lose their third straight. The Athletics are having all sorts of problems offensively, as they are batting just .245 on the season; Oakland’s Gio Gonzalez has been solid in the rotation, leading the team with nine wins and a 3.25 earned run average. Oakland starts a home series Monday with Baltimore.

25. Minnesota Twins (52-67) – The Twins are having a bad 2011 season; simply put. Minnesota has fallen to 15 games under .500, and 11.5 games out of first place in the American League Central. The Twins are being outscored by 111 runs this season; which is the worst in all of the American League. Minnesota’s Michael Cuddyer is batting .295 with 18 homeruns and 61 runs batted in. The Twins pitching has not lived up to par on the season, ranking 26^th in earned run average.  

26. Seattle Mariners (52-67) – Seattle had a solid weekend, winning the final two games of a three game series against the Red Sox. The Mariners are still 16 games out of first place in the American League West. Seattle is last in all offensive categories, with a .230 batting average, 395 runs scored and just a .292 on base percentage. Seattle has seen their ace Felix Hernandez win 11 games, including striking out 176 batters on the season.

27. Kansas City Royals (50-71) – The Royals won the first game of the series against divisional rival Chicago; but then fell in the last two. Kansas City ranks fifth in batting average, with a .267, but just 13^th in the league in runs with 522. The Royals are led by Melky Cabrera on offense. Cabrera is batting .311 with 15 homeruns and drove in 70 runs, while scoring 73 runs of his own. The Royals will start a three game series on Monday with the New York Yankees.

28. Chicago Cubs (53-68) – The Chicago Cubs bounced back from the embarrassing loss on Friday, with back-to-back wins over the Atlanta Braves. The big news for the Cubs was the 30 day suspension to ace pitcher Carlos Zambrano. It is expected that Zambrano will never throw another pitch for the Cubs in his career. More rumors came that Zambrano cleared waivers, and will likely be traded. The Cubs are 17 games back of Milwaukee, but more importantly for them; just four games behind the fourth place Pirates.

29. Baltimore Orioles (46-72) – The Baltimore Orioles are 26 games under .500 and 26.5 games behind first place Boston. The Orioles have lost seven of their last ten overall. On the road, Baltimore holds just 17 wins on the season. The Baltimore offense is led by Adam Jones, who is batting .294, while Mark Reynolds has blasted 26 homeruns. The Orioles have the worst earned run average in all of baseball, with a 4.85, and also last in quality starts, with 45.

30. Houston Astros (38-83) – The Astros are looking towards a historical bad 2011 season. The Astros have now lost 83 games on the season, and six straight. Houston is coming off a sweep to the Los Angeles Dodgers, where they lost 7-0 on Sunday. The Astros lone slugger in the offense is Carlos Lee, who has 68 runs batted in. The Astros rank 29^th in all of baseball with a 4.63 earned run average, and 27^th in quality starts, with just 56.

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The MLB All-Star Game is always chock full of tremendous MLB props to sink your teeth into, and this year is no exception. Check out the listing of all of the All-Star Game props below and some of our MLB picks for tonight’s clash!

First Team to Strikeout – Simply put, we just don’t see Roy Halladay pitching the first inning without getting at least one strikeout. Sure, the righty probably isn’t going to be putting everything into this one as he would in a regular season game, but with almost as many strikeouts as innings pitched this year, Halladay is hard to bet against. Take a look at that AL lineup as well. Curtis Granderson and Asdrubal Cabrera have over 150 strikeouts between them this year, and they’re both K’s waiting to happen. All Star Game Prop Pick – American League -200

Will There Be a Blown Save – The relievers this season in the All-Star Game just don’t seem to be as strong as they were in seasons past. We also have to remember that we are basically just betting on a lead change at some point from the 5th inning on to qualify as a blown save. Inevitably, the team that is trailing after five innings is going to end up posting a comeback at some point, and though that team might not ultimately win, we do have confidence that this one will become at least a tie game at some point in the latter frames. This is a generous price on the All-Star Game odds. All Star Game Prop Pick – Yes +120

Will Anyone Get 3 or More Hits – This is absolutely a sucker prop that the books are hoping that you bet yes on to have something to root for. Last year, there were only three players in the game that were able to even get three at bats, let alone have three hits. The likelihood of any player nowadays coming up with three or more hits in a game is highly unlikely unless we end up in a situation where we have position players coming in to pitch in the 14th inning of a game that both managers just want to have end. There’s just no way that we see it happening inside of a game that lasts even a dozen innings, as there just won’t be that many players that get the opportunity in all likelihood to see the plate that many times.

Complete List of 2011 All-Star Game Props @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 7/12/11):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at Oddsmaker.com When Using This Link)

Time it Takes Jordan Sparks To Sing Star Spangled Banner
Over 1:52.5 -115
Under 1:52.5 -115

First Pitch by National League Pitcher
Ball +200
Strike -250

First Pitch by American League Pitcher
Ball +200
Strike -250

First Team to Get a Single
American League -140
National League +110

First Team to Get a Double
American League -130
National League +100

First Team to Get a Triple
American League -120
National League -110

First Team to Get a Home Run
American League -120
National League -110

First Team to Draw a Walk
American League -120
National League -110

First Team To Strike Out (Batting)
American League -200
National League +160

First Team to Steal a Base
American League -120
National League -110

First Team to Have a Double Play on Defense
American League -110
National League -120

First Team to Commit an Error
American League -110
National League -120

Will Anyone Get Hit by a Pitch
Yes +150
No -180

Will There be a Triple in the Game
Yes +400
No -600

Will There Be a Ground Rule Double
Yes +600
No -1000

Will Anyone Get a Save
Yes -250
No +200

Will There Be a Blown Save
Yes +120
No -150

Will Game End on a “Walk Off Run”
Yes +220
No -270

Will Anyone Be Tagged Out
Yes -300
No +230

Total Strikeouts 1st Inning
Over 2.5 +180
Under 2.5 -220

Will a Run Be Scored in the 9th Inning
Yes +200
No -250

Will Game Go to Extra Innings
Yes +230
No -300

Will Team Scoring First Win Game
Yes -220
No +180

Will Both Teams Score in the Same Inning
Yes -115
No -115

Will There Be a Sacrifice Fly That Scores a Run
Yes +105
No -135

Will Any Outfielder Get an Assist
Yes +270
No -350

Will Anyone Get 3 or More Hits
Yes +230
No -300

Will More Different Players Get Hits or Strikeouts
Hits +130
Strikeouts -160

Will Any Pitcher Ever Get on Base
Yes +1500
No -3000

Will Anyone Hit Live Ball Into Swimming Pool
Yes +2500
No -5000

Will Game’s First 3-2 Pitch Be Fouled Off
Yes +120
No -150

Will First Hit Come in Left Field Corner or Right Field Corner
Left Field Corner -115
Right Field Corner -115

Will There Be An Intentional Walk
Yes +150
No -180

Number of Different Players to Bat with Bases Loaded
Over 1.5 +130
Under 1.5 -160

Will Anyone Be Caught Stealing
Yes +160
No -200

Will 1st Strikeout Be Swinging or Looking
Swinging -180
Looking +150

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The Major League Baseball Season has taken over the spot light in the sporting world. The 2011 MLB season is nearing its All-Star Break, and we are starting to get a great idea of what to expect through out the rest of the year. One of the always interesting aspects of professional baseball is the league’s home run hitters. The guys who have been able to hit the long ball have always packed the stands and provided excitement for viewers. In today’s modern day game, nearly every player has the ability to hit a 400 plus foot home run during any game. However, there are still those who continuously find ways to knock the ball into the stands putting fear into opponents with every swing of the bat. One very interesting MLB Prop Bet for 2011 is which player will finish the season with the most home runs? We break down and rank the top power hitters in Major League Baseball while providing some insight on who may possibly end the season with the most home runs.

You will find odds next to each homerun hitter which are the current futures odds for that particular player to finish the season with the most home runs on the year. These are the current odds at Oddsmaker Sportsbook as of July 9, 2011.  Oddsmaker Sportsbook offers Bankroll Spots readers and customers a Free $100 Bet when you use any Oddsmaker link on the Bankroll Sports blog.

Top Home Run Hitters In Baseball

Jose Bautista (29)
Curtis Granderson (25)
Mark Teixeira (25)
Lance Berkman (24)
Matt Kemp (22)
Prince Fielder (22)
Paul Konerko (22)
Jay Bruce (20)
Mark Reynolds (20)
Nelson Cruz (20)

Top 5 Home Run Odds Picks Picks

No. 1 – Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays (1 to 4 at Oddsmaker Sportsbook)

A year after hitting 54 homers, Bautista is back on a clip to hit well over 50 bombs once again this season. We’re just puzzled as to where all of this power suddenly came from for the 30 year old out of the Dominican Republic. Bautista only had a grand total of 59 home runs under his belt in his entire career before last year. Now, he has 83 in his last 243 games, and he is probably the only man that can threaten the 60 home run mark this year.

No. 2 – Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds (50 to 1 at Oddsmaker Sportsbook)

We just love the MLB odds here on Bruce even though he is nine off of the pace of the league lead in homers. This is a towering man to say the least. Bruce is 6’3″, and he is only 24 years old with plenty of bright days in front of him. This is going to be his best home run production season of his career, and he’ll surely end up at least in the 30s, and probably closer to the 40s by the time the season is over with. If there is a man that has the home run stroke that can get back into the thick of things in a hurry, this is it. Bruce has a great lineup around him in Cincinnati as well, and he isn’t often pitched around. Sure, he’s got 82 strikeouts and has fanned far more than we’d like to see, but we know that Bruce is the type of man that really can get on fire in a hurry and start blasting balls out of the Great American Ballpark at a ridiculous clip.

No. 3 – Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees (Even Money at Oddsmaker Sportsbook)

Maybe Big Tex shouldn’t be even money at this point to lead the league in homers, but when push comes to shove, would you want to bet against him? Teixeira just hit the 300 home run mark for his career back on June 30th, and though he has been cool as a cumcumber in terms of home runs since that point, he could heat up at a moment’s notice again as well. Tex has a great swing for hitting homers at Yankee Stadium, and we know that he is going to take full advantage of his surroundings for the rest of the year and will post his third straight 30+ home run season with the Bronx Bombers.

No. 4 – Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (100 to 1 at Oddsmaker Sportsbook)

At 100 to 1, how can we pass on Pujols? Yeah, sure. He’s a dozen homers off of the pace and only has 17 for the season, and yes, he hasn’t hit a home run since coming back to the lineup after recovering from his wrist injury. However, this is a man that has hit 40+ home runs six times in his career and has never had a season with fewer than 32 home runs. As long as Pujols gets healthy over these next couple of weeks, we’re not totally throwing out his chances of leading the league in home runs this year, which makes that 100 to 1 a very tempting price even though it is an incredibly long shot.

No. 5 – Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees (Field, 2 to 1 at Oddsmaker Sportsbook)

Like him or lump him, Granderson just continues to get balls to fly out of Yankee Stadium. With 25 homers, we can’t discount the ability of Granderson to cash in on the field this year to lead the league in dingers. He doesn’t have the prettiest swing in the world, but we know that in his 221 games played in a New York uniform, he has 49 home runs to show for his work. A dozen of those homers have come at home this season, and with a ton of home games still on the slate, we aren’t counting out Granderson from maybe even reaching 50 home runs on the campaign.

2011 Home Run Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 7/9/11):
(Get a FREE $100 Free Bet W/ NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED at Oddsmaker.com When Using This Link)

Albert Pujols 100 to 1
Miguel Cabrera 50 to 1
Prince Fielder 3 to 1
Ryan Howard 20 to 1
Mark Teixeira Even Money
Adam Dunn 1,000 to 1
Jose Bautista 1 to 4
Adrian Gonzalez 20 to 1
Joey Votto 300 to 1
Carlos Gonzalez 200 to 1
Mark Reynolds 15 to 1
Josh Hamilton 300 to 1
Nelson Cruz 8 to 1
Ryan Braun 20 to 1
Alex Rodriguez 30 to 1
Jay Bruce 50 to 1
Evan Longoria 750 to 1
Kendry Morales 10,000 to 1
Mike Stanton 25 to 1
Jason Heyward 750 to 1
Justin Morneau 10,000 to 1
Robinson Cano 200 to 1
Carlos Pena 10 to 1
Dan Uggla 750 to 1
Troy Tulowitzki 40 to 1
Adam Lind 100 to 1
Jayson Werth 1,000 to 1
Paul Konerko 10 to 1
Pedro Alvarez 1,000 to 1
Buster Posey 10,000 to 1
Tyler Colvin 100 to 1
Chase Utley 1,000 to 1
Ian Kinsler 500 to 1
Shin Soo Choo 1,000 to 1
Carlos Lee 1,000 to 1
Adrian Beltre 80 to 1
Chris Young 250 to 1
Matt Kemp 30 to 1
Hanley Ramirez 1,000 to 1
David Wright 1,000 to 1
Carlos Quentin 25 to 1
David Ortiz 60 to 1
Justin Upton 200 to 1
Colby Rasmus 1,000 to 1
Andre Ethier 1,000 to 1
Ryan Zimmerman 10,000 to 1
Kevin Youkilis 1,000 to 1
Matt Holliday 1,000 to 1
Travis Snider 1,000 to 1
Field (Any Other Player) 2 to 1

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The State Farm Home Run Derby is all set to get going, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’re analyzing the odds to win the Home Run Derby for 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ.

2011 Home Run Derby Odds, Picks & Info
2011 Home Run Derby Date: Monday, July 11th
2011 Home Run Derby Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
2011 Odds To Win The Home Run Derby Favorite: Jose Bautista (3 to 1)
Defending Home Run Derby Champion & Odds: David Ortiz (7 to 2)
2011 Home Run Derby TV Coverage – Network: ESPN

It should be no surprise that the two team captains for the National League and the American League are going to be amongst the favorites to win this event. In the American League, David Ortiz (Current Home Run Derby Odds: 7 to 2 at BoDog Sportsbook) is having himself a heck of a season. He has already blasted 17 home runs this year, and he is batting a shade under .300. The problem that he has of late is that he hasn’t played a lot due to the Interleague play in the National League parks without a DH, and as a result, he hasn’t hit a home run since June 12th. Still, no one blasts them like Big Papi, and he is going to be considered a real threat in this competition. Of course, Ortiz was the winner of this title last year, so we know that he has the goods to be able to win it again this season.

The National League leader, Prince Fielder (MLB Home Run Derby Lines: 7 to 2 at BoDog Sportsbook) is no slouch either. With at least 28 homers every single season since 2006, we know that the son of the great slugger, Cecil Fielder is a great competitor for this competition. Fielder is familiar with fields that are built just like Chase Field. Miller Park is another one of these quirky parks, and the first baseman for the Brew Crew should be able to take full advantage of this.

List Of Past Home Run Derby Champions
2010 Home Run Derby Winner: David Ortiz
2009 Home Run Derby Winner: Prince Fielder
2008 Home Run Derby Winner: Justin Morneau
2007 Home Run Derby Winner: Vladimir Guerrero
2006 Home Run Derby Winner: Ryan Howard
2005 Home Run Derby Winner: Bobby Abreu
2004 Home Run Derby Winner: Miguel Tejada
2003 Home Run Derby Winner: Garret Anderson
2002 Home Run Derby Winner: Jason Giambi
2001 Home Run Derby Winner: Luis Gonzalez
2000 Home Run Derby Winner: Sammy Sosa

But of course, the favorite on the odds to win the Home Run Derby is Jose Bautista (Current MLB Home Run Derby Odds: 3 to 1 at BoDog Sportsbook). Bautista already has knocked a whopping 28 home runs this year, and he is well on a pace to make it to the 50+ home run barrier for the second straight season; not bad for a man who only has 141 career home runs. Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, this is the only man that they really have, but fortunately for us, he is playing on his own here at the Home Run Derby. Don’t be surprised if the league leader in home runs ends up putting on quite the show at Chase Field this week.

MLB Home Run Derby Odds @ BoDog Sportsbook (as of 7/7/11):
(Get a UNLIMITED 10% Bonus at BoDog.com When Using This Link)

Jose Bautista 3/1
Prince Fielder 7/2
David Ortiz 7/2
Matt Holliday 4/1
Adrian Gonzalez 7/1
Matt Kemp 7/1
Robinson Cano 15/2
Rickie Weeks 12/1

MLB Home Run Derby Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 7/7/11):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at JustBet.com When Using This Link)

Adrian Gonzalez 8 to 1
David Ortiz 3 to 1
Jose Bautista 2.50 to 1
Matt Holliday 3 to 1
Matt Kemp 6.50 to 1
Prince Fielder 3 to 1
Rickey Weeks 10 to 1
Robinson Cano 8 to 1

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Here at Bankroll Sports, we’ve always got our pulse on all of the best MLB betting action, and as a part of all of the action, we’re taking a look at the Top 10 money pitchers in the league through games ending June 4th.

1: Dillon Gee, New York Mets (8-0, +$876) – Is Gee that lucky or that good? The answer is probably a little from Column A and a little from Column B. Gee does have a 3.33 ERA, but he only has 39 strikeouts in 54 innings of work. He also has 20 walks. Still, the 25 year old righty has a bright future with the Mets, and he certainly knows that he isn’t goingt o get that much run support when he comes out to pitch. Gee also spent plenty of time in the New York bullpen this year, which also doesn’t give us all that much confidence that this is going to keep up.

2: Jason Marquis, Washington Nationals (8-3, +$809) – The Nats are finally getting their money’s worth on Marquis after bringing him in from the Colorado Rockies. Marquis had a disastrous year last year, going 2-9 with a 6.60 ERA, and this year, he is already 6-2. No, we aren’t all that impressed with a 4.13 ERA for Marquis, but he definitely continues to get the job done. Of course, it helps that in his last 10 starts, Marquis has gotten at least seven runs of support six times. The righty still has only started 24 games since coming to DC, something that concerns us for a man that had thrown at least 28 starts in his previous six seasons.

3: Aaron Harang, San Diego Padres (9-3, +$708) – The big right hander is absolutely loving his new digs at Petco Park, and he is putting up some phenomenal numbers this year. Harang has a 3.77 ERA, and he hasn’t had a loss since May 2nd. Amazingly, for as well as Harang has pitched at home, he hasn’t lost a start on the road this season. Three of his four starts on the road have been stellar, and the dud at the Colorado Rockies in which he allowed seven runs in 4.1 innings was overcome by his normally shoddy offense.

4: Kevin Correia, Pittsburgh Pirates (8-4, +$686) – We can’t even remember the last time that the Pirates had a pitcher in the Top 10 on the MLB lines this late in the season. Correia doesn’t get a lot of strikeouts (just 34 this season), but he does a great job keeping the ball on the ground and trusting the defense behind him. Correia has three straight wins, two of which came as underdogs, and he is about to notch his third straight season with double digits worth of wins.

5: Kyle McClellan, St. Louis Cardinals (8-2, +$590) – McClellan hadn’t started a game in his entire career before this year. We guess he has a newly found trade at this point. Manager Tony LaRussa really didn’t have a choice but to go with McClellan in his rotation this year when Adam Wainwright went down, and he certainly answered the bell. The righty is 6-2 with a 3.86 ERA. He’s on the DL now with a hip flexor injury, but when he comes back, we’d have no reason to believe that McClellan won’t be able to continue on his torrid pace in his first year as a starter.

6: Bruce Chen, Kansas City Royals (6-1, +$554) – We just don’t know how Bruce Chen continues to stick around in this league. He has been around since 1998, has bounced around to a million different franchises, and yet he already has the third most wins that he has ever had in a season in his career with four. Chen is on the DL right now, and when he comes back, we would be fading him on the MLB odds all the time until he and the Royals come back to earth.

7: Josh Tomlin, Cleveland Indians (8-3, +$552) – The Tribe are still in the driver’s seat in the AL Central, and Tomlin is a big part of the reason why. He has had back to back iffy starts against the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays, but both of those games were on the road. This year at home, Tomlin has been unhittable, and this is why he has a 3.27 ERA and a 7-2 record for the season.

8: Kyle Drabek, Toronto Blue Jays (8-4, +$526) – Drabek is one of the few pitchers that have stayed on this list as one of the best arms to make MLB picks with for the majority of this season. The problem that Drabek has right now is that he is coming off of the worst start of his career. He allowed four runs in just 0.2 innings against the Cleveland Indians in a 13-9 loss. However, he was on the heels of throwing 121 pitches, a career high against the Chicago White Sox the game before, so we tend to give him the benefit of the doubt.

9: Ian Kennedy, Arizona Diamondbacks (8-4, +$506) – Really, since allowing nine runs in just three innings against the St. Louis Cardinals back on April 14th, Kennedy has been fantastic, dropping his ERA down to just 3.16. He has 63 strikeouts against 22 walks this year, and as a result, he has a 6-2 mark. Kennedy is really one of the main reasons for which the D’Backs have come all the way back this season to compete in the NL West, and he needs to keep it up if they’re going to stay in it.

10: Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox (4-0, +$505) – The last pitcher this year to have at least $500 worth of profits on the MLB lines is a man that has only had four starts under his belt. Peavy has been absolutely electric this year since coming back off of shoulder surgery. He has a 3.24 ERA in 25 frames, and he has a whopping K/BB ratio of 16/1. If Peavy can regain his form of the past with the San Diego Padres, the White Sox really might not be out of the AL Central race yet even though they still have a lot of work to do to get back anywhere near the top of the division.

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The NL West is one of the more interesting divisions this year in the game, as always. There really aren’t any teams that you can totally count out of this mess, but there aren’t any that you’d think are a surefire lock either. Check out the NL West odds and our NL West preview!

The San Francisco Giants (1.30 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) are the defending World Series champs, and they largely have the exact same team that they did last year. However, what we have to remember about this team is that it just barely got into the second season last year, and the hope is that it can do a heck of a lot better and get into the dance with plenty of games to spare this year.

The up and coming team on the NL West odds is the Colorado Rockies (2 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook). The Rockies really didn’t do a heck of a lot in the offseason this year, but they did wrap up a ton of their young players to incredibly long contracts. Colorado still has a great starting rotation, anchored around Ubaldo Jimenez, who looked like he had a chance to win 30 games last year before he fell off in the second half of the campaign.

We’re really not so sure why the Los Angeles Dodgers (3.90 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook) are in the same sort of discussion right now as the Giants and Rockies. Sure, Manager Don Mattingly is certain to bring in a new flare to the team this year, but when push comes to shove, there just weren’t enough moves that were made to keep this team competitive in all likelihood.

The San Diego Padres (13.50 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) were the upstart team down the stretch last season, and they really went for it to get into the playoffs. As we know, they didn’t succeed, and they really don’t have that impressive looking of a team. However, it wasn’t all that sharp looking last year either. Now that Adrian Gonzalez is gone though, this isn’t really the best looking team in the world. Don’t really look for the rebuilding Arizona Diamondbacks (20 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) to compete either, though we know that this team has a great nucleus of young hitters like Stephen Drew and Justin Upton to build around.

Odds to Win NL West @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Arizona Diamondbacks 20 to 1
Colorado Rockies 1.75 to 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 3 to 1
San Diego Padres 10 to 1
San Francisco Giants 1.25 to 1

Betting Lines to Win NL West @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at Sportbet.com When Using This Link)
San Francisco Giants 1.30 to 1
Colorado Rockies 2 to 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 3.90 to 1
San Diego Padres 13.50 to 1
Arizona Diamondbacks 20 to 1

2011 NL West Odds @ Hollywood Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
(Get a HUGE 25% Bonus at Hollywood When Using This Link)
Arizona Diamondbacks 18 to 1
Colorado Rockies 1.80 to 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 2.75 to 1
San Diego Padres 10 to 1
San Francisco Giants 1.50 to 1

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The NL Central is a wide open division this season, and there are legitimately four teams that could ultimately end up making the playoffs out of this bunch. Check out how we stack up the NL Central odds this season.

The favorites to win this division this year are the Milwaukee Brewers (2.05 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook). We know that Zack Greinke isn’t going to be in the lineup on Opening Day, but he really has the ability to win 20 games this year for this team. This is largely the same type of squad that made the postseason a few years ago with CC Sabathia, and now, the Brew Crew have the use of Greinke for the whole year. Yovani Gallardo is a great No. 2 starter, while John Axford should be able to anchor the bullpen. Prince Fielder, in a contract season, could be in line for a great year, and if he gets off to a great start, this team really could be a terror on the rest of the division.

The defending champs on the division are the Cincinnati Reds (2.35 to 1 @ Hollywood Sportsbook). Joey Votto in an unheralded star, and Manager Dusty Baker has a great set of bats and arms at his disposal as well. Was Cincy a one year wonder last year in the postseason? We’ll soon find out. However, one thing is for sure, and that’s that the rest of the division is a heck of a lot better this year.

The team that suffered the worst break of the offseason was the St. Louis Cardinals (3 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook). Not only did the team not ultimately end up winning the race with Albert Pujols to get a contract done, but then it lost Adam Wainwright in Spring Training for the year as well. It would be a tremendous accomplishment for this team to make it into the second season this year, and if it doesn’t, don’t be surprised if both Pujols and Manager Tony LaRussa end up flying the Cardinals’ coup.

The team that could be the real upstart this year out of nowhere is the Chicago Cubs (5 to 1 @ Hollywood Sportsbook). The Cubbies were one of the teams that raided the Tampa Bay Rays in this offseason. They picked up both Carlos Pena and Matt Garza in the winter, and those acquisitions really might make up for a number of bad signings over the years. This is the longest shot of the realistic teams that can get the job done, but we aren’t counting out the North Siders yet.

Both the Houston Astros (33 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (45 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) really have no shot to do that much damage. You can bet that the Pirates are good for yet another season below .500.

Odds to Win NL Central @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at BetUS.com When Using This Link)
Chicago Cubs 5 to 1
Cincinnati Reds 2 to 1
Houston Astros 25 to 1
Milwaukee Brewers 1.75 to 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 40 to 1
St. Louis Cardinals 2.75 to 1

Betting Lines to Win NL Central @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at Sportbet.com When Using This Link)
Milwaukee Brewers 2.05 to 1
Cincinnati Reds 2.35 to 1
St. Louis Cardinals 3 to 1
Chicago Cubs 4.85 to 1
Houston Astros 33 to 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 45 to 1

2011 NL Central Odds @ Hollywood Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
(Get a HUGE 25% Bonus at Hollywood When Using This Link)
Chicago Cubs 4.50 to 1
Cincinnati Reds 1.80 to 1
Houston Astros 40 to 1
Milwaukee Brewers 1.80 to 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 100 to 1
St. Louis Cardinals 3 to 1

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