Get An Exclusive 100% Sportsbook Bonus Courtesy of Bankroll Sports!
New BetUS Players Only: Must Mention Bankroll Sports at BetUS & Use This Link!
(Available By Above Links Only – $100 Min / $500 Max – 50% Addl. Bonus For Deposits Over $500)

*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 5/18/2009
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 5/24/2009)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (26-13) – The Dodgers remain the top team within the power rankings, despite just going 5-5 in their last ten games. The Dodgers have now been at the top of the rankings in both of the power rankings. Los Angeles had won three straight games before Saturday night’s defeat at the hands of the Florida Marlins. Los Angeles got a shot in the arm with their starting rotation when Eric Milton came back for the first two in two seasons and gave the Dodgers four innings. Leading the National League West by six games has made for a very dull time in Los Angeles. Manny Ramirez once again spicing up the locker room, apologizing to his teammates before Friday nights affair with three game series starting Monday and then welcome inter league play on Friday when the Angels come to town.

2. Toronto Blue Jays (26-14) –  Jose Bautista drove in the game winning rbi on Saturday to give Toronto their second straight win over the Chicago White Sox in a home series. The Blue Jays got the win from Robert Ray; his first ever MLB win. Toronto leads Boston by two full games in the American League East. Roy Halladay continues to shine, starting the season 7-1 with a 2.95 era and 49 strikeouts to just 7 walks on the season. The Blue Jays will start the new week with a three game series at Boston on Tuesday. Inter league play will begin Friday when Toronto heads to Atlanta.

3. Boston Red Sox (22-15) – The Boston Red Sox continue to keep pace with Toronto, just trailing the Blue Jays by two games in the American League East. Boston remains # 3 in the power rankings. The Red Sox used three homeruns in their latest win; a 5-3 decision at Seattle, to split the first two in the series. Jason Bay continues to shine in his first full season in Bean Town leading the team with 11 homeruns and 40 rbi’s. The Red Sox will finish their series with Seattle, and then head back home to host Toronto and the New York Mets in back to back series’.

4. Milwaukee Brewers (23-14) – The Milwaukee Brewers made a five team jump up from # 9 to # 4, winning eight of their last ten games. The Brewers took over first place for the first time all season Saturday afternoon, knocking off divisional foe St. Louis 1-0, in a well pitched game from starter Jeff Suppan. The Brewers hold a slim 1.5 game lead in the division, leading the Chicago Cubs. St. Louis is two games back, and the Cincinnati Reds are three games back. The Brewers Friday night game that was postponed due to rain will be played on Monday in St. Louis. Milwaukee will finish their series with the Cardinals, and then head to Houston and Minnesota, before coming back home on May 25^th to once again square off with St. Louis.

5. Chicago Cubs (21-15) – The Chicago Cubs have seemingly found their groove after a very slow start. The Cubs have won five straight, and seven of their last ten coming into Sunday’s game. The Cubs make a five team jump and move from # 10, into the top 5, at # 5. Chicago lost a four run lead in Saturday’s game, only to come back and use an Alfonso Soriano rbi single in the bottom half of the ninth inning. The Cubs will complete their series with the Astros on Sunday, before heading to St. Louis to face divisional, and long time rival Cardinals for a three game set, before heading to San Diego for the weekend.

6. Texas Rangers (23-14) – The hottest team in Major League Baseball right now is the Texas Rangers. The Rangers picked up their seventh straight win of the season with a 3-0 win over divisional foe Anaheim. The Rangers have made their way up six spots from # 12 to # 6. Despite the win, the Rangers got bad news when Center Fielder Josh Hamilton left the game after crashing into the wall. At this point, Texas in unsure how long he may miss, or if at all. The three game sweep for Texas put them up 4.5 games over Los Angeles, and six over Seattle. Michael Young is having a solid year leading the team in batting, with a .354 average, while Ian Kinsler has 11 homeruns, 31 rbi’s and 30 runs scored – all team leading. Texas will start a road trip on  Tuesday in Detroit, only to head back to the state of Texas for a date with the Astros in Houston, starting Friday.

7. New York Mets (21-15) – Lately the New York Mets have began to play like they were expected, and not like the poor beginning of the season. The Mets have remained at # 7, and continue to look impressive; winning eight of ten games. The Mets lead the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East by just one game. After falling in the final game of a three game series with the Atlanta Braves, the Mets have won the first three against the San Francisco Giants on the road at Pac Bell Park. The final game of the series is being played Sunday evening. Despite missing first base men Carlos Delgado with a hip injury, New York was able to put up 24 runs in three games on the West Coast. Carlos Beltran continue to have a MVP type season, leading the team in batting average (.379), homeruns (6), rbi’s (28) and runs scored (27). The Mets will continue to remain on the West Coast, on Monday when they play at West leading Los Angeles. Before going back home the Mets will play a weekend series at Boston, to kick off their inter league 2009 season.

8. Detroit Tigers (20-16) – The Tigers have won three straight games and six of their last ten to move into first place in the American League Central. Detroit picked up a three game sweep of Oakland over the weekend scoring 34 runs and only allowed 9. Miguel Cabrera continues to flirt with a .400 batting average, coming into Sunday’s game with a .389 average. Cabrera also leads Detroit in RBI’s with 30. The Tigers will take Monday off before hosting the Texas Rangers, the hottest team in all of baseball for a three game set. On Friday the Colorado Rockies come to town for a weekend inter league series.

9. New York Yankees (20-17) – The Yankees were able to make a seven team jump from # 16 to # 9 this week. New York picked up three straight thrilling wins over Minnesota at the new stadium, including the walk-off homerun by Alex Rodiguez on Saturday. A-Rod also homered on Sunday in the come from behind win. The Yankees have kept pace with both Toronto and Boston, trailing by 4.5 and 2.5 respectively. Overall, the Yankees have won five straight, after taking the final two in a road series at Toronto. Johnny Damon continues to be the New York spark plug in the offense, leading the team in batting average (.312), homeruns (9), runs batted in (26), and runs (28). The Yankees will conclude their four game series Monday with Minnesota and then welcome Baltimore and Philadelphia in for three game series’.

10. Philadelphia Phillies (20-16) – Albeit against the lowly Washington Nationals, the Phillies were able to pull of a four game sweep over the weekend. The four wins moved Philadelphia to four games over .500 and just one full game behind front running New York. The Phillies also were able to jump into the top 10, at # 10, up three spots from last week, coming in at # 13. The Phillies continue to get great numbers from off season pick-up Raul Ibanez. Ibanez leads in batting average (.368), homeruns (13), runs batted in (35) and runs scored (33). For the defending champions, if Ibanez can continue to mash, and Utley, Howard and Rollins hit close to their potential Philadelphia will like their chances come this off-season. The Phillies will take to the road starting on Tuesday when they visit the Cincinnati Reds. After leaving Cincinnati the Phillies will head to the new Yankee Stadium for a three game set.

11. St. Louis Cardinals (21-16) – The Cardinals made a seven team free fall from last week. The Cardinals, who started as Baseball’s best team have fallen to near mediocrity. With injuries to Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel, Troy Glaus, and Chris Carpenter, the Cardinals have been forced to rely on rookies. St. Louis has lost the first two, and the divisional lead to the Milwaukee Brewers, at home. The third game will be played on Monday evening. The Cardinals, will then host the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals to conclude the week.

12. Cincinnati Reds (20-17) – The Reds fall one spot from # 11 to # 12. The Reds were victims of a three game sweep on the road at the hands of the San Diego Padres. The sweep dropped Cincinnati down to 20-17 on the season, fourth place in the NL Central. Cincinnati trails front running Milwaukee by three games. The Reds will have a shot at making up ground this week as they host both the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians for three game series’.

13. Kansas City Royals (20-18) – Aided by Zack Greinke’s incredible start to the 2009 season the Kansas City Royals have been quite the surprise 1/4^th through the season. Kansas City did fall from # 5  to # 13 this week, but continue to stay in the hunt in the American League Central. Kansas City trails Detroit by just a game and ½. Greinke’s start has been so incredible (7-1, 0.60 era) that he has people already talking about Cy Young. The season has a lot of baseball left, but Greinke has been impressive, to say the least. The Royals will host divisional opponent Cleveland for three starting on Tuesday, followed by an inter league series against state rival St. Louis on Friday. Closer Joakim Soria continues to miss action with a strained right rotator cuff.

14. Los Angeles Angels (18-18) – With a chance to take over the American League West Division, the Angels did just the opposite, and lost three games in a row to fall to 4.5 games back. The Angeles, despite the three losses remain # 14 in the power rankings. Sunday’s finale was led by Scott Feldman of Texas, who tossed a three hit shutout in the win. The Angels lead for second place lowered to just 1.5 over Seattle. The Angels will look to get back on the winning way with a four game set at Seattle, followed by three against rivals – Dodgers.

15. Minnesota Twins (18-20) – The new Yankee Stadium has not been kind to the Minnesota Twins. After watching Alex Rodriguez end the game on Saturday night, the Twins lost a 2-0 late lead, and then the game 3-2 on Sunday. The Twins are now 18-20 on the season, and will look to salvage one game out of the four game series on Monday. After leaving New York the Twins will make a stop in Chicago on Tuesday, before heading back home to begin inter league play with the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.

16. Atlanta Braves (18-18) – The Braves picked up five spots in a week with their 7-3 record in last ten games. Last week Atlanta came in at # 21, this week they have crawled up to # 16. The Braves are in third place in the National League East, trailing both the Mets and Phillies. Atlanta is 12-8 at home, while winning just 6 of 16 games at home. The Braves were postponed on Sunday, finishing the series with Arizona split 1-1. Colorado and Toronto will be the next two visitors to the South to take on the Braves. 

17. San Francisco Giants (18-18) – Despite losers of four straight games, the Giants are right at the .500 mark. San Francisco lost the final game of the series to Washington, and then was swept by the New York Mets. With their recent losing streak, the Giants have fallen from # 15 to # 17. In the three game series the Giants were outscored 24-16. As the offense has struggled for the most part this season, Pablo Sandoval has been a bright spot, leading the team in batting with a .309 average. Catcher Bengie Molina leads the team in power numbers with 8 homeruns and 29 rbi’s. The Giants will start a road trip on Tuesday heading to divisional foe San Diego, before making the trip to the great Northwest to start an inter league series with the Mariners on Friday.

18.  Florida Marlins (18-20) – The Marlins after their red hot start have really struggled in May. Florida made the biggest down fall, losing ten spots and dropping out of the top ten at # 8, to # 18. The Marlins are getting solid contribution once again from shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who leads the team in batting with a .354 mark. Jorge Cantu leads Florida in the power numbers with eight homeruns and 33 rbi’s. The Marlins have fallen to fourth place in the National League East, trailing the front running Mets by 3.5 games. The Marlins and Diamondbacks will meet, starting Monday in Miami for a four game set, and then state rival Tampa Bay will come to town on Friday for a three game weekend series.

19. Tampa Bay Rays (19-20) – The Rays fell in the first game of a three game series to the Cleveland Indians, but were able to bounce back and win the next three to push their record to just one game under .500; at 19-20. Despite the string of wins, Tampa Bay actually fell two places from # 17 to # 19. Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria are having MVP type seasons, with Pena leading the American League with 13 homeruns, and Longoria leading all of baseball with 46 rbi’s. The problem for Tampa Bay has been the supporting cast, as well as a starting staff that has Matt Garza leading in wins; with four. Tampa Bay will look to continue their winning streak on Monday when the Athletics come in for a four game series. On Friday the Rays will travel to Miami to take on the Marlins.

20. Houston Astros (17-19) – Ivan Rodriguez hit his 300^th homerun to snap the Astros losing streak on Sunday. The win for Houston was their 17^th of the season to 19 losses. Houston has seen a struggle offensively, as Lance Berkman at times has fallen below .200, but has eight homeruns on the season. Carlos Lee leads the team in runs batted in with 29, while speedster Michael Bourn leads in runs scored (23) and stolen bases (13). The Astros are in fifth place in the National League Central, just ahead of Pittsburgh. The Astros will host red hot Milwaukee starting on Tuesday in a three game series. Once the Brewers leave town the Astros will welcome state rivals – the Texas Rangers to town.

21. Seattle Mariners (17-20) – The Marines fall three spots from # 18 to # 21, losers of eight of their last ten games. The Mariners sit in third place in the American League West, only ahead of Oakland. Despite their poor play, the Mariners only trail Texas by 5.5 games. Ichiro Suzuki leads the Mariners in batting average, with a .315 average, followed up with his four homeruns. The Mariners have gotten solid pitching from starters Felix Hernandez and Eric Bedard. Hernandez is 4-2 with a 3.53 ERA, with 53 strikeouts and 15 walks, while Bedard is 2-1 with a 2.53.The Mariners will continue their long home stand on Monday when the Los Angeles Angels come in for a four game set, followed by San Francisco coming to town. 

22. Chicago White Sox (15-21) – The Chicago White Sox cannot find a way to win north of the border. The Toronto Blue Jays picked up a big win on Friday, and then came from behind to pick up Saturday’s game against Chicago. The White Sox have fallen to five games under .500, with their 15-21 mark. With their current three game losing streak, the White Sox have dropped three spots from # 19 to # 22. Within the American League Central Division, the White Sox are just four games back, trailing Detroit; with Kansas City and Minnesota in between. Outfielder Carlos Quentin was recently scratched from the lineup with a sore left heel. Quentin leads the team in homeruns with eight on the season. The White Sox will play one more game at Toronto on Monday, before hosting Minnesota, followed by Pittsburgh.

23. Baltimore Orioles (16-22) – Rich Hill came off the disabled list on Saturday and picked up a huge win in his first start in 2009. The Orioles have won two of three in the weekend series at Kansas City, and will look for the third on Sunday afternoon. With the recent string of wins, Baltimore has moved up two positions from # 25 to # 23. The Orioles Adam Jones is hitting .370 with 8 homeruns and 35 runs scored. The Orioles continue to sit in fifth place in the American League East, eight games behind the leader – Toronto. The Orioles will take Monday off, before heading to the new Yankee Stadium for a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday series, and then travel across the state to take on the Washington Nationals over the weekend.

24. Cleveland Indians (14-25) – The Indians have gotten off to a very slow start, but with the American League Central remaining right around .500, Cleveland has remained in the race, for now. The Indians at 14-24, are just 6.5 games back of first place, with Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit and Kansas City ahead of them. The Indians were able to make a five team jump from # 29 to # 24. The Indians continue to get red hot offense from catcher/first base men Victor Martinez, who leads the team, and the American League with a .409 batting average. The Indians, after finishing the four game series with Tampa Bay will start a road series at Kansas City on Tuesday, and then start a road series at Cincinnati on Friday.

25. Pittsburgh Pirates (16-21) – The Pirates slide up one spot from # 26 to # 25 after knocking off St. Louis in two of three games. The Pirates are 16-21 on the season, and in fifth place in the National League Central Division. Nate McLouth’s two run homerun aided a Saturday evening win over the Colorado Rockies. McLouth leads the team with six homeruns, and also 24 rbi’s. Rookie right-hander Ross Ohlendorf leads the starting staff in wins, with 4, starting the season 4-3 with a 3.77 era. The Pirates will play a four game series at Washington, starting on Monday, followed by inter league play on Friday at Chicago, against the White Sox.

26. San Diego Padres (15-22) –  The Padres come in as “the best” of the trio of NL West teams, and slide down three spots from # 23 to # 26. San Diego comes in 15-22, winners of two straight games over Cincinnati, after taking a three game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs. Saturday night’s win over the Reds came in 16 innings, as Nick Hundley hit a homerun in his second at bat of the season. Adrian Gonzalez has been the Padres bright spot to start the season, leading San Diego in batting, homeruns, RBI’s and runs. Gonzalez’ 15 homeruns leads the National League, ahead of both Albert Pujols and Raul Ibanez, with 13. The Padres will host the Giants Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before hosting the Chicago Cubs for a weekend set.

27. Colorado Rockies (14-22) – The Rockies, in the middle of a trio of National League West teams have fallen 9.5 games behind the Dodgers through a month and half of the season. Colorado moves up one spot from # 28 to # 27 with their 14-22 mark. Colorado fell on Saturday to Pittsburgh, as the Pirates got a home run Nate McLouth, as both the Pirates and Rockies survived a nearly two hour rain delay. The Rockies took Friday night’s game behind a Brad Hawpe two run homerun in a 3-1 win. The Rockies will start a four game series in Atlanta on Monday, and then visit Detroit on Friday, before coming back home May 25^th to take on the front running Dodgers.

28. Oakland Athletics (13-21) – The Athletics have fallen to 7.5 games back of the front running Texas Rangers, in the American League West. Oakland is 13-20 overall, and dropped one spot from their post at # 27 to # 28 this week. Oakland picked up two wins over Kansas City, before heading to Detroit, where they dropped the first two games of the season. The Athletics are missing Nomar Garciaparra, Mark Ellis and Eric Chavez from their every day lineup. Recently Matt Holliday felt a twitch in his right side, making way for Aaron Cunningham to be called up. Oakland starts a four game series on Monday at Tampa Bay, and then comes back home for a three game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks (14-23) – The Diamondbacks under their new manager have not been able to find the winning groove. Arizona fell five spots from # 24 to # 29, as they have went 3-7 in their last 10 games. The Diamondbacks are just 9-15 at home this season, and 7-12 against West Divisional foes. The Diamondbacks picked up a win on Saturday at Atlanta as youngster Max Scherzer picked up his first win of the season, snapping a four game losing streak for the club. The Diamondbacks have dropped to fifth place in the National League West, trailing first place Los Angeles by 10.5 games. Arizona will continue on the road trip Monday, for a four game series at Florida, followed by a weekend trip to Oakland, before coming back home on May 25^th against San Diego.

30. Washington Nationals (11-25) – The Nationals have lost three straight games and six of their last ten, and remain at the bottom of the MLB Power Rankings. Washington is 11-24 overall, trailing the New York Mets by 9.5 games. Washington is just 5-10 at home this season, winning six of 20 on the road. The Nationals three straight losses came to Philadelphia, after winning the final game of a three game series at San Francisco. After Philadelphia leaves town on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Pirates will come to the nation’s capital to take on the Nationals. Washington’s inter league season begins on Friday when the Baltimore Orioles come to town.

The best drivers in the world will come together to bang fenders at the All Star Race at Lowes Motor Speedway this Saturday night. The racing spectacle will host 20 of the best drivers in NASCAR in a non-points race where the winner will pocket a lucrative million dollars. The All Star Race is known for providing some of the best excitement in racing because nothing matters except winning. Therefore drivers are most definitely going to trade paint with others as they fight over every inch of the race track. Over 180,000 will be in attendance for the 3 segment shootout style race to see what driver can take home one of the most prestigious titles in racing known as All Star Champion. Unlike other sports where all star games may not mean as much, in NASCAR it is in many ways more important than the Daytona 500. Claiming a victory at the All Star not only collects a big paycheck, but also means you beat the best of the best drivers in the world. NASCAR is also quickly growing as a big betting venue every weekend with unlimited head to head match-ups, winning odds, and more. We break down some bets to consider for the 2009 All Star Race that will add some money to your bankroll.

Bet #1: (Matchup Picks) – Dale Earnhardt Jr (-115) vs. Kasey Kahne (-115)

Kasey Kahne owned Lowes Motor Speedway last season winning both May races in the All Star and the following weekend with the Coca Cola 600. Kahne was actually voted in to the All Star Race by new rule that allowed fan favorite to enter the event after the #9 team failed to make the race in the All Star open event where drivers not in the All Star can race there way in. Kahne made the most of it and went on to score the victory. Dale Earnhardt Jr ran up front and led some of the All Star race and also clearly had the best car in the Coca Cola 600 before cutting a tire down leading the race. Both drivers have gotten off to sluggish starts in 2009, but for the #88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr it has been fairly horrendous. Dale Jr and company must use Lowes Motor Speedway as a stepping stone to get back on track. This race might be bigger for the #88 crew that any team this weekend. Earnhardt also won the event back in 2000 with the similar 10 lap dash that is returning this year in the final segment. We expect Kahne to continue to struggle, and the #88 to a least run towards the front and finally get a respectable finish.

Pick – Dale Earnhardt Jr -115

Bet #2: (Matchup Picks) – A.J Allmendinger (-110) vs. Marcos Ambrose (-120)

This betting preview is actually for the All Star Showdown event that takes place before the actual All Star Race. This 25 lap segment will be a race for the drivers not in the All Star to earn their chance to race there way into the event. We find some pretty good betting odds with this match-up. A.J Allmendinger raced his way into the All Star Race last year in this event winning the 2008 version of the All Star Showdown. Allmendinger has also had some rather surprisingly good runs this year despite searching for a sponsor most of the early season. Marcos Ambrose has been steadily getting better in the Sprint Cup Series, but he is far from a polished driver at this point in his career. Add to the fact that Ambrose does not have much experience at Lowes, and we really like Allmendinger to cover this battle fairly easily.

Pick – A.J Allmendinger -110

Bet #3: (Future Picks) – Who will win the All Star Race?

Picking the winner of any race is hard enough, but picking the winner of an All-Star Race is an entire different level of difficulty. However, comparing the way the teams have been running it may not be as far of a stretch as one may think. One team or organization to bet on would be Hendrick Motorsports. The Hendrick stable has won 5 of the last 6 races dating back to the end of March. Also Stewart-Haas Racing has been running very strong as well and they are powered by Hendrick engines. Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman have both finished in the top 5 in the last two races. We are going to step away from popular picks and take our chances with Ryan Newman. Newman is the only driver to finish in the top 5 in the last 3 races and he has just been all too close to getting his first victory with the new #39 team. Newman has also always run well at Lowes Motor Speedway dating back to win he won the All Star Event as a rookie in 2005. Only Dale Earnhardt Jr outside of Newman can claim wins at the All Star race in their rookie campaign. Newman has been very strong over the last few weeks and we like his chances to capture the checkered flag this Saturday night with some very profitable odds in his favor.

Pick – Ryan Newman +1500

Exclusive Sportsbook Bonus For Bankroll Sports Visitors (Credit Cards Are Accepted)
Click Here For An Exclusive 100% Signup Bonus ($100 to $500) @ BetUS!

AFC East

Odds to win the AFC East:
Buffalo Bills +600
Miami Dolphins +1000
New England Patriots -400
New York Jets +700

The AFC East was among the most exciting playoff division races of 2009. Miami, New York, and New England all entered the last two weeks of the season with chances to make the playoffs and many were shocked when the Patriots dynasty failed to make the post-season. The Patriots lost QB Tom Brady early in the year and it quickly leveled the playing field among the division. Miami was among one of the biggest turnaround stories in recent memory and became the only team in the division to make the post-season. However, Brady is back and so are the expectations for the Patriots to return to dominance in 2010. The Patriots put together some depth through the NFL Draft and WR Brandon Tate could find away to fit into the air attack in the future. The Jets had a great draft as well landing Mark Sanchez to fill the shoes at quarterback. However, it will take Sanchez some time and the Jets need someone to make an immediate impact. Chad Pennington turned the Dolphins team around in 2009 throwing for over 3600 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Dolphins had an unexpected successful year, but that may have been more of a sign of how weak the division was instead of how well the Dolphins were playing. Buffalo struggled to move the ball last season as they only averaged 305 yards of total offense. The Bills addressed some defensive needs in the draft, but they are in desperate need for playmakers on offense. The Patriots appear to be a lock in the AFC East this year with their high power offense and solid defense. However, if Brady goes down again this year they will have a lot bigger problems as Cassel is not there any longer at backup.

Pick – Patriots -400

AFC North

Odds to win the AFC North:
Baltimore Ravens +250
Cincinnati Bengals +800
Cleveland Browns +800
Pittsburgh Steelers -200

The Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their NFL record 6th Super Bowl victory last season and they will of course be rather sizeable favorites to win the AFC North in 2010. The Steelers were involved in some hard fought battles with Baltimore throughout the season, but in the end the Steelers beat the Ravens in all 3 games played. Heading into next year it is fairly safe to say that the division will likely be a two horse racing again. Cleveland and Cincinnati ranked as the bottom two teams in the NFL in 2009 in terms of overall offense. Cleveland averaged 249 yards per game and the Bengals somehow were even worse at 245 yards per game. These two teams combined to only average 26 points per game last season. Seven teams averaged at least 26 points per game last season to just give an idea of how poor these offenses were. Do not expect any dramatic improvements next year. The Steelers and the Ravens were propelled by two very strong defenses in 2009. Pittsburgh’s defense was perhaps the best to take the field in the last decade as they were ranked number 1 in 3 out of 4 major defensive categories. Baltimore’s defense was ranked number 2 behind the Steelers in nearly every category and the two tangled for some low scoring defensive controlled games. The difference this year could be Joe Flacco ability to continue to mature at quarterback for Baltimore. The Ravens used Flacco’s arm to pursue the deep ball more often towards the end of the year and Baltimore could develop into a strong offensive team as well. We will pick the Ravens to play spoiler against the defending champions in the AFC North.

Pick – Baltimore +250

AFC South

Odds to win the AFC South:
Houston Texans +400
Indianapolis Colts +160
Jacksonville Jaguars +200
Tennessee Titans +300

The AFC South should without a doubt be the strongest division in the AFC next season from top to bottom. The Tennessee Titans started 2009 a perfect 10-0 as one of the breakout teams in the league. The Titans will look to stick to strong defense and an offense led by the legs of Chris Johnson. Draft picks Kenny Britt and Jared Cook could become potential weapons after time to develop. Cook has a lot of speed for a tight end that could present some big mismatches in the secondary. The Texans added a lot of focus to the defense during the off-season. Houston allowed 24 points per game last year and things must change for them to contend. Steve Slaton had strong year running the ball and will need similar efforts for Houston this year to keep the offense affective. Jacksonville did a wonderful job adding some premier talent to the offensive line with Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton during the draft. The offensive line allowed a miserable 42 sacks last season and these two young guys will change that. The question is how long will it take? The Jaguars defense is a work in progress and they could be a playmaker away on offense from shaping out to be a great team. The Indianapolis Colts got off to a horrible 3-4 start last year before rattling off 9 straight wins to close out the season. Indianapolis appears on the outside looking in to be primed for 2010. However, the release of Marvin Harrison along with major changes in the coaching staff after Tony Dungy retired and the Colts have a lot of question marks. However, Peyton Manning behind center is all anyone could ask for even when times are tough.

Pick – Indianapolis +160

AFC West

Odds to win the AFC West:
Denver Broncos +350
Kansas City Chiefs +600
Oakland Raiders +800
San Diego Chargers -225

The San Diego Chargers became the first team to enter the playoffs that did not have a winning record last season in nearly two decades. The Charges finished 8-8 on the season, but it was good enough as they held the tie breaker over Denver who was also 8-8. Darren Sproles made a big impact during the playoffs as the speedy running back will get his share of touches with LaDainian Tomlinson. San Diego’s late season success could be a good indication of what to expect in 2010. The Denver Broncos gave up star quarterback Jay Cutler. Does Kyle Orton come in to run the offense? If so we have seen the show before and it did not work out so well in Chicago. The Broncos did add Knowshon Moreno to the roster with the first pick. Moreno could be a solid back with unbelievable lateral quickness, but how much of an immediate impact he will make is the question. Oakland shocked the world by taking Darius Heyward-Bey in the first round over Michael Crabtree. However, the Raiders were going after an immediate big play threat. Heyward-Bey’s speed gives the down field threat on any given play. However, Oakland needs a lot more help to improve from the 16.4 points and 272 yards of offense from 2009 which were both among the worse in the NFL. Kansas City went after a few defensive needs with the draft selecting Tyson Jackson and Alex Magee for the defensive line. The Chiefs defense was flat frightening in all the wrong ways last season so any help has to be a plus. Kansas City still has a lot of question marks all over the field on the offensive side of the ball as well. The Chiefs should win more than two games this year, but perhaps not enough to consider contending for the division crown.

Pick – San Diego -225

While most of the world focuses on the new start of the Major League Baseball season and the NBA playoffs, the guys of the grid iron are hard at work during the off-season. Nearly two weeks after teams wrapped up the 2009 NFL Draft, teams are now holding the customary mini-camp and other off-season festivities. Betus.com has officially released the new odds to win the NFC Championship following the draft and we will take a look at some teams to consider in 2010. Take advantage of off-season odds at our sponsored sports books and consider placing a wager for next year’s Super Bowl contender. We break down who to watch out for in the NFC in 2010 and will follow up with a breakdown of the AFC during the middle of the week.

NFC East

Odds to win the NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys +300
New York Giants +150
Philadelphia Eagles +160
Washington Redskins +700

The NFC East is possibly the most unpredictable conference of all-time. Last year all four teams had legitimate chances to win the division throughout the season. The Giants were the most consistent team finishing with a record of 12-4. However, New York really faltered down the stretch after Plaxico Burress was apart of the off the field trouble. The Giants either never got back focused mentally or suffered offensively from not having Burress. The Giants lost 4 of their last 5 games of the season due to the flat offense. New York is a team with a lot of question marks heading into 2010. Could Hakeem Nicks be the spark they need back at wide out to get the offense rolling again? One thing is for sure is that the Giants defense did play solid all year and should be a force again in 2010. Philadelphia caught fire during the 2nd half of the season after Donovan McNabb was benched for the first time in his career. The Eagles defense was another strong unit that played very well. The question this year will be again surrounding the offense and quite possibly McNabb. Will the veteran quarterback have his act together early or will he show more signs of inconsistency? The Eagles top pick Jeremy Maclin could make an immediate impact especially if he gets the chance to help out the special teams. Philadelphia has strong possibility to be strong again as they fell one game short of the Super Bowl last season losing to Arizona. The Dallas Cowboys landed a lot of depth through the off-season, but there are still a lot of question marks in the air. How will the defense play and will the offense be better or worse after Terrell Owens? The Cowboys definitely have the ability to be a front runner, but they late season stumbles have become an unwanted tradition. Washington first round pick Brian Orakpo has a bright future in the NFL. The Redskins simply had problems moving the ball last season and will need more explosiveness. The defense like the rest of the division had its bright spots, but the offense still needs some work. Clinton Portis had strong start to the season running the ball, but that dwindled away towards the end of the year. The Redskins were 5-1 when Portis reached the 100 yard mark and 3-9 when he was held to less than 100 yards.

Pick – Philadelphia +160

NFC North

Odds to win the NFC North:
Chicago Bears +200
Detroit Lions +1500
Green Bay Packers +160
Minnesota Vikings +150

The NFC North is another division that could be wide open in 2010. The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers are both moving in the right direction with their franchises, but how long will it take them to truly get there? The Bears landed a big fish during the off-season with Jay Cutler. Cutler should finally end all the question marks behind center and put the focus on another aspect of the field. The offense lacks the playmakers needed for them to be among the best in the NFC, but things could see an upswing with Cutler at quarterback. The Packers made some moves to fill the defensive side of the ball with the 2009 draft. The Packers were on the verge of having a great year last season. In their 10 losses, 7 of those defeats came by less than 4 points. Turn just half of those around and Green Bay would have been in the playoffs easily. With most of the offense returning and some more depth on defense, look for Green Bay to turn some losses into wins this time around. In this division, 10-6 could win the division again. Minnesota won the North last year behind the legs of Adrian Peterson. Peterson posted 1760 yards on the year and Minnesota developed into an offensive threat during the closing weeks. Percy Harvin could add to the explosiveness or could become a let down as well. The Vikings main concern may be behind center. Gus Frerotte threw 15 picks last season and Tarvaris Jackson just has not been what they have hoped. However, the Vikings will still grind out some wins through a talented running game and a defense that matured at the end of the year. As far as Detroit is concerned, do we really have to consider them for winning the division? The question for this team is how many games they will win this year. Better days are ahead for the Lions, but 2010 would be a success with as little as 4 victories.

Pick – Green Bay +160

NFC South

Odds to win the NFC South:
Atlanta Falcons +180
Carolina Panthers +200
New Orleans Saints +180
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +600

The Carolina Panthers closed out the 2009 regular season out very strong led by one of the best running back duos in the league. DeAngelo Williams had 1515 yards for the season while Jonathan Stewart added 836 yards as well and the two combined for 28 touchdowns. Carolina went out on a limb to draft Everette Brown as Julius Peppers made it public that he was exploring options out of Carolina. The offense will be another similar Panthers offense with Steve Smith at wide out and strong rushing attack. However, Jake Delhomme still has not convinced anyone that he is a true winner. Also, the Panthers will have to defend their NFC South crown from some talented up and coming teams. The New Orleans Saints could be one of the surprise stories this season. The Saints offense is a lot like the Cardinals offense that shined in 2009. However, New Orleans had one of the worse defenses in the league last year that allowed 24.6 points per game. The Saints drafted Malcom Jenkins in the first round that could start from day one in the weak secondary. If the Saints defense could just come together and improve, New Orleans offense could have the Saints marching again. Atlanta will be looking for superstar sophomore quarterback Matt Ryan to lead the Falcons back to the playoffs. The Falcons possess a solid balanced passing and rushing attack that keeps defenses on their hills. If Ryan can continue to impress the world, there is not much reason to bet against the Falcons as they are solid in all aspects of the field. Tampa Bay has finished at 9-7 the past two seasons and mediocrity appears to be the future. The Buccaneers drafted Josh Freeman with their first round pick who they hope can be the Matt Ryan type lottery pick. However, Freeman will need time to develop and nothing looks to immediately impact the struggling offense.

Pick – Atlanta +180

NFC West

Odds to win the NFC Wtst:
Arizona Cardinals +140
San Francisco 49ers +260
Seattle Seahawks +180
St Louis Rams +800

The Arizona Cardinals were the biggest surprise story of 2009. Kurt Warner return to the main stage was a great feel good story, but for the possibly Hall of Fame quarterback it will be another work in progress in 2010. The Cardinals had 3 receivers to reach the 1,000 yard plateau in that impressive offense last season. If Kurt Warner could just hook up with Larry Fitzgerald like they did in the playoffs that could be enough to win the division. After all, the Cardinals won the NFC West last season with only a 9-7 record. The St. Louis Rams completely fell apart last year as they lost their last 10 games of the season. The Rams drafted Jason Smith at the number 2 overall pick to try and help Steven Jackson at running back. Unfortunately, the Rams defense gave up 29 points per game last season which was among the leagues 2nd worse defense. The Rams just have not made enough changes to see a big difference this fall. Seattle sported another weak defense in 2009 that gave up 24.5 points per game. However, Aaron Curry was the best defensive pick in the draft and should give some help in the heart of that defense. The offense needs some playmakers as well before they can contend with the rest of the NFC. However, the Seahawks may have what it takes already to contend in this division. San Francisco actually finished the year fairly well despite only having a 7-9 record for the year. The 49ers lost 6 straight games through the middle of the season, but did finish winning 5 of their last 7. Michael Crabtree should add excitement at wide receiver and Glen Coffee is a downhill runner who may be very under rated. The 49ers could just focus on the NFC West wins and make some noise in the division race next season.

Pick – Arizona/San Francisco

Get An Exclusive 100% Sportsbook Bonus Courtesy of Bankroll Sports!
New BetUS Players Only: Must Mention Bankroll Sports at BetUS & Use This Link!
(Available By Above Links Only – $100 Min / $500 Max – 50% Addl. Bonus For Deposits Over $500)

*MLB Records are as of 5/11/2009

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (22-11) – Despite the loss of top power hitter Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles has continued to bash the ball around ball parks. In the first night without Manny, the Dodgers scored 9 runs, and then Saturday Los Angeles picked up eight against rival San Francisco. The Dodgers will look to Andre Either and Matt Kemp to pick up the slack until early July when Ramirez is expected to return from his 50 game suspension. Chad Billingsley has emerged as the Dodgers ace starting the season 5-1 with a 2.45 era. The Dodgers bullpen continues to be sharp, anchored by closer Jonathan Broxton, who has picked up eight saves on the season, and won three ball games. The Dodgers continue to rule the National League West, as they lead rival San Francisco by 4.5 games. The Dodgers will head east to take on the Phillies and Marlins in back to back series’ after a day off on Monday.

2. Toronto Blue Jays (21-12) – The Toronto Blue Jays have turned into major league baseball’s biggest surprise at the start of the 2009 season. Toronto has pulled to ten games over .500, and lead Boston, New York and Tampa Bay in the American League East. The Blue Jays have gotten solid offensive contributions from Aaron Hill, who leads the team in batting average and homeruns (.351 and 8). Adam Lind has started the season with 31 RBI’s, and a .336 batting average. The ever reliable Roy Halladay has once again been dominating to start the season. Halladay is 6-1 with a 3.29 era, pitching in 52 innings already on the season. Toronto will get a chance to play at home this week, where they are 11-4, as the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox both come in for three game series’ after a day off on Monday.

3. Boston Red Sox (19-12) – The Red Sox come in with a 19-12 record when they take on Tampa Bay in the ESPN Sunday night affair. Boston trails Toronto for the top spot in the American League East, but lead the rest of the East pack by 4.5 games. The Red Sox are getting quality offensive numbers from Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Jason Bay, as David Ortiz continues his struggles. Youkilis leads the team with a .393 batting average, while Pedroia has scored 29 runs, and Bay has hit 9 homeruns and driven in 33 runs, both leading the team. Tim Wakefield leads the pitching staff with 4 wins, and also with a robust 2.93 era. After Boston finishes the home series with the Rays, they will head across the country to take on the Angles and Mariners in back to back road series’.

4. St. Louis Cardinals (20-12) – The Cardinals were able to pick up their 20^th victory of the season on Sunday, after blowing a three run lead. St. Louis with that victory remained two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. The Cardinals have once again been led by Albert Pujols, who was the April player of the month. Pujols is batting .330 with 12 homeruns and 33 RBI’s, along with 32 runs scored; all team leading. His power numbers lead the entire national league, while his batting average places him just outside of the top ten. If Pujols can continue his assault on a National League triple crown, expect his 19 walks to continue to increase as well. Kyle Lohse leads the pitching staff with 42.1 innings pitched, as he is tied with Joel Piniero for four wins on the season. Closer Ryan Franklin blew his first save on Sunday, allowing his first two runs of the season, on solo homeruns. Franklin has saved nine of ten chances. The Cardinals will take Monday off, and then head to Pittsburgh to take on the struggling Pirates, and then come home and host the surging Milwaukee Brewers.

5. Kansas City Royals (18-13) – The Royals have been quite a surprise in the American League, and currently hold a slim margin over the Detroit Tigers. Kansas City has been led by starting pitcher Zack Greinke, who has started the season 6-1 with a league leading era of 0.51 with 59 strikeouts to just 8 walks. Offensively, Alberto Callaspo has been solid, hitting .343 with 2 homeruns and 11 RBI’s. Mike Jacobs is the leading homerun hitter and rbi man for the Royals with 5 and 19. Joakim Soria has saved seven games, but may be sidelined for a bit, as he has found discomfort in his shoulder. The Royals will take Monday off, before hosting divisional foe Chicago on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before flying out to Los Angeles to begin a West coast trip, starting with the Angels.

6. Detroit Tigers (17-13) – The Detroit Tigers have started to pick up steam, and have joined the Kansas City Royals at the top of the American League Central Division. The Tigers finished off divisional rival Cleveland in a three game weekend sweep. The Tigers have used Miguel Cabrera’s .389 batting average to bolster the solid offense. Curtis Granderson leads the Tigers in homeruns, leading off for Jim Leyland’s club. The big win during the weekend was the 1-0 win over reigning Cy Young champion Cliff Lee. Justin Verlander pitched a gem, as the Tigers continued the Indians struggles in 2009. The Tigers will take on divisional foe Minnesota on the road, after a day off Monday, and then come back home for a weekend series with the Oakland Athletics.

7. New York Mets (17-13) – The New York Mets have become the hottest team in the major leagues, winners of seven straight games. The Mets recently picked up series sweeps of the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Mets got off to a slow start, but since have taken the lead in the National League East Division. The Mets are tied with Florida currently,  but have a lead on Philadelphia and Atlanta. Carlos Beltran leads the team in batting average and homeruns, as Carlos Delgado leads in RBI’s with 23. Mike Pelfrey has been a solid surprise for the Mets, as he has won four games, without a loss. Pelfrey has a 4-0 mark, despite a high ERA of 5.46. K-Rod, the Mets biggest off-season pickup has saved nine games thus far for the Mets. The Mets will look to keep their season high winning streak on Monday-Wednesday as the Atlanta Braves visit the new Citi Field for a three game set. Following that series, the Mets will take to the road and play a four game series in San Francisco.

8. Florida Marlins (17-14) – The Marlins cooled off after the super quick start, but despite their cooling down, still continue to sit atop the National League East Division. The Marlins recently picked up two out of three wins on the road in Colorado. Florida is getting solid offense from Hanley Ramirez (.343 batting average) and Jorge Cantu (8 homeruns and 32 RBI’s). The Marlins ace has been Josh Johnson, who has started the season 3-0 with a 2.34 era, striking out 43 batters, and only walking 6. The Marlins will finish their road trip this week, Tuesday through Thursday as they travel to Miller Park to take on the Brewers. After leaving Milwaukee, the Marlins will host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three game weekend series.

9. Milwaukee Brewers (18-14) – The Brewers were not able to pick up the three game sweep Sunday as the Cubs knocked them off 4-2. Despite falling, the Brewers still remain one of the hottest in the league. Milwaukee, after a slow start, has climbed to within two games of the front running St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers have gotten MVP type numbers from Ryan Braun, as he is hitting .349, with 8 homeruns and 29 RBI’s. Yovani Gallardo has been the ace on the mound for Milwaukee, starting the year 4-1 with a 3.09 era. Milwaukee has went 9-7 at home, and also 9-7 on the road to start the season. The Brewers have had struggles with their bench to start the year, as Brad Nelson, Chris Duffy and Casey Mcgehee have combined for just 5 hits in 56 at bats. The Brewers will look to get back on track when the Florida Marlins come to town for a three game set starting Tuesday. After Florida leaves the Brewers will head to St. Louis to face the Cardinals for the first time all season.

**Click Here for the World’s Greatest Baseball Betting System**

10. Chicago Cubs (17-14) – The Cubs look at their 17-14 record and consider themselves fortunate to be above .500. Chicago has been hit hard by injuries including most recently Aramis Ramirez and Chad Fox heading to the disabled list. Ramirez expects to miss the rest of May, and a portion of June before returning to the lineup. Fox has been placed on the disabled list, and his career may be in jeopardy after injuring his elbow on a pitch. The Cubs picked up Ryan Freel from Baltimore in exchange for Joey Gathright most recently. Chicago hopes Freel can stay healthy and produce in many positions. Kosuke Fukudome leads the team in batting with a .308 average, while Alfonso Soriano leads in homeruns and RBI’s with 9 and 18. The Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano still remains on the disabled list, but is expected to return in 10 days. The Cubs will head home and start a nice home stand on Tuesday as the Padres, followed by Astros visit Wrigley Field.

11. Cincinnati Reds (17-14) – Despite not picking up the sweep on Sunday over St. Louis, the Cincinnati Reds made a statement that they were a team to reckon with in the Central Division in 2009. The Reds took two of three from St. Louis, behind wins from Johnny Cueto and Aaron Harang. Joey Votto leads the Reds in batting, despite sitting the past couple games with a bout of the flu. Votto is hitting .370 on the season with 4 homeruns and 24 homeruns. The Reds power has come from Jay Bruce, who has hit 9 homeruns on the year. Sunday’s loss came from closer Chad Cordero, who has saved 9 games on the season. The Reds are in a log jam in the middle of the National League Central Division, trailing first place St. Louis by just 2.5 games. The Reds will start a road trip on Monday in the desert against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and then head to San Diego following that series.

12. Texas Rangers (17-14) – Texas used a series win over the Chicago White Sox to bolster their season record to 17-14, leading the Anaheim Angels in the American League West by just one game. The Rangers continue to be without top power hitter Josh Hamilton, who is out with a strained rib cage. Ian Kinsler has picked up the pace for Texas hitting nine homeruns and driving in 28 runs. Kinsler also leads the team in runs scored (24) and stolen bases (8). Kevin Millwood has pitched well at the start of the season, leading the team with 52.1 innings, and compiling a ERA of 2.92. The Rangers will host divisional foes Seattle and Anaheim this week.

13. Philadelphia Phillies (15-14) – After getting swept by divisional foe New York, the Phillies continued their slide losing two of three from the Atlanta Braves, another divisional opponent. The Phillies have fallen to just one game over .500 at 15-14. Philadelphia has been inconsistent with the bats, but are getting quality production from Raul Ibanez, who is hitting a robust .339 with 23 RBI’s. Chase Utley leads the team in homeruns with 10. Jayson Werth has also been solid, leading the Phillies in runs (25) and stolen bases (3). The veteran Jamie Moyer leads the pitching staff in wins with 3. The Phillies currently sit in third place in the National League East, behind Florida and New  York by just one game. The Phillies will host the Dodgers, starting on Tuesday, before heading to Washington for a three game weekend series.

14. Los Angeles Angels (16-14) – The Angels have withstood the tragic beginning, and poor play in the beginning weeks of the season, and have climbed to above .500 for the first time all season. Anaheim is 16-14, just behind Texas, after winning four straight games. The Angels picked up a series finale win over Toronto, and then swept the Kansas City Royals in three. The Angels have started seeing production from Bobby Abreu, as he leads the team in hitting, with his .309 batting average. Torii Hunter leads the team in homeruns, RBI’s and runs scored with 8, 21 and 24 respectively. Joe Saunders has been the ace in the first five weeks of the season for Anaheim, as he has went 5-1 with a 2.66 era. The Angels will host the Boston Red Sox for a three game series starting Tuesday, before heading to Texas for a three game weekend series on the road.

15. San Francisco Giants (16-14) – The Giants, in the National League West are just trying to keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Thus far, they look to be the Dodgers only halfway close competition within the division. The Giants, just above .500 are 4.5 games back,  but lead San Diego by three games and the Rockies and Diamonbacks by four games. San Francisco did what they needed to do over the weekend, and beat the Dodgers two of three. The Giants do not have a starter in their lineup with a batting average over .300. Fred Lewis leads the team in batting with a .299 mark. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain have anchored the starting rotation well, with Barry Zito doing a much better job in 2009 then he did in 2008. The Giants will enjoy a nice long home stand this week, as the Nationals come in on Monday, followed by the Mets on Thursday, for a four game weekend tilt.

16. New  York Yankees (15-16) – The addition of Alex Rodriguez back in the lineup should be the shot in the arm, New York has been looking for in the first 30+ games. In the first night, it was, as he went deep in his first at bat. Since then, the Yankees split games with Baltimore. The Yankees, under .500, are 5.5 games back of the front running Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. New York was aided by a hot start from Nick Swisher, who leads the team with eight homeruns. The Yankees will look to gain ground on the Blue Jays this week, as they start a three game series north of the border on Tuesday, and then will come home for a Friday, Saturday, Sunday tilt with the Minnesota Twins.

17. Tampa Bay Rays (15-17) – As the Rays look to take two of three from divisional rival Boston Sunday on ESPN, they try to figure out how to get any consistency from anyone not named Longoria. Slugger Evan Longoria is off to a hot start, batting .367 with 11 homeruns and 44 RBI’s Carlos Pena leads all of baseball with 13 homeruns, but even his consistency has been shaky at times. Scott Kazmir leads the starting staff with four wins, while Troy Percival has picked up five saves in the first five weeks. After Tampa Bay leaves Boston Sunday night, they will make a brief two game stop in Baltimore for Tuesday and Wednesday games, before heading home for a four game series with the Cleveland Indians.

18. Seattle Mariners (16-16) – The Mariners, despite their recent four game losing streak, still sit just 1.5 games back in the American League West. The Mariners picked up a win on Sunday at Minnesota to avoid being swept. Ichiro leads Seattle in batting with a .320 batting mark, while Russell Branyan is providing the power, with seven homeruns on the season. Felix Hernandez has been the ace of the staff with four wins in 44 innings, but Eric Bedard has also pitched well, leading the team in ERA with a 2.37. Closer Brandon Morrow has been recently activated from the disabled list, after missing time, but now Carlos Silva has been placed on the DL with right shoulder inflammation. The Mariners will continue their road trip on Tuesday at Texas for three games, before hosting the Boston Red Sox for a three game series over the weekend.

19. Chicago White Sox (14-16) – The White Sox at 14-16 are tied in third place with the Minnesota Twins. Both Chicago and Minnesota trail Kansas City and Detroit by three games for the divisional lead. The White Sox have been one of the surprise teams, in a bad way to start the season. Despite Carlos Quentin’s hot start, and eight homeruns, the White Sox have been very inconsistent offensively. Chicago is coming off losing two of three to the Texas Rangers over the weekend. The White Sox biggest bright spot on the season has been lefthander Mark Buerhle. Buerhle leads the team with a 5-0 record, and 2.61 era in 38 innings. Closer Bobby Jenks has picked up seven saves for Chicago. Alexi Ramirez has gotten off to an extremely slow start, hitting just .204 with 1 homerun and 11 RBI’s. The White Sox will start a road trip on Monday in Cleveland, before playing four on the road in Toronto starting Thursday.

20. Minnesota Twins (15-17) – Along with Chicago, the Twins have been another disappointment out of the American League Central. Minnesota did recently pick up two of three from the visiting Seattle Mariners to climb into the third place tie, three games back of the leaders. The Twins Justin Morneau seemingly is carrying the offense, almost single handedly, leading in batting average, homeruns, RBI’s, and runs. Morneau is hitting .322, with 8 homeruns, 25 RBI’s, and 22 runs scored. Kevin Slowey leads the Twins pitching staff in wins with 4,but has an ERA of 5.50 on the season.  The Twins will look to make ground with the Detroit Tigers, starting on Tuesday with a three game series at home, and then over the weekend will play at the new Yankee Stadium.

21. Atlanta Braves (15-16) – The Atlanta Braves have almost become the most forgot about team in major league baseball. The Braves’ despite that claim still linger in the mix within the National League East. It is early, but if Atlanta can continue to get solid pitching from Jair Jurrjens and Javier Vazquez, the Braves could compete in September. The Braves leading homerun hitter is Chipper Jones with three. Atlanta’s lack of power has become very apparent, as they expect more power numbers from Jeff Francouer. Casey Kotchman leads the team in batting, and is batting just .298. Atlanta has won four of their last five, winning the final two in a series with Florida, and taking the last two most recently with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves will conclude their road trip, starting on Monday, visiting the New York Mets for three. Atlanta will take Thursday off, before the Arizona Diamondbacks visit the heart of Dixie on Friday.

22. Houston Astros (14-17) – By winning three straight games, and by virtue of the Pittsburgh Pirates dropping eight straight, the Astros have climbed into fifth place in the National League Central. Houston is three games under .500, but may be putting things together. Carlos Lee leads a struggling offense with a .309 batting average and 22 RBI’s, while Lance Berkman has knocked seven over the boards, but his .184 batting average has Astros brass scratching their heads. Wandy Rodriguez leads the team in wins with just 3, and era (1.80), along with innings pitched (45). The Astros took three straight over the weekend from the San Diego Padres. Houston now hit’s the road for a series at Colorado, followed by a weekend series at Chicago.

23. San Diego Padres (13-19) – The Padres offense abandoned them in a three game weekend series at Houston. After losing 2-0, the Padres dropped 5-4 and 12-5 decisions. Adrian Gonzalez appears to be the only San Diego hitter than provides a punch in the lineup. Gonzalez leads the team in batting (.296), homeruns (9), RBI’s (20) and runs scored (21). The Padres will take on the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field starting on Tuesday, and then come back home to host the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend.

24. Arizona Diamondbacks (12-19) – The dismal start by the Arizona Diamondbacks already got former manager Bob Melvin canned. Now the Diamondbacks will look to make new manager A.J. Hinch look a little better. Arizona is off to a 12-19 start, and placed in fourth place in the National League West, already 9.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Arizona was able to pick up a series finale win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday to avoid the three game sweep.  Dan Haren has pitched well for Arizona to start the year, winning three games, and compiling an ERA of 1.84, striking out 51 batters and walking just 4.

25. Baltimore Orioles (13-19) – It’s never easy to compete in the American League East with the powers of New York and Boston, and more recently Tampa Bay, and now with Toronto off to a torrid start, the Orioles are having an even more difficult time. The Orioles are in fifth place in the AL East, and trail Toronto by eight games. Adam Jones has been a bright start for Baltimore, hitting .353, with 6 homeruns and 21 RBI’s. Jim Johnson has won two games, with no defeats out of the bullpen for Baltimore. The Orioles will host Tampa Bay Tuesday and Wednesday, and then start a four game series at Kansas City on Thursday.

26. Pittsburgh Pirates (12-19) – The Pirates have lost eight straight games, and nine of their last ten. After a good start that saw them competing near the top of the NL Central, Pittsburgh has now fallen to seven games under .500, and 7.5 games behind front running St. Louis. Pittsburgh’s bullpen has been beat around recently suffering two meltdowns during last weeks play. The Pirates were have been swept in three straight series’. Pittsburgh will look to get back on the winning track, as they host the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, and then see Colorado come in on Friday.

27. Oakland Athletics (11-18) – The Athletics have been riddled with injuries to start the season. Mark Ellis, Nomar Garciaparra and Eric Chavez all remain on the shelf, which forced Oakland to acquire veteran Adam Kennedy. Jack Cust has provided the most power for Oakland, but has hit just four homeruns, as Matt Holliday has been a disappointment thus far for Oakland. The Athletics will host the Kansas City Royals for two games on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then take Thursday off, before heading to Detroit for a weekend series.

28. Colorado Rockies (12-18) – The Rockies find themselves eight games back of the Dodgers, just barely ahead of Arizona in the National League West. If the Rockies do not pick up the pace, look for Clint Hurdle to be hiring the same unemployment papers as recently canned Bob Melvin did. Todd Helton is hitting .337 for Colorado and Chris Ianetta leads the team with six homeruns. Huston Street has been dismal for Colorado with a 0-1 record, and 5.11 era, with just three saves on the year. Colorado will host Houston for a three game series starting Tuesday, and then head on the road to Pittsburgh on Friday.

29. Cleveland Indians (11-21) – Cleveland did not help their  cause over the weekend getting swept by Central leading Detroit. The Indians are now 11-21 and 7 games back of Detroit and Kansas City. Victor Martinez continues to see the ball very well, leading his team, and all of baseball with a .385 batting average. Grady Sizemore leads the team with homeruns (6) and RBI’s (22). The Indians will look to snap their four game losing streak on Monday when the Chicago White Sox come to town. Following Chicago, the Indians will head to Tampa Bay to play four with the Rays.

30. Washington Nationals (10-19) – The Nationals have started to show some signs of light winning three straight, and six of their last ten overall. The winning streak was snapped on Sunday as the Diamondbacks were able to win the final game of the series. Washington has seen Ryan Zimmerman surge to a 28  game hitting streak, and hit for a .338 average through 30 games, and also Adam Dunn pounded out 9 homeruns. Shairon Maris leads the Nationals pitching staff with four wins, and an ERA of 4.67. The Nationals started 5-16, so their streak is much improvement. Washington will continue the road trip on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in San Francisco, before heading home to host the Phillies on Friday.

The NBA Playoffs have taken the center stage on the hardwood, the Major League Baseball season is in full swing on the diamond, and NASCAR drivers are going door to door every weekend on the track. The month of May is sure to bring excitement to all bettors and sports enthusiasts. In the next few weeks, we will have an NBA Champion, an All-Star Race, and of course unlimited action on the baseball field. There will be a wide variety of betting action provided by the major sports books throughout the rest of the month. We take a look at the always interesting prop bets listed at Betus.com & Bodoglife.com while giving some insight on a few bets to consider in the month of May.

Prop Bet #1 – Possible NBA Finals Match-up

One popular betting line on nearly every sports book right now is who will be squaring off in the 2009 NBA Finals? In the Eastern Conference, the defending World Champion Boston Celtics are still alive as they battle with the Orlando Magic who has also been strong all year as well. Newly crowned MVP Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have looked more than impressive in their post-season run as they are the only unbeaten team in the playoffs. In the Western Conference, everybody seems to want to hand the Los Angeles Lakers the Western Conference Title. However, Houston knocked off the Lakers in Game 1 giving some hope to the rest of the conference. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have remained one of the hottest teams in the League throughout the 2nd half of the season. If you took the Cavaliers and the Lakers who are the favorites out of each conference, they are offering +300 odds. However, we like for you to consider the Denver Nuggets in the West. Sure, the Nuggets were beat up by the Lakers earlier this season but they are not the same team by any means. The Nuggets have a lot of momentum and the Lakers are not as invincible as many would expect. Along with that, Cleveland may never lose another game at home this season. We take a gamble with Denver and say they meet the Cavs in this year’s NBA Finals.

Pick – Denver vs. Cleveland +500

Prop Bet #2 – Southern 500 at Darlington – Kyle Busch vs. Kurt Busch

The Southern 500 down in Darlington, SC is one of the most popular races for drivers and racing fans every year. Darlington is a brutally tough track that has the beating and banging action of a short track with the speeds of a super speedway. The Busch brothers have been very strong so far early on in the 2009 campaign. Kyle Busch is coming off his 3rd win of the season last week on Saturday night in Richmond. The #18 car is a front runner every week and is likely the most talented driver in the sport. Kurt Busch is having a great year as well with a victory in Atlanta. Kurt also led the point standings before last week heading into Richmond and now trails Jeff Gordon by only 10 points. However when it comes to head to head match-up at the track called “too tough to tame,” Kyle should have the big advantage. The ¾ mile narrow speedway is grueling on drivers physically and you really have to be on top of your game to conquer this fickle speedway. Kyle Busch has the extremely aggressive driving style and the talent to not only beat Kurt, but the other 42 drivers this Saturday night as well. Consider a fairly strong bet with the #18 machine.

Pick – Kyle Busch -155

Prop Bet #3 – Who will win the NFC North in 2010?

Perhaps we have gotten too caught up on all the other sports and forgotten the best of them all. Shortly after the NFL Draft, the NFL division odds were updated to accommodate for all the off-season transactions. One division race has grabbed our attention in the NFC South. Of course the Detroit Lions had a great draft, but let’s face it the chances of them going from not winning a game in 2009 to NFC North Champions in 2010 could be a small stretch to say the least. Then it comes down to Green Bay, Chicago, and Minnesota. There are cases to be made for every team. Could Jay Cutler lead the offensively inclined Bears to the promise land? Will the Vikings strong rushing attack lead them to another NFC North crown? Or could Green Bay get the job done after pulling off possibly the best 2009 Draft of any team in the league? Well for starters do not expect for Chicago’s struggles to be changed around in the blink of an eye. The Bears are headed in the right direction, but still need few more playmakers mainly at wide receiver before any big difference will be recognized. The Packers need more consistency on defense to contend in the division despite having more talent and depth on the roster. Green Bay really fell apart at the end of the season and that is not promising for next season. Minnesota has to be the best pick to back up their 2009 performance. Adrian Peterson and the rushing attack really came on strong at the end of the year. The Vikings added depth on the offensive line through the off-season and Percy Harvin could add some more explosiveness as well. Minnesota should improve their already dangerous offense which already dominated the division one year ago.

Pick – Minnesota +125

The boxing world will take center stage once again this Saturday night with the most anticipated fight of 2009 between Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Ricky “Hitman” Hatton. The battle will take place at the famous MGM Grand Gardens Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The junior welter-weight bout promises to be a contest that displays fast furious punching between two of the top fighters in the world. These two fighters are among the most aggressive and quickest punchers on the planet which is certain to display some great boxing action.

Pacquiao was involved previously in one of the most anticipated fights in recent memory when he battled with the legend Oscar De La Hoya. Pacquiao dominated the fight throwing flurries that were simply too quick for De La Hoya to defend. By the time the 9th round had begun, De La Hoya with a nearly swollen shut eye threw in the towel giving the win by way of technical knockout to Pacquiao. Pacquiao is considered the best pound for pound fighter in the world and rightfully so. Pacman will be competing in his 4th different weight class in the last 4 fights as he won all previous battles. Pacquiao sports tons of speed that never goes away even late in fights. Speed so great that once De La Hoya started tiring the fight turned from bad to worse as Pacquiao was relentless with connects. Pacquiao may be among the most popular fighters in the world for his exciting fast paced style of punches. With a career record of 48-3-2, Pacquiao will be heavy favorite at -275 odds to win the fight this Saturday night.

Click Here For A Complete List of Boxing Betting Odds & Lines

Ricky Hatton is another fighter that seems to have it all. The fighter out of Greater Manchester, England is very popular among the British fans. However, Hatton is being overshadowed by the Pacman crazed society. Hatton has lost only once in his 12 year career and that was to the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr who retired last year at the top of his game. In that fight, Hatton actually got off to a great start against the undefeated icon. Hatton landed some early punches that got Mayweather off balance. However, as the fight went on Mayweather was able to adapt and landed some punches that cut the fighter’s eye eventually leading to his defeat the only one of his career. After the fight, Mayweather called the fight “possibly the toughest of his career.” Hatton is very aggressive fighter that comes right at his opponents. On top of his stellar resume which consist of a career record of 45-1 (32 KOs), Hatton has a great asset in his corner in trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr who was also needless to say a great fighter in his day. Hatton will enter the fight as a +190 underdog and will be trying to score the same type upset Pacquiao completed over De La Hoya.

The fight has many interesting tidbits to consider if you plan on putting down a wager. Hatton is turning out to be a sizeable underdog; however he is fighting at a weight class which he has never been defeated. Pacquiao will be fighting at the 5th different weight class of his career which has not seemed to matter considering he has dominated at every division. Pacquiao is generally the smaller and quicker puncher. However, the “Hitman” is known for landing some vicious punches that can change the fight with one blow. Pacquiao should have the advantage out of the gates, but it will be interesting to see how the fight turns out if it makes it to the later rounds. Hatton could really give Pacquiao problems with his relentless in your face style of boxing while Pacman is sure to give the Hitman some issues with his speed. The over/under for the contest has been set at 9.5 rounds which is slightly later than most junior welterweight bouts last. However, this fight could be one for the ages. Major sports books are offering all types of different betting options for the fight including the fight outcome, round betting, round group betting, and if the fight will go the distance. We would definitely like to jump on the -180 side to place a bet the fight will not go the scheduled 12 rounds. With these two quick hard hitting fighters in the ring, 12 rounds seems a bit of a stretch.