Posts Tagged ‘MLB’

2011 MLB All-Star Game Prop Picks, Prop Odds

July 12th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in MLB Baseball   Comments Off on 2011 MLB All-Star Game Prop Picks, Prop Odds
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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):
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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

MLB Baseball’s Top 5 Home Run Hitters 2011 with MLB Odds

July 9th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in MLB Baseball   Comments Off on MLB Baseball’s Top 5 Home Run Hitters 2011 with MLB Odds
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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):
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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

Free MLB Picks – Top 10 Money Pitchers in MLB Betting Action

June 5th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in MLB Baseball   Comments Off on Free MLB Picks – Top 10 Money Pitchers in MLB Betting Action
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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.

World Series Picks: 2011 NL West Predictions and Preview

March 30th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in MLB Baseball   Comments Off on World Series Picks: 2011 NL West Predictions and Preview
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Complete List of NL West Lines Can Be Found Below

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):
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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):
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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

2011 MLB Free Picks: NL Central Preview and Predictions

March 30th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in MLB Baseball   Comments Off on 2011 MLB Free Picks: NL Central Preview and Predictions
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Complete List of NL Central Lines Can Be Found Below

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):
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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):
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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):
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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

2011 NL East Predictions, Picks and Preview with MLB Odds

March 30th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in MLB Baseball   Comments Off on 2011 NL East Predictions, Picks and Preview with MLB Odds

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Complete List of NL East Lines Can Be Found Below

The NL East is going to be one of the toughest divisions in baseball this year, and the favorites on the odds to win the World Series are clearly in this division. Check out how we stack up the five squads for our NL East preview.

Even though they didn’t look all that dominating in Spring Training, the Philadelphia Phillies (1 to 2.60@ Sportbet Sportsbook). The Phils really made the coup of the offseason by swiping Cliff Lee from the grasps of both the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees. Lee really was a huge difference maker for this team in the half season that he spent with the Phils two years ago, and he loved his time in the City of Brotherly Love so much that he elected to come back. The man that he was traded for, Roy Halladay is still here, and so are Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton. Sure, Jayson Werth is gone, but the rest of this lineup in still intact. There are some concerns injury wise, most notably Brad Lidge and Chase Utley, and if these two can’t get the job done, they’re in some trouble. If the much maligned bullpen pulls it together though, the Phils won’t be touched in this division.

The Atlanta Braves (4 to 1@ Hollywood Sportsbook) are the one team that really could make a stink this year as well. This is the first time in decades that Bobby Cox isn’t with the team. However, he didn’t leave the cupboard bare, as the starting lineup is still fantastic and the pitching staff is still full of youngsters that are up and coming. The question is going to be whether this very young bullpen is going to keep it together this season. The playoffs aren’t a guarantee.

It seems as though the Florida Marlins (10.25 to 1@ Sportbet Sportsbook) are the team that proves to be the pain in the backside every single season, but when push really comes to shove, they almost always end up falling short. The Fish have one of the best and most underappreciated players in the game in Hanley Ramirez, and they really have one of the best starting pitchers in the game as well in Josh Johnson. Leo Nunez anchors a fantastic bullpen with a ton of arms in it as well. Is it enough to win this division? Probably not. However, we have to believe that there is at least a 10 to 1 shot that the Fish get the job done.

The New York Mets (25 to 1@ Sportbet Sportsbook) and the Washington Nationals (37 to 1@ Sportbet Sportsbook) are a long, long way out of the division race right now. New York just wasn’t able to make any splashes in the offseason due to tight money conditions with ownership, and though Washington did sign Jayson Werth, it also let Adam Dunn get away. Both teams are missing stud pitchers this season as well, as Johan Santana won’t be ready until at least July, while Stephen Strasburg is out for the entire season following Tommy John surgery.

Odds to Win NL East @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Atlanta Braves 4 to 1
Florida Marlins 10 to 1
New York Mets 18 to 1
Philadelphia Phillies 1 to 3.50
Washington Nationals 25 to 1

Betting Lines to Win NL East @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Philadelphia Phillies 1 to 2.60
Atlanta Braves 3.25 to 1
Florida Marlins 10.25 to 1
New York Mets 21 to 1
Washington Nationals 37 to 1

2011 NL East Odds @ Hollywood Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Atlanta Braves 4 to 1
Florida Marlins 8 to 1
New York Mets 25 to 1
Philadelphia Phillies 1 to 4
Washington Nationals 60 to 1

World Series Picks: 2011 AL West Predictions and Preview

March 27th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in MLB Baseball   Comments Off on World Series Picks: 2011 AL West Predictions and Preview
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Complete List of AL West Lines Can Be Found Below

Last season, the Rangers weren’t just able to knock the Halos out of the catbird seat in the AL West, but they nearly won the whole enchilada as well. Will history repeat itself? Check out this year’s AL West preview and the AL West odds to find out.

The Texas Rangers (1.25 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) are once again the favorites to win this division, but we aren’t so sure that it’s justified. Sure, this was a team that did well most of last season, but Vladimir Guerrero and Bengie Molina are both gone, and Texas wasn’t able to nail down Cliff Lee in the offseason either. The pieces are still in place for Manager Ron Washington to get the job done, but the task is going to be significantly harder now than it was at the end of last season when the Rangers probably did really have the best team in the American League.

As for those Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2.95 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook), they were truly losers in the offseason as well. Not only couldn’t they lure a big time starting pitcher to town, but they didn’t get Carl Crawford or any other big bats via free agency either. The Halos still have a nice looking nucleus, but there were definitely some faults last year, especially after Kendry Morales suffered his season ending injury relatively early on. Dan Haren might be a sneaky pick for AL Cy Young this year though, especially without any huge contenders emerging as early favorites.

The team that really could make strides this year is the Oakland Athletics (2.25 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook). There were a lot of great signings in the offseason by General Manager Billy Beane, including Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham, David DeJesus, Grant Balfour, and Brian Fuentes. None of the moves by themselves are all that amazing, but the whole story is now looking sharp in Oakland. This pen is stacked, and the starting rotation is featuring five up and comers this year, including Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Braden, and Brandon McCarthy. This is definitely a squad to watch out for this year.

Rounding out the pack will be the Seattle Mariners (23.50 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook). The M’s just haven’t made enough moves to make us go, “Wow!” Unless there’s suddenly some offense joining Ichiro Suzuki in the lineup, there’s no way that this team plates enough runs to consistently win for any pitcher not named Felix Hernandez. Things would really be disastrous for the Mariners if they had to trade King Felix at the trade deadline, something that is a legitimate possibility if the price is right.

Odds to Win AL West @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2.25 to 1
Oakland Athletics 2.25 to 1
Seattle Mariners 20 to 1
Texas Rangers 1 to 1.20

Betting Lines to Win AL West @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Texas Rangers 1.25 to 1
Oakland Athletics 2 to 1
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2.95 to 1
Seattle Mariners 23.50 to 1

2011 AL West Odds @ Hollywood Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2.75 to 1
Oakland Athletics 1.80 to 1
Seattle Mariners 20 to 1
Texas Rangers 1 to 1