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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Current Odds To Win World Series MVP Award @ JustBet (as of 10/18/2011):
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Albert Pujols 5 to 1
Alexi Ogando 30 to 1
Allen Craig 30 to 1
Chris Carpenter 12 to 1
CJ Wilson 15 to 1
Craig Gentry 40 to 1
David Freese 10 to 1
David Murphy 25 to 1
Elvis Andrus 15 to 1
Ian Kinsler 12 to 1
Jason Motte 15 to 1
Jon Jay 12 to 1
Josh Hamilton 5 to 1
Lance Berkman 12 to 1
Matt Holliday 8 to 1
Michael Young 8 to 1
Mike Napoli 18 to 1
Mitch Moreland 50 to 1
Neftali Feliz 15 to 1
Nelson Cruz 8 to 1
Rafael Furcal 15 to 1
Skip Schumaker 25 to 1
Yadier Molina 12 to 1
Field (Any Other Player) 5 to 1

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World Series picks have to be in by 7:57 ET on Wednesday, October 27th, and before the first pitch of the Fall Classic, we are here to pick out the odds to win World Series MVP. Don’t miss all of the best World Series coverage here at Bankroll Sports!

It seems awfully unlikely that the favorite to win the World Series MVP is the man with the lowest batting average on the team that is just the slight favorite to win the series, but that’s what the case is right now with Josh Hamilton (4 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook). Hamilton clearly has the ability to go off at any given moment for some huge hits, and he is still the most feared man in this lineup in spite of the fact that he only batted .237 in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Want some more proof of how feared the cleanup man in this lineup is? He already has ten walks in the playoffs, and in spite of the fact that he has that low batting average, he is just one RBI shy of the postseason lead for any team in these playoffs.

There’s no way that we can argue with Cliff Lee (5 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook) to win this award either. Lee is going to be pitching at least twice in this series in all likelihood, and if the Rangers are going to win their first World Series ever on their home turf by the end of Game 5, Lee is probably going to end up with a pair of wins. It is unlikely that Lee is going to be pitching on three days of rest, so he would be throwing in Game 1 and Game 5, and presumably, that fifth game would be the end of the series. Lee has gone 3-0 in his career against the Giants, and he is already 3-0 in these playoffs as well. No man has pitched better in these playoffs than the southpaw free agent to be. With every great pitch, Lee is hitting the cash register button more and more, and it doesn’t seem like there is anything that can stop him from pitching this well, especially against a team that has struggled offensively in the playoffs.

There are a ton of candidates with the same odds for the Giants, but we love the possibility of Buster Posey (8 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook) becoming a rookie MVP of the World Series. Posey, a Florida State product, was one of just two men in these playoffs for the Giants that hit at least .300 in the first two rounds. This is quite possibly the best home run threat on San Fran even though he has yet to go yard in the playoffs. Common thought would suggest that it is only a matter of time until the rook connects with one and drives it a long way, and if Posey catches fire, he could be a real dominating force in this series.

If you’re looking for a longshot, don’t be afraid to go with Freddy Sanchez (18 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook). Sanchez might not be the best run producer in the world, nor might he be a big time run scorer, but he is seeing the ball well right now and can make things happen. Sanchez has nine hits in his last five games, reaching base safely in all five. We’re talking about a man that has batted over .300 in his career before and could do it once again in this, his first ever World Series.

Odds to Win World Series MVP @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 10/26/10):
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Andres Torres 20 to 1
Aubrey Huff 15 to 1
Bengie Molina 25 to 1
Brian Wilson 10 to 1
Buster Posey 8 to 1
CJ Wilson 25 to 1
Cliff Lee 5 to 1
Cody Ross 10 to 1
David Murphy 25 to 1
Edgar Renteria 20 to 1
Elvis Andrus 15 to 1
Freddy Sanchez 18 to 1
Ian Kinsler 12 to 1
Josh Hamilton 4 to 1
Juan Uribe 8 to 1
Matt Cain 8 to 1
Michael Young 12 to 1
Mitch Moreland 25 to 1
Neftali Feliz 30 to 1
Nelson Cruz 12 to 1
Pat Burrell 8 to 1
Tim Lincecum 8 to 1
Vladimir Guerrero 12 to 1

The MLB betting season is back and will start on Easter night! BetUS Sportsbook will have all of the action covered for you all season long, and we’ll get started with some of the props offered at BetUS that could prove to be real moneymaking efforts.

Prop Bet #1: Kansas City Royals +3 wins vs. Cleveland Indians: Any combination of team season wins totals is available for you to bet on at BetUS Sportsbook, but the one that we’re going to focus in on is the duel between AL Central rivals, the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals. We already discussed our opinions on the Royals in our MLB season win totals predictions, but a look at the Indians shows that this team isn’t all that great either. Aside from the fact that this was the worst bullpen in the majors last year and made absolutely no improvements there, the lineup card is going to struggle this year as well unless someone like a OF Grady Sizemore or DH Travis Hafner steps up. Even if that is the case, the Tribe just don’t have a winning mentality about them at all right now, and it’d be shocking to us to not see the Royals finish in front of Cleveland in the AL Central.

Selection: Kansas City Royals +3 wins at BetUS. 100% Deposit Bonus by clicking This Link.)

Prop Bet #2: Zack Greinke Over/Under 13.5 Wins: Here we go again with the Royals. Last season, the AL Cy Young Award winner had a breakout season, winning 16 games on an awful Kansas City team. He had a 2.16 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Remember this as well. He had a whopping nine starts on the season in which he allowed no more than two earned runs in which he either got a no-decision or a loss. If Kansas City really does have an improved team, at least a few of those NDs should become wins. Don’t be surprised to see Greinke contending for the Cy Young once again this season, as he may approach that coveted 20 win barrier for the first time in his already illustrious career.

Selection: Zack Greinke over 13.5 wins at BetUS. 100% Deposit Bonus by clicking This Link.)

Prop Bet #3: Adam Dunn vs. Jason Bay Total Regular Season Home Runs: Washington Nationals’ 1B/OF Adam Dunn is laying 8.5 homers to the newly acquired New York Mets OF Jason Bay in spite of the fact that Dunn only hit two more bombs than Bay did a year ago. But let’s remember one crucial difference this year for Bay. Last year, he was taking potshots at the Green Monster. Now, he goes to a ballpark that ate fly balls for lunch at Citi Field. Granted, Bay will still have half of his games on the road, and Dunn also plays in a huge pitchers park. The Nats’ slugger has popped at least that 38 bombs in each of the L/3 seasons. We fully expect that Bay is going to struggle to reach 30 in that ballpark.

Selection: Adam Dunn -8.5 home runs at BetUS. 100% Deposit Bonus by clicking This Link.)

Prop Bet #4: Manny Ramirez vs. David Ortiz Total Regular Season Hits: What a fun little prop this is! The guys who used to bat #3 and #4 in Boston’s lineup for years are pitted against each other for hits in the season, and Manny is spotting Big Papi 30.5 hits to start. Over the L/2 years, Ortiz has only managed to averaged 120 hits per season, and it feels like Ramirez, future Hall of Famer, would be able to clear 150 hits with ease, right? Not so fast. We’ll start with Papi. For a year in which Boston’s cleanup hitter only hit .238, Ortiz still managed 129 hits. Even if he bats just .250 and gets the same number of plate appearances, he’ll have 135 hits. Now we’re talking about Manny having to get to 166 to beat us. Ramirez batted .290 last season, and if we safely assume that he doesn’t get busted for steroids again in this year, he’ll be on a clip for about 150 hits. It’s clear that this isn’t the same Manny Ramirez that was lighting it up in Boston, as he’s already talking about retirement after this season. If that’s the case and Manny starts to become disinterested, you may be stealing that 30 hit head start with Boston’s slugger.

Selection: David Ortiz +30.5 hits at BetUS. 100% Deposit Bonus by clicking This Link.)

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Complete List of Odds to Win The World Series Can Be Found Below!

The 2010 MLB betting season is just around the corner, and Bankroll Sports has all of the ins and outs in for the World Series odds that you should be looking to invest in and those that you should stay away from in the upcoming year.

No Way New York! – The New York Yankees are once again easily the favorites of the oddsmakers at +300 at BetUS. The defending champs are still as stacked as they have ever been, but even though they’re clearly going to make the postseason and be the favorites to win the World Series once they get there, these odds are just far too short to invest in. Remember that the Bronx Bombers have an aging squad, and at any point, guys like SS Derek Jeter, C Jorge Posada, RP Mariano Rivera, and SP Andy Pettitte could break down. In addition to that, heralded Opening Day starter SP CC Sabathia is a few donuts short of three bills and has tossed a tremendous amount of innings over the L/3 seasons. There’s no doubting that CC is one of the elite pitchers in the game, but his weight and tired shoulder could be cause for concern deep in the season.

The Rabid Dawgs of the Desert – Last season, the Arizona Diamondbacks were amongst the favorites in the NL West and had an over/under of 86.5 wins. The team has a new starting pitcher in SP Edwin Jackson, who was acquired from Detroit in the big swap with the Yanks and Tigers in the offseason. SP Brandon Webb should be able to give a lot more to Arizona than his one start from the ’09 campaign. There’s already a legitimate ace on the staff as well in SP Dan Haren. The bullpen is suspect, but with youngsters like OF Justin Upton and 3B Mark Reynolds in the lineup, this is a team that could live up to its ’09 expectations in 2010. Don’t be afraid to grab that 30-1 price at BetUS Sportsbook.

The Hunt for Red October – Could this finally be the year that the Cincinnati Reds make the playoffs? If you look around in the National League, there are plenty of contenders for the Wild Card berth, but the only legit competition that Cincinnati may have from its own division comes in the form of the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. Even if the Redbirds win the NL Central, the prospects of winning 90 games are there for the Reds. The pitching staff got a huge shot in the arm with the acquisition of Cuban defect SP Aroldis Chapman, who has topped 104 MPH in the spring. SS Orlando Cabrera is a proven winner, and he’ll help solidify a very young lineup much like he did in Minnesota last season. He’ll be a perfect #2 hitter to slot into the lineup around 1B Joey Votto, OF Jay Bruce, and 2B Brandon Phillips. The Reds may still be a year away, but if it all comes together, having a price of +4000 from BetUS Sportsbook could be a total steal.

Not So Sweet Caroline – It’s hard to say that we’re not going to back either the Yankees or the Boston Red Sox to win the World Series this year, as the chances of at least one of them not playing in the ALCS have to be considered slim to none. However, the Beantown Bombers may have a real issue on their hands if DH David Ortiz gets off to the same type of year that he had last season. Yes, C Victor Martinez is a great prize either behind the dish or at 1B, and 2B Dustin Pedroia, 1B/3B Kevin Youkilis, and OFs JD Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury make up a solid top of the order, but something just doesn’t seem right without a slugger like Big Papi or OF Manny Ramirez in the heart of the lineup. Boston’s pitching from #1 to #12 is incredible, making it a nice team to back in a short series, but with New York’s dominance and Tampa Bay’s ability to win 90 games, just making the postseason is going to be difficult for this team. You don’t ever only take odds like this on a team that may not make the playoffs. Stay away from that +700 at BetUS Sportsbook.

Current 2010 World Series Odds @ BetUS (as of 3/24/10):
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Arizona Diamondbacks +3000
Atlanta Braves +2200
Baltimore Orioles +10000
Boston Red Sox +700
Chicago Cubs +2200
Chicago White Sox +2000
Cincinnati Reds +4000
Cleveland Indians +8000
Colorado Rockies +1600
Detroit Tigers +3500
Florida Marlins +3000
Houston Astros +8000
Kansas City Royals +8000
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim +1600
Los Angeles Dodgers +1400
Milwaukee Brewers +4000
Minnesota Twins +2200
New York Mets +2400
New York Yankees +300
Oakland Athletics +6500
Philadelphia Phillies +600
Pittsburgh Pirates +15000
San Diego Padres +10000
San Francisco Giants +2000
Seattle Mariners +1400
St. Louis Cardinals +1000
Tampa Bay Rays +2000
Texas Rangers +2200
Toronto Blue Jays +12000
Washington Nationals +15000