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

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

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

Top Home Run Hitters In Baseball

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

Top 5 Home Run Odds Picks Picks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The MLB non-waiver trade deadline came and went on Saturday at 4:00 PM, and though there was a flurry of action right before the wire, several teams were left out in the cold in their quest to better themselves for the rest of this season. Check out how we graded the teams in the hunt for October at Bankroll Sports!

Atlanta Braves: The only move the Braves made during this trade season was picking up SS Alex Gonzalez from the Toronto Blue Jays. How has that move worked out so far? Gonzalez is batting .259 with six extra base hits, one homers, and three RBIs in 15 games with Atlanta. The man he was traded for, SS Yunel Escobar is batting .323 with three dingers and nine RBIs. We won’t mention the two prospects that the Braves gave up in this deal as well. Oops. Look out from behind Atlanta, as the pack is coming to get you in the NL East. Final Grade: D-

Philadelphia Phillies: Give some props to the Phils for going out and getting their man in RHP Roy Oswalt. This is clearly a sign that the boys from the City of Brotherly Love are going for gold once again in the National League. However, this could be a case of too little, too late. The Phils are 3.5 games out of the Wild Card in the race in the NL and are 2.5 back of the Braves. Giving up LHP JA Happ and some prospects to take on all that payroll is risky, but the move worked last year with LHP Cliff Lee. It could work again this year. We love the guts, but aren’t so sure it will be worth the glory. Final Grade: B-

New York Mets: The Mets badly needed to add at least 1-2 starting pitchers at the trade deadline and missed out on everyone. At 6.5 games out from the NL East race and 7.5 back with a trillion teams to hop in the NL Wild Card, the season appears to be over in the Big Apple. GM Omar Minaya badly needed to make a move and failed miserably. Final Grade: F

St. Louis Cardinals: The brass of the Cardinals made a bold move by giving up OF Ryan Ludwick and some minor league prospect talent to get RHP Jake Westbrook from the Cleveland Indians. We aren’t so sure about bringing in a guy who didn’t pitch at all last season and is only 6-7 with a 4.65 ERA this year, but Westbrook does bring some valuable experience. He could be a great fourth pitcher in the postseason behind Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, and Jamie Wright. Final Grade: B

Cincinnati Reds: The Reds really didn’t do much at the trade deadline, and they really didn’t seem all that active on the phones either. There’s a reason for that. Though Cincinnati is in position to make the playoffs now, it is also in a spot to be able to make a run at a number of NL Central titles in the future and everyone knows it. There was no reason to tinker with what was going on. Final Grade: A

San Diego Padres: Hats off to the Padres for getting this trade deadline exactly right. The pitching staff as a whole needed no tweaking whatsoever, as this has been arguably the most consistent unit 1-12 in the majors all season long. A bat would come in handy though in the NL West race, and that’s exactly what San Diego got with OF Ryan Ludwick. Ludwick has all sorts of pop in his bat and has already blasted 11 homers in 77 games this season. Look for him to help boost an offense that struggles at times. Picking up SS/3B Miguel Tejada brings a veteran leader into a very young clubhouse. The Padres are clearly going for glory this year and we love it. Final Grade: A

Los Angeles Dodgers : Someone was going to be trading for Chicago’s LHP Ted Lilly, but at least the Dodgers didn’t give up the farm to get him. Giving up on Blake Dewitt might come back to bit LA in the butt, but at least it acquired handy utility man Ryan Theriot in this deal as well. The Dodgers are 6.5 games behind the playoff chase, but this should at least help a bit in the quest to get back in it. Adding OF Scott Podsednik and RHP Octavio Dotel might help as well. This might not be enough to get the job done, though. Final Grade: B+

Colorado Rockies: Shame on you, Colorado. The Rockies badly needed to go out and find a bat for the middle of the lineup and they failed to do so. Is this a sign on giving up on the season? Didn’t we learn anything last year from the hunt for Rocktober??? Final Grade: F

San Francisco Giants: San Fran had plenty of chances to go out and get a bat in the outfield to improve the team, but the Giants felt the need to stand pat instead. We can’t blame them. This is probably the best chance the team has had to win in years, and the squad has a nice chemistry. 61 wins is tied for the NL lead. Final Grade: B

New York Yankees: The Bronx Bombers added three key pieces to the puzzle on the final hours before the trade deadline, picking up OFs Lance Berkman and Austin Kearns as well as reliever Kerry Wood. Leave it up to GM Brian Cashman to make the moves to make the Yankees win now, but the future seemed to be mortgaged just a bit by giving up a slew of prospects. Final Grade: B-

Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays badly needed a bat, but instead, GM Andrew Freidman elected to go with a bullpen arm instead. He clearly bought RHP Chad Qualls at a cheap price, as his ERA was over 8.00 with Arizona this year. Two seasons ago, the team made a similar move by picking up RHP Chad Bradford at the deadline, and he helped pitch Tampa Bay to the World Series. Could this be the same sort of situation? We’re not ones to doubt the cash strapped Rays. Final Grade: B

Boston Red Sox: If the Red Sox thought they were buyers at the trade deadline, why didn’t they take a chance at giving up some of their pitching in the minors for a quality bat? If they thought they were sellers, why not try to move some of these older pieces to the puzzle that aren’t going to be used in the future? We’re certainly puzzled at the fact that there was no activity in Beantown at the gun. Final Grade: D

Chicago White Sox: They needed a bat, but the White Sox grabbed a great arm instead in the form of RHP Edwin Jackson. Jackson will step into the rotation in the place of RHP Jake Peavy, who has been shut down for the year. With postseason experience, Jackson might be just the man to help pitch the Pale Hose into the second season in spite of the fact that he has had a miserable year. Being back in the AL should help where he thrived with Detroit and Tampa Bay the last two seasons. Final Grade: B+

Minnesota Twins: Yikes. Giving up on the best catching prospect in baseball for Matt Capps? We understand that Capps has had a good season as the Nationals closer, but do the Twinkies really need him? This is a troubling and puzzling move for Minnesota, which didn’t help out its situations in the outfield or in the starting rotation either. Final Grade: F

Detroit Tigers: GM Dave Dombrowski must have thought his Tigers were out of it, as they are currently seven games back in the AL Central. He’s probably right. Final Grade: C

Texas Rangers: The AL West race was probably all but over the day that LHP Cliff Lee was inked by the Rangers. As a team in bankruptcy, Texas certainly did a heck of a job making moves at the trade deadline, bolstering an offense as well that was already potent. With an eight game pad in the AL West, we have to give this team the best grade of any team at the deadline. Final Grade: A+

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Ok, so the Halos are probably out of the playoff race, but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t have a great trade deadline. Picking up RHP Dan Haren from the dismal Diamondbacks was a great move to make, not just for this season, but for the future. Haren is young and is still a great arm at the front end of any rotation. Giving up on a Sabermetric nightmare in LHP Joe Saunders was a very small price to pay. Final Grade: A

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As we enter another Sunday of MLB betting action, we’re taking a look at some of the best pitchers that baseball has to offer that have made us money over the course of the season. Be sure to keep your eye on these hurlers as the MLB wagering season continues!

1: Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees (6-0, +$630) – No one wants to mess with the Yankees with anyone on the mound right now, but Pettitte has been particularly lethal. The Bronx Bombers have won nine straight times that they’re southpaw has taken the hill dating back to the playoffs last year. Keep an eye on Pettitte though, as he is already scheduled to miss his next start with some elbow inflammation.

2: Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies (6-0, +$600) – Mr. No Hitter has been a hefty chalk every time that he has taken the baseball for Manager Jim Tracy, but so far, he is passing every test with flying colors. The righty has just been sick this year, giving up just four earned runs over 41.1 innings and striking out 44. Jimenez could be the best pitcher in baseball.

3: Scott Olsen, Washington Nationals (4-1, +$577) – It’s not often that you see a pitcher for the Nats on this list, but Olsen is one of the two that is very deserving of his spot as a top money maker. Not many expect to see Olsen as a favorite when he pitches, as he hasn’t be a chalk since 2008 when he was with the Florida Marlins (and ironically, was pitching against these Washington Nationals that day). However, after three straight great starts in which he allowed just one earned run in total, many are going to start considering Olsen as a threat to make some real money.

4: Livan Hernandez, Washington Nationals (4-1, +$533) – The ageless wonder that is Livan Hernandez continues to find ways to win games in spite of the fact that he has more walks (13) than strikeouts (11) on the season. However, with only one loss to his credit, and that coming to Jimenez and the Rockies, it’s hard to ignore than Hernandez has been a great option for MLB bettors this year. You have to go back to last September to find the last time that he allowed more than three earned runs in a game.

5: Kyle Davies, Kansas City Royals (4-2, +$523) – It’s not often that you see a pitcher go 4-2 and be on a list like this, especially after allowing nine earned runs in a start, but the oddsmakers have already made Davies a +150 or higher pup in four starts this year. The Royals’ righty was really clobbered at Texas this week, and his descent back to earth may be just beginning.

6: Mike Pelfrey, New York Mets (5-1, +$488) – Speaking of guys that are bound to come back to earth at some point, what about Mike Pelfrey? New York’s best right-handed starter is nothing more than a career 5.00 ERA type of guy, but he did toss 24 straight spotless frames this year and picked up three wins (and a save!) to show for it. Since then, though? Nine earned runs in 11.1 innings. Buyer beware.

7: Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants (5-1, +$465) – The very, very rich left arm of Barry Zito’s may finally be paying dividends for the Giants. The southpaw is 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA this year, and he hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a game. Remember when Zito was the laughing stock of baseball and pitching out of the bullpen? That’s not the case anymore, and MLB betting fans would be wise to hop on this bandwagon before it either careens into a ditch or the oddsmakers catch on.

8: Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals (6-1, +$463) – Save a start against Milwaukee back on April 11th, Carpenter looks just as unhittable now as he was last season when he was a candidate for the Cy Young Award. There’s nothing not to like here from one of the top righties in baseball, as he is 4-0 with a 2.80 ERA and has 47 strikeouts against 13 walks in 45.0 innings. Oh, and if anyone thinks that opposing batters are hitting .276 against him for the year, they’re crazy. Carpenter may just be getting revved up.

9: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies (6-1, +$455) – The problem with betting on Halladay is that the oddsmakers are just going to punish you to no end if he loses. That’s if he loses. At 6-1 with a 1.45 ERA, no one is touching Halladay this year, as he has to be the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award this year through seven starts. Here’s something to watch, though. Halladay has thrown at least 100 pitches in all of his starts this year, including 118 and 119 respectively in his L/2 starts.

10: Carlos Silva, Chicago Cubs (5-1, +$423) – Not a bad consolation prize for getting rid of CF Milton Bradley, huh? Silva hasn’t been lights out this year, but his offense has produced just a slew of runs for him (7.5 per game). No one is going to complain about a 3.50 ERA from a guy who really is no better than a fifth starter on a regular basis. The price tags remain reasonable on Silva as well in spite of the fact that he is pitching for the Cubs, who are normally shaded by the oddsmakers.

The Major League Baseball season is roughly 25 games old for most teams, and here at Bankroll Sports, we take a look at the top ten teams that have made your bankroll fatter during the first part of the MLB betting season.

1: San Diego Padres (+$810) – The Pads are still living off of the success of that eight game winning streak that they had two weeks ago. No one really believes that they are going to be able to contend this season. The time is going to come in the very near future that this squad becomes an automatic fade almost every time out, especially on the road where they won’t finish anywhere near the .500 that they’re at right now.

2: Washington Nationals (+$805) – The Nats are just a game back of the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the NL East standings, and they’ve surprisingly now won 21 of their L/33 games overall dating back to last year. The bullpen is making the difference, as the unit has a 4.05 ERA, while closer Matt Capps is 11/11 in save chances. Until the oddsmakers catch on, this could be a sneaky team to continue backing, especially at home where Washington is 8-6 on the season.

3: Tampa Bay Rays (+$785) – The team with the best record in baseball is also amongst the top money teams as well. Thank Tampa Bay’s road efforts for that, as the Rays are 10-1 and +$1,040 away from Tropicana Field, which is a drastic switch from the year that they went to the World Series when they were just mutilating teams on their home turf. Tampa Bay is for real, but this money making opportunity might be gone by now, as it seems as though the books have figured it out, making it hefty favorites, particularly at home.

4: New York Yankees (+$650) – It’s amazing that the Evil Empire seems to find a way to make money every single season for MLB betting fans, and this year will probably be no exception. At 18-8 through 26 games, the Bronx Bombers are on fire, and if they keep up their 9-2 start at Yankee Stadium, it’s going to be very difficult to line their games this year.

5: St. Louis Cardinals (+$595) – Manager Tony LaRussa’s team already has its playoff travel plans booked, as it is five games in front of Cincinnati and Chicago in the NL Central standings. However, that doesn’t mean that this will be a money making team on a regular basis this year. The Cards are frequently overrated by the oddsmakers, and the reason that they are in such great shape right now is thanks to a 10-3 home record.

6: Minnesota Twins (+$585) – The Twins have been the model of consistency this year for MLB betting fans, as they are +$315 in their new home, Target Field and +$270 on the road. Considering just how weak the rest of the AL Central is, there’s no reason to think that Minnesota won’t continue to rack in the bucks for its bettors, especially if that pitching staff can keep it together without a legitimate #1 ace to turn to.

7: Toronto Blue Jays (+$355) – Don’t fall into this trap! The Jays are consistently a hot team until the calendar turns to May, where they inevitably will fall off the face of the earth once again this year. Toronto just doesn’t have the talent to stick around with the rest of the teams in the division over 162 games, and what will probably end up happening is that the oddsmakers will start to believe in the Jays just in time for their annual swoon.

8: San Francisco Giants (+$350) – It’s amazing that the Giants continue to make money, especially considering the fact that RHP Tim Lincecum’s starts almost always have -250 price tags attached to them at home. Even yesterday on the road against a competent Florida team, the G-Men were laying -175. Lincecum didn’t pitch well enough to warrant those odds, but San Fran survived. Buy with caution.

9: Detroit Tigers (+$330) – The Tigers have sort of flown under the radar this season, and the oddsmakers may not totally be on to the them just yet. It feels like every season, Manager Jim Leyland has these boys competing at the highest level, and as long as they are viewed as nothing more than an average team, they’ll continue to make money for us.

10: New York Mets (+$220) – Except for when LHP Johan Santana is on the mound, it feels like the Mets are underdogs every time that they take the field. That’s a great sign for MLB betting aficionados though, as New York has proven to be a decent club, even without OF Carlos Beltran in the lineup. If the center fielder comes back healthy and ready to go, the boys from the Big Apple could be a very dangerous money making team until the books start to figure them out.

Within the National League Central, no team made a single impact move that will catapult a team into the World Series. But, the Cubs continue to have the best team in the division on paper, but as we have seen in past years, on paper means very little.

In Mesa Arizona, the Chicago Cubs are trying to figure out what went wrong in October of 2008. The Cubs flamed out in three straight games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chicago did not make any major additions to improve the team, but they did not have to in order to win the NL Central. The Cubs were close on acquiring Jake Peavy from San Diego, but were not able to pull the trigger. The Cubs did pick-up Milton Bradley to help in the outfield, and they also re-signed Ryan Dempster to assist in the starting rotation. Chicago’s bullpen took a hit when they elected not to re-sign Kerry Wood, instead picking up Kevin Gregg, who appears to be the set-up man for new closer Carlos Marmol. Chicago also let Mark DeRosa go to a trade, which may hinder the Cubs versatility. The starting rotation of Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster and Ted Lilly Chicago should have a rotation that can match anyone in baseball. Harden appears to be the starting pitcher every seven days to give his arm a rest. The question for Chicago is who can fill in as the fifth pitcher, and also the health of Harden, who has had arm problems year after year. With the addition of Kevin Gregg, along with Chad Gaudin, the Cubs bullpen should be solid in the back end, but will Marmol be ready to fill the role as the closer for the Cubs? Offensively, Bradley should help an already powerful lineup with Alfonso Soriano, Derrick Lee and Aramis Ramirez in the mix. Centerfield will be a rotation of Kosuke Fukudome and Reed Johnson. Fukudome sort of lost some love with the Chicago fans after a dismal second half of the season.

In Sarasota Florida the Cincinnati Reds have high hopes for a 2009 season. A year after finishing 74-88 for fifth place in the NL Central the Reds have gotten younger and healthier. General Manager Walt Jocketty elected not to re-sign Adam Dunn or Ken Griffey Jr., instead adding Willy Tavaras and Ramon Hernandez to the mix. Cincinnati will definitely be counting on young talent, as opposed to aging veterans. The left field position is the most challenging position in Sarasota, as it appears to be a battle between Jerry Hairston Jr., Chris Dickerson, Jonny Gomes and newcomer Jacque Jones. Hairston spent his 2008 season playing in 80 games, hitting a career high .326. Dickerson played in just 31 games as a rookie, hitting .304 with 6 homeruns, and Gomes comes over from Tampa Bay with good talent, but questionable defense. Jones has been around, and is spending another season in a different uniform. Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips should anchor the offensive load, but pitching is where the major question marks lie. Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto, along with Homer Bailey have an abundance of talent, but consistency has yet to be seen. Bailey spent last season up and down, and while with the big club, he went 0-6 with a 7.93 era. Volquez came up with a CY Young type season in 2008 starting 32 games and picking up a 17-6 record and a 3.21 era. Cueto struggling during 2008 starting 31 games, winning 9 and losing 14. Cueto’s era ballooned up to 5+ at one point in the season, finally settling at 4.81 on the season. Aaron Harang had a horrid 2008 season going 6-17 with a 4.78 era. His season snapped a string of four straight year of winning 10+ games. One guy to look out for is youngster Yonder Alonso. Alonso was the 7th pick in the 2008 draft. He has big time power, but with Joey Votto manning first base, Cincinnati may have to do some creative thinking.

When your top free agent signing is a 36-year-old pitcher that has made just 13 starts in three seasons, things are not promising. Mike Hampton will join the Houston Astros pitching staff that will once again be anchored by Roy Oswalt. The rest of the staff is very questionable, with Wandy Rodriguez, Brandon Backe and Brian Moehler looking to find consistency. If one falters, look for Bud Norris to get a look with the big team. Norris has a fastball upwards of 97mph and had scouts drooling in the Arizona Fall League The Astros come into the season after finishing in third place in 2008 with an 86-75 record, due in large part to Oswalt and Lance Berkman. Berkman will once again man first base for the Astros. In 2008 Berkman hit .312 with 29 homeruns and 106 knocked in. Brad Ausmus has left the team after several years, and the spring training battle is at the catchers’ position. Houston has Jason Castro waiting in the wings, but until then guys like Humberto Quintero, J.R. Towles and Toby Hall all will fight for playing time.

A year after the Milwaukee Brewers reached the playoffs, they come into their spring training home in Phoenix Arizona with a bevy of questions for the 2009 season. After losing both CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets to free agency, the Brewers are going to search hard for quality starting pitching. The Brewers signed Braden Looper to go along with Yovani Gallardo, Manny Parra and Chris Capuano. Looper looks to be an innings eater for a young staff. Gallardo hopes this is the year he turns his electric stuff into a staff ace. Gallardo missed most of the 2008 season with an injury, as did left-hander Chris Capuano. The Brewers recently released set-up man Eric Gagne to go rehab a shoulder that has been bothering him for sometime. Milwaukee will need some help from the bullpen in order to compete at the level they did in 2008. To close games for Milwaukee will be 41-year-old Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman posted his worst ERA since 1995 in 2008 with a 3.77. Offensively, the Brewers should have enough to compete. With Ryan Braun turning himself into a mega star, along with big man Prince Fielder manager Ken Macha will have an enjoyable time putting the pieces together in the lineup. Bill Hall struggled at the plate last year, but will seemingly improve upon his .225 average. If he is not able to get the job done, veteran Mike Lamb and youngsters Matt Gamel and Casey McGehee will get a definite look. At shortstop J.J Hardy should be the every day starter, but if he is not able to produce look for Alcides Escobar to his shot. Regarded as a top defensive player in the minor league, Escobar also hit .328 in Double A last season.

In Bradenton Florida, the Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to end a 16-year streak in which the team finished below .500. This season looks to continue that streak unless some of the young talent they have attempted to stockpile can come through. After trading Jason Bay away in 2008 Pittsburgh finished the season 17-37 to finish 67-95. The Pirates did very little in the way of free agency in 2009, as they signed Ramon Vazquez and Eric Hinske. Hinske is coming off his best season in the major leagues since he won Rookie of the Year in 2002. Adam and Andy LaRoche will anchor the offense along with Nate McLouth. The question with the LaRoche brothers is, can they put two halves together? Adam LaRoche hit .304 in the second half of the season after putting up horrid numbers in the first half in 2008. His brother Andy, who will man third base, has not quite lived up to the hype that made him the Dodgers top prospect a few years ago. Pittsburgh relies heavily on the LaRoche brothers, so the sooner they can provide solid offense, the better. Gold Glover Nate McLouth may be on his way to moving to left field to make room for a power hitting prospect in Andrew McCutchen. The 22 year old spent last season in AAA Indianapolis and appears to have all the tools for a major league outfielder. It will be tough to remove McLouth from the lineup anytime soon, as his 2008 season was solid hitting .276 and banging 26 homeruns. He also hit for 46 doubles, leading the team. Manager John Russell is scratching his head with the starting rotation in place, but hopefully for Pittsburgh new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan can calm some of the youngsters on the staff down, and turn them into winners.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, three years removed from their tenth World Series Championship, the team appears to be stuck in a period of transition. With general manager John Mozeliak in his second year on the job, he has done a nice job of developing the farm system, but has yet to produce a championship caliber team at the professional level. The Cardinals drew over 3.4 million fans and they have the NL MVP, but as a whole, fall just short of playoff contention. At 86-76 last season, the Cardinals may have upgraded at shortstop, signing Khalil Greene, and letting Adam Kennedy go. Greene hit just .213 last season, but appears to be a better hit than that, and has more pop than Kennedy. Troy Glaus is going to miss the first two months of the season, so who will fill in at third base, and support Albert Pujols in the lineup is the big question. As the Cardinals train in Jupiter Florida they are keeping a keen eye on the 2005 CY Young award winner Chris Carpenter. He claims he is feeling great, and others are saying he is pitching well. Dave Duncan the Cardinals pitching coach has done miracle work with aging players before; he will be looked heavily upon to work Carpenter back into form. With Carpenter healthy, and adding in Adam Wainwright the Cardinals could have a 1-2 punch that very few could match in the national league. After those two the Cardinals rotation could get choppy, with Kyle Lohse seemingly grabbing the #3 position. Colby Rasmus, a five-tool stud appears to be heading to the big leagues this season. Rasmus has been the “can’t miss prospect” for St. Louis the past couple of years, but was sidelined by a knee injury last June. Many call him the National League’s version of Grady Sizemore. Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick should man the outfield for St. Louis. Ludwick had a dream season in 2008, one that made him an All Star, and Ankiel found his power stroke. Skip Schumacher appears to be heading to second base, a position he grew up playing but has not played professionally. Out of the bullpen young fireballers Chris Perez and Jason Motte will be added with guys like free agent signees Dennys Reyes and Trever Miller, along with Ryan Franklin and Josh Kinney. The closer position appears to be a closer-by-committee role, but if Perez can prove consistency, he looks to be the best option.