The sports betting surrounding the 2010 World Series is heating up, and along with getting ready for college football betting , the World Series is dominating the sports discussion in Las Vegas.
Preseason MLB predictions always get altered after the All-Star break.
Now that the Mid-Summer Classic is over it is time to take a look at who has positioned themselves to contend for the World Series, and who did not live up to expectations.
When you are betting on NFL games, you look for that edge a team has to help them beat the other team.
This season, the Philadelphia Phillies looked to have that edge with Ryan Howard at the plate and Roy Halladay on the mound. The Phillies started the season with +1000 odds to win the World Series, but their performance this season has dropped them to +1200.
The Phillies are currently in third place in the NL East at seven games behind first place Atlanta. The Phillies have the pitching to win, but they simply lack the power at the plate to contend.
The Los Angeles Dodgers had high hopes for this season as well. After the season the team had last year, it was felt that the changes the team made were enough to put them in a position to win the NL West pennant.
The Dodgers started the season at +1200 odds to win the World Series, and they have stayed there. The Dodgers will probably not make the playoffs this season.
The biggest surprise in the AL is in the West with the Texas Rangers. The Angels were supposed to dominate the AL West, but the Rangers hold a five game lead over them.
With the Rangers adding Cliff Lee to the starting rotation, it is doubtful that the Rangers will give that lead up.
The Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds continue to be the talk of baseball.
The Braves are leading the NL East, and the Reds are in a dogfight with the Cardinals for first place in the NL Central. The rest of the NL Central has fallen away leaving the Reds and the Cardinals to decide the pennant.
After the wild card rounds are done, it looks like there will be a New York Yankees-Texas Rangers AL Championship Series, and a St. Louis Cardinals-Atlanta Braves NL Championship Series. The MLB betting on either series will be interesting.
The Braves are a good baseball team, but they are a young team. While it is extremely probable that the Braves will make it to the NLCS, it is doubtful they will win it.
But that does not mean that the Braves should hang their heads. Atlanta will be playing playoff baseball for a while with the team they have, and they will have more than one shot at winning it all.
The Yankees became a little concerned the other night watching Paul Hughes take a line drive off the leg, and then watching Hughes get roughed up for a lopsided loss. But this is still the best team in baseball.
If the Rangers can keep Cliff Lee and add some hitting power to their roster, then they could replace the Red Sox as the Yankees’ nemesis for the next few years. But this won’t be the year.
A Yankees-Cardinals World Series would be interesting. The last time each of these teams played in a World Series, they won.
But they have not played each other in a World Series in a long time. The Cardinals have a great bullpen, but the Yankees have a better starting rotation.
Both teams can hit the ball, and both teams can score runs. But the Yankees are just too good to deny them the repeat.
Pick: New York Yankees in 6 games
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