Pennant races winding down for MLB betting
There will be no magical final season for Yankee Stadium as the MLB cathedral closed Sunday night with a 7-3 win for New York over the Baltimore Orioles. Now the attention turns to the last few playoff slots still available in the majors. The White Sox can close out the AL Central title with a series win this week at the Twins while the Mets and Phillies take the NL East to the wire.
Most of the MLB playoff slots are already spoken for, with just three of the eight spots left to iron out. The AL still has the Central division to decide, with the NL East and Wild Card slots still up for grabs in the Senior Circuit.
The Angels basically wrapped up the West back in April and avoiding some skunk job this week, they’ll have the home field advantage throughout the postseason as long as they keep winning. The Rays are without a doubt the least likely team you’ll see in this postseason, and they still have the edge to take their first ever AL East title with a game-&-a-half lead over Boston in the division.
After 10-straight 90+ loss seasons, Tampa Bay is enjoying a 90+ win season in 2008, and manager Joe Maddon and his club deserve every accolade thrown at them from here on out. It’s a pity that not too many fans in Tampa-St. Pete seem to know they even have a team, much less have a darned good one. It will be interesting to see if they indeed fill up The Trop for these games, and how the club handles playing front of a boisterous, pro-Rays crowd if they do.
The Red Sox are guaranteed to be in the postseason and have a shot to defend their 2007 championship. Amazing turnaround for a franchise that was snake bit for so long and will now vie for their third World Series in five seasons. I’m giving Terry Francona his due this year with some of the injuries and distractions they had on this club nothing short of the same distractions and injuries that Billy Martin and Joe Torre went through with the Yankees when they each won pennants and Series crowns.
Oh yeah, speaking of the Yankees, they’re kaput. It’s something you will hear Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and every other talking head go on ad nauseum this October, so feel free to get some practice in on pressing the MUTE button on your remote now. Yankee haters are, of course, both numerous and beside themselves with the fact New York will not play on after an AL record 13-straight seasons in the playoffs. Can’t say I blame them too much since most of us don’t like to see any one person or team have a stranglehold on a sport. But at the same time I hope some of the Yankee haters choke on their hatred.
So that just leaves the AL Central where Ozzie Guillen’s Pale Hose take a 2½-game lead over the Minnesota Twins into the final week of play. And this should provide the MLB with some very good drama leading into the playoffs since the two teams open a 3-game set in the Twin Cities on Tuesday night. Minnesota is -140 favorites at The Greek in the series, and they'll need to follow through on that chalk if not sweep the three-game set to have a shot this year.
Javier Vazques, Mark Buehrle and Gavin Floyd currently fill out Guillen's rotation for the series while Ron Gardenhire counters with Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey. Let’s see if Bud Selig and the networks are smart enough to feed that series to the public Tue-Thu.
The White Sox will close out at home in Chicago next weekend against the Indians while the Twins host the Kansas City Royals. And keep in mind that Chicago has a possible rainout from a weekend ago to make up at Comiskey Jr. on Monday, Sep 29, against the Tigers.
Technically the only thing certain about the NL is the Chicago Cubs are in. In my lifetime I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve heard the terms ‘NL postseason certainty’ and ‘the Chicago Cubs’ in the same sentence. I’ve disliked this team since one of their welshing fans weasled on a 5-cent bet back in 1962, but this year I gotta’ say, they have a feel of destiny to them.
The Dodgers should have the West well in hand; with a 3½-game lead entering the final week, I’m pretty sure that Manny being Manny can’t even fudge this up. The irony here is that Joe Torre appears headed for his 13th consecutive postseason while his former squad in the Bronx just has the new stadium to look forward to in after this next Sunday.
The NL East present finds the Phillies up by a game-&-a-half over the Mets. With New York owning a game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card chase and Houston four back and out of it. Philadelphia will have the luxury of playing six the final week at home vs. the Braves and Nationals.
The Mets meanwhile will also be at home bidding their beloved Shea adieu but without the luxury of a day off this week. First up is a 4-game series with the Cubs, and that series has strange written all over it. You’ve got to think that Lou will rest some position starters this week, at least pull them early from games. He’ll also go to the pen earlier, and could shake up his rotation by squeezing in a start for someone else this week in order to set things up for how he wants it next week in the NLDS.
Jonathan Niese, Johan Santana, Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez are in line to start the four games for New York. Jason Marquis, Rich Harden, Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly are listed for Chicago, though that could change. The Mets are -150 favorites in the week's opening series with the Cubs +130. New York will close Shea against the Marlins next weekend.
Milwaukee is going to have to bully their way in, either that or count on a Phillies or Mets collapse. The Brewers also have will be at home with 3-game sets against the Pirates and the Cubs. So there’s another angle for MLB and the networks to cover this week as they are set up to showcase the Cubs, Mets and Bud’s old team.
In fact, the Brewers remain the only team that can muck up the TV works for the most part this postseason. With the Cubs, Dodgers, Phils and probably the Mets in the NL, you have four big markets and all sort of angles to deal. The Rays are a fly in the ointment for Madison Ave, but not as bad a choice as Milwaukee, I’m guessing. No more Houston a la 2005 or the Rockies last season to gum things up for FOX, ESPN, TBS and a few other mediot acronyms.
Right now, I’m thinking the No. 1 choice for FOX as far as the World Series goes is the Dodgers vs. the Red Sox. Torre against Francona. Manny being Manny back in Boston for at least a couple of games. Yankees fans will watch that one too just to root against Boston, so that’s another plus in the factor. Mets fans will watch to root against everyone. Cubs fans will watch. Like usual.
Speaking of Chicago’s North Siders, the Cubs vs. the Red Sox would be the second preference, I’m guessing again. I’m also assuming FOX would prefer both the Twins and Brewers go oh-for this week.
Back to the Futures
Love to play futures, the rec player that I really am. So I constantly find myself checking back on some season odds, whether I played ‘em right or wrong. I have a shot at finishing just above even-money for my futures, but the Angels and Mets will have to me in the World Series for that to happen. Otherwise I’ll be in the red.
But in case you are one of the fortunate few who has some future on the Tampa Bay Rays, you have to start thinking about bringing even more money home. If was on the O/U at about 73 wins, you’ve already cashed, congratulations, proceed to go and collect your winnings. If you had them around 28:1 in the AL East, 54:1 in the AL and up there in the 80-to-90:1 as World Series champs, a week from now you need to start throwing down some insurance and playing against them in the ALDS, especially if they’re playing the Twins or White Sox.
Assuming the Cinder-Ray-las close out as AL East champs, they’ll draw the ALC champ while the Red Sox go out to open against the Angels in what most will think is really the ALCS. Could be some softer lines in the Tampa series against Chicago with more public on the ChiSox. If the Rays meet the Twins, John Q. won’t even sniff that series except for somebody that is just waking up to the Rays having a good team this season.
The Angels, Red Sox and the Mets provide the smallest hedging opportunities at this point. L.A. was a -200 or more favorite to win their division, and around 5:1 or 6:1 to take the AL Flag with 11:1 a price in mid-April to win their second World Series.
In late-March, the Greek had Boston on heavy chalk at -125 to win their division, around 3:1 win the AL flag and less than 5:1 to win their second straight World Series. If you bought into the Mets very, very early, you got a better deal though not by much. This past April, the Amazin’s were -220 in the NL East, less than 3: 1 to take the NL Pennant and 7:1 or less to win it all.
There will be no magical final season for Yankee Stadium as the MLB cathedral closed Sunday night with a 7-3 win for New York over the Baltimore Orioles. Now the attention turns to the last few playoff slots still available in the majors. The White Sox can close out the AL Central title with a series win this week at the Twins while the Mets and Phillies take the NL East to the wire.
Most of the MLB playoff slots are already spoken for, with just three of the eight spots left to iron out. The AL still has the Central division to decide, with the NL East and Wild Card slots still up for grabs in the Senior Circuit.
The Angels basically wrapped up the West back in April and avoiding some skunk job this week, they’ll have the home field advantage throughout the postseason as long as they keep winning. The Rays are without a doubt the least likely team you’ll see in this postseason, and they still have the edge to take their first ever AL East title with a game-&-a-half lead over Boston in the division.
After 10-straight 90+ loss seasons, Tampa Bay is enjoying a 90+ win season in 2008, and manager Joe Maddon and his club deserve every accolade thrown at them from here on out. It’s a pity that not too many fans in Tampa-St. Pete seem to know they even have a team, much less have a darned good one. It will be interesting to see if they indeed fill up The Trop for these games, and how the club handles playing front of a boisterous, pro-Rays crowd if they do.
The Red Sox are guaranteed to be in the postseason and have a shot to defend their 2007 championship. Amazing turnaround for a franchise that was snake bit for so long and will now vie for their third World Series in five seasons. I’m giving Terry Francona his due this year with some of the injuries and distractions they had on this club nothing short of the same distractions and injuries that Billy Martin and Joe Torre went through with the Yankees when they each won pennants and Series crowns.
Oh yeah, speaking of the Yankees, they’re kaput. It’s something you will hear Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and every other talking head go on ad nauseum this October, so feel free to get some practice in on pressing the MUTE button on your remote now. Yankee haters are, of course, both numerous and beside themselves with the fact New York will not play on after an AL record 13-straight seasons in the playoffs. Can’t say I blame them too much since most of us don’t like to see any one person or team have a stranglehold on a sport. But at the same time I hope some of the Yankee haters choke on their hatred.
So that just leaves the AL Central where Ozzie Guillen’s Pale Hose take a 2½-game lead over the Minnesota Twins into the final week of play. And this should provide the MLB with some very good drama leading into the playoffs since the two teams open a 3-game set in the Twin Cities on Tuesday night. Minnesota is -140 favorites at The Greek in the series, and they'll need to follow through on that chalk if not sweep the three-game set to have a shot this year.
Javier Vazques, Mark Buehrle and Gavin Floyd currently fill out Guillen's rotation for the series while Ron Gardenhire counters with Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey. Let’s see if Bud Selig and the networks are smart enough to feed that series to the public Tue-Thu.
The White Sox will close out at home in Chicago next weekend against the Indians while the Twins host the Kansas City Royals. And keep in mind that Chicago has a possible rainout from a weekend ago to make up at Comiskey Jr. on Monday, Sep 29, against the Tigers.
Technically the only thing certain about the NL is the Chicago Cubs are in. In my lifetime I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve heard the terms ‘NL postseason certainty’ and ‘the Chicago Cubs’ in the same sentence. I’ve disliked this team since one of their welshing fans weasled on a 5-cent bet back in 1962, but this year I gotta’ say, they have a feel of destiny to them.
The Dodgers should have the West well in hand; with a 3½-game lead entering the final week, I’m pretty sure that Manny being Manny can’t even fudge this up. The irony here is that Joe Torre appears headed for his 13th consecutive postseason while his former squad in the Bronx just has the new stadium to look forward to in after this next Sunday.
The NL East present finds the Phillies up by a game-&-a-half over the Mets. With New York owning a game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card chase and Houston four back and out of it. Philadelphia will have the luxury of playing six the final week at home vs. the Braves and Nationals.
The Mets meanwhile will also be at home bidding their beloved Shea adieu but without the luxury of a day off this week. First up is a 4-game series with the Cubs, and that series has strange written all over it. You’ve got to think that Lou will rest some position starters this week, at least pull them early from games. He’ll also go to the pen earlier, and could shake up his rotation by squeezing in a start for someone else this week in order to set things up for how he wants it next week in the NLDS.
Jonathan Niese, Johan Santana, Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez are in line to start the four games for New York. Jason Marquis, Rich Harden, Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly are listed for Chicago, though that could change. The Mets are -150 favorites in the week's opening series with the Cubs +130. New York will close Shea against the Marlins next weekend.
Milwaukee is going to have to bully their way in, either that or count on a Phillies or Mets collapse. The Brewers also have will be at home with 3-game sets against the Pirates and the Cubs. So there’s another angle for MLB and the networks to cover this week as they are set up to showcase the Cubs, Mets and Bud’s old team.
In fact, the Brewers remain the only team that can muck up the TV works for the most part this postseason. With the Cubs, Dodgers, Phils and probably the Mets in the NL, you have four big markets and all sort of angles to deal. The Rays are a fly in the ointment for Madison Ave, but not as bad a choice as Milwaukee, I’m guessing. No more Houston a la 2005 or the Rockies last season to gum things up for FOX, ESPN, TBS and a few other mediot acronyms.
Right now, I’m thinking the No. 1 choice for FOX as far as the World Series goes is the Dodgers vs. the Red Sox. Torre against Francona. Manny being Manny back in Boston for at least a couple of games. Yankees fans will watch that one too just to root against Boston, so that’s another plus in the factor. Mets fans will watch to root against everyone. Cubs fans will watch. Like usual.
Speaking of Chicago’s North Siders, the Cubs vs. the Red Sox would be the second preference, I’m guessing again. I’m also assuming FOX would prefer both the Twins and Brewers go oh-for this week.
Back to the Futures
Love to play futures, the rec player that I really am. So I constantly find myself checking back on some season odds, whether I played ‘em right or wrong. I have a shot at finishing just above even-money for my futures, but the Angels and Mets will have to me in the World Series for that to happen. Otherwise I’ll be in the red.
But in case you are one of the fortunate few who has some future on the Tampa Bay Rays, you have to start thinking about bringing even more money home. If was on the O/U at about 73 wins, you’ve already cashed, congratulations, proceed to go and collect your winnings. If you had them around 28:1 in the AL East, 54:1 in the AL and up there in the 80-to-90:1 as World Series champs, a week from now you need to start throwing down some insurance and playing against them in the ALDS, especially if they’re playing the Twins or White Sox.
Assuming the Cinder-Ray-las close out as AL East champs, they’ll draw the ALC champ while the Red Sox go out to open against the Angels in what most will think is really the ALCS. Could be some softer lines in the Tampa series against Chicago with more public on the ChiSox. If the Rays meet the Twins, John Q. won’t even sniff that series except for somebody that is just waking up to the Rays having a good team this season.
The Angels, Red Sox and the Mets provide the smallest hedging opportunities at this point. L.A. was a -200 or more favorite to win their division, and around 5:1 or 6:1 to take the AL Flag with 11:1 a price in mid-April to win their second World Series.
In late-March, the Greek had Boston on heavy chalk at -125 to win their division, around 3:1 win the AL flag and less than 5:1 to win their second straight World Series. If you bought into the Mets very, very early, you got a better deal though not by much. This past April, the Amazin’s were -220 in the NL East, less than 3: 1 to take the NL Pennant and 7:1 or less to win it all.