MLB Baseball Betting - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Manager: Mike Scioscia (ninth season).

2007: 94-68, first place AL West

Training: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Home Park: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA., Cap. 45,113, Grass, Opened, April 19, 1966

World Series Titles: (1) 2002

Acquisitions: RHP Henry Bonilla, OF Dee Brown, RHP Jon Garland, OF Chad Hermansen, CF Torii Hunter.

Departures: SS Orlando Cabrera, RHP Hector Carrasco, RHP Bartolo Colon, INF Dallas McPherson, RHP Chris Resop.

Outlook: The Los Angeles Angels will once again put one of the best offenses on the field in all of baseball in 2008, but will go into the regular season with four starting outfielders and only three spots for them after acquiring new centerfielder Torii Hunter just one season after giving former starter Gary Matthews a lucrative contract.

In addition to the aforementioned two outfielders, both fine defensive players and hitters, leadoff man Chone Figgins is a problem-causer for opposing pitchers and right fielder Vladimir Guerrero is arguably the best hitter in the game.

Young first baseman Casey Kotchman bounced back nicely last season, hitting .296 in 137 games after missing nearly all of 2006 while the Angels think they have a future MVP-caliber payer in second baseman Howie Kendrick who hit .322 last season in 88 games last season.

The major questions for the Angels are a catcher and shortstop where Mike Napoli is scheduled to start behind the plate despite hitting just .247 last season in 75 games and young Erik Aybar hit just .237 in 79 games. The loss of Gold Glove winning shortstop Orlando Cabrera will undeniably hurt this club.

Staff ace John Lackey led the American League with a 3.01 ERA and finished third in the Cy Young voting last season, but will miss the start of the regular season with tendonitis in his right biceps tendon.

Veterans Jered Weaver, (13-7, 3.91 ERA), and Jon Garland, (10-13, 4.23 ERA), will lead the rotation until Lackey comes back with Joe Saunders, (8-5, 4.44 ERA), Ervin Santana, (7-14, 5.76 ERA), and Dustin Mosely, (4-3, 4.40 ERA) following.

Despite having one of the best closers in all of baseball in Francisco Rodriguez, (40 saves in 46 chances), Justin Speier, Darren Oliver, Rich Thompson and Jason Bulger fill out the Angels’ bullpen.

Despite their lack of quality pitching, the Angels will contend for the AL West title in 2008 and possibly more.

The Angels began the season listed at +1000 to win the 2008 World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook. Check out all the latest MLB odds in the BetUS Sportsbook futures section.

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Official Website: www.angelsbaseball.com