Posted on
5/25/2007 2:06:17 PM
MLB Betting - Red Sox Lead AL Odds
By Hunter Kesey
Are the New York Yankees finished? Well, as much as most of us would like that to be true, the Bronx Bombers probably still have a winning streak or two left in them this season. However, Derek Jeter and company currently find themselves in a hole in the American League East standings, and are no longer favorites to win that division.
That honor, of course, goes to the Boston Red Sox, who head into play on Friday night with a 9.5-game lead on their historic rival in the division. The BoSox currently have the best record in the American League at 31-15, and they’ll be looking to pad that mark this weekend when they take on the lowly Texas Rangers.
The oddsmakers at BetUS.com have the BoSox listed as -800 faves to win the AL East. Here are the odds:
Odds to Win American League East
Boston Red Sox -800
New York Yankees +200
Toronto Blue Jays +2500
Baltimore Orioles +4000
Tampa Bay Devil Rays +15000
The return of Roger Clemens could provide a big boost to the Yankees, so they’re still listed with respectable +200 division odds despite a record of just 21-24 heading into play on Friday night (with the first game of a series against the Los Angeles Angels). The Blue Jays were supposed to be contenders, but injuries have derailed their season. The Orioles don’t look much improved from years past, and the D-Rays are the D-Rays.
Over in the American League Central, the BetUS.com oddsmakers have the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers as division co-favorites at +120 odds. Those two teams are currently jockeying for first place in the AL Central, and they’ll continue that battle head-to-head on the weekend when they begin a series in Michigan. Here are the odds:
Odds To Win American League Central
Cleveland Indians +120
Detroit Tigers +120
Chicago White Sox +450
Minnesota Twins +450
Kansas City Royals +10000
As you can see the White Sox and the Twins are farther back right now at +450 title odds, with both of those teams currently hovering around the .500 mark in the standings. Still, both Chicago and Minnesota are expected to challenge for top spot at some point this season. The Royals are expected to challenge for MLB’s worst record.
Finally, the Los Angeles Angels have had a nice start to the 2007 season (Thursday’s drubbing notwithstanding), and the BetUS.com oddsmakers have them pegged as the -300 favorite to win the American League West division right now. Their main challenger for the top spot, as always, is expected to be the Oakland Athletics. Here are the odds:
Odds to Win American League West
Anaheim Angels -300
Oakland Athletics +275
Seattle Mariners +600
Texas Rangers +1200
The Mariners have actually been hanging around the .500 mark over the first two months of the season, and, at +600, the oddsmakers haven’t completely discounted their chances of winning the division. The Rangers, though, have been pretty terrible in 2007, and they will need to put up a bunch of wins over the next month just to be respectable.
The Red Sox are also currently favored to win the American League Pennant this season; the oddsmakers have them at +140 on that list. The Yankees, thanks to the Wild Card, are actually second on the list at +300 odds, with the Indians (+350), Tigers (+400), and Angels (+450) the next-best contenders right now. Here are all of the odds:
Odds to Win American League Pennant
Boston Red Sox +140
New York Yankees +300
Cleveland Indians +350
Detroit Tigers +400
Los Angeles Angels +450
Chicago White Sox +1200
Minnesota Twins +1200
Oakland Athletics +1500
Seattle Mariners +4000
Toronto Blue Jays +4000
Baltimore Orioles +4500
Texas Rangers +5000
Tampa Bay Devil Rays +15000
Kansas City Royals +25000
Looking to bet on an underdog in the early going? The White Sox, Twins, and Athletics are all recent playoff teams who haven’t started 2007 that well; watch those three over the next month, and see if one of them seems primed for a late-season playoff surge.
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