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At The Bottom of This Article is The Full List of Odds For The 2009 US Open

The U.S Open will return to Bethpage Black Golf Course in New York this year as the top golfers in the world take center stage in the tour’s 2nd major of the season. The U.S Open has historically always been the toughest major for scoring amongst competitors. The PGA Tour made their stop at Bethpage Black back in 2002 and the course was extremely difficult for the world’s top golfers. Tiger Woods prevailed over Phil Mickelson by shooting a 72 hole 277 which equaled 3 under par. Woods was actually the only player to finish in red figures on the tough par 70 course. Phil Mickelson ended up at even par for the 4 round contest, but the rest of the field was well above par in scoring. The PGA Tour returns this year to a slightly different looking Bethpage Black. The course went through renovations and redesigns since the last time they hosted the U.S Open. The course is now even longer ranging at 7,496 yards making it one of the longest U.S Open’s in history. Bethpage Black will also host the longest Par 4 in history this year as number 7 will play an enormous 525 yards. The course has also undergone physical changes with restoration of nearly all greenside bunkers and reshaped greens. Despite all the changes in the course and difficulties these players will face; the true question is who will be able to conquer Bethpage Black?

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Tiger Woods would of course be the favorite considering he won the event back in 2002, but Woods has not exactly been Tiger like since his return from knee surgery earlier this year. Tiger has not exactly been playing poorly, but he has not been as dominate like the world has grown to expect either. Woods won the 2008 U.S Open off that heroic playoff with Rocco Mediate. The world’s number 1 golfer won the event with a badly injured knee which was possibly one of his best performances of his career. Woods will be a 5/1 favorite to win the event slightly ahead of Phil Mickelson who is receiving 8/1 odds to win the event. Mickelson is coming off a disappointing performance at the Players Championship, but did have a top 5 finish in Augusta at The Masters. Mickelson along with Woods both benefit from the long golf course consider they can carry the ball a good distance. Another player that could very well emerge from the crowd and take home a major title is Padraig Harrington. Harrington come on strong last year in Wood’s absence from the sport winning two major events in the British Open and the PGA Championship. Harrington is another player that is solid on the long courses and he proved back in 2002 that he can play well at Bethpage Black when he posted an 8th place finish. Harrington’s game is far more advanced at this point in his career and he would definitely be a bet to consider.

The U.S Open has historically has been subject to falling to the unknowns among the PGA ranks. The US Open has been the event to turn determined young players into household names. Michael Campbell is a prime example. Before the 2005 U.S Open at Pinehurst, Campbell failed to make the cut in his first 5 tournaments on the season. However, Campbell broke putting together the best 4 rounds of action conquering Pine Hurst at even par which earned Campbell his first major victory and turned him into a household name overnight. In 2007, Angel Cabrera was another lesser known name to finally capture the spotlight. Cabrera had been on the tour for numerous years, but had failed to win a major championship or truly contend. However, Cabrera posted a +5 over 4 round score that also earned him his first major championship in one of the toughest U.S Open’s in history at the Oakmont Country Club. Heading into the 2009 U.S Open we would like to pick out some names that could emerge into overnight success stories. Cabrera might be another pick worth consideration at very profitable 50/1 odds. Cabrera won the Masters back in April and are amongst one of the longest hitters on Tour which will be needed at Bethpage.

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One particular name that comes to mind when trying to locate a underdog would be Paul Casey. The 31 year old British player has had a great start to 2009 winning at the Shell Houston Open back in April and has also not finished outside the top 35 in event this season. Casey finished 20th at the Masters and was runner-up at the Accenture Match-Play Championship. Casey is a 33/1 long shot to win the event and this could just be the Tournament that he finally captures his first Major Championship. Another name that could finally breakthrough could be Camilo Villegas. Villegas earned some impressive finished with two top 10 in both the U.S Open and PGA Championship in 2008 which equaled his best finishes in a Major. Villegas has not exactly played poorly over the last few weeks finishing in the top 25 in 3 of his last 4 events. Villegas is another player standing at 33/1 odds for the event, and worth consideration for the U.S Open.

Also we found an interesting Prop Bet surrounding the PGA’s number 1 ranked golfer Tiger Woods. This prop bet is gaining a lot of popularity due to Tiger’s less than terrific start and we decided to make a play on this bet as well;

Will Tiger Woods win a major this year?
Current Prop. Odds: Yes -200, No +150

There maybe some people that will take their chances against Woods, but not us. Woods proved last year in the U.S Open that he finds a way to raise his level of play in the Major Championships even if the odds were against him with a bad knee. Woods may not have the wins at this point in the season to compare with previous seasons, but he is not playing bad golf. Woods may still need time to get back to the top of his game after not swinging a club for nearly 9 months, but no way he does not find a way to win a Major Championship in 2009. Tiger has geared himself for the Major events since his arrival to the PGA Tour and we will take the -200 that Woods brings home at least one Major Title this season.

Below are the current futures odds to win the 2009 US Open for the entire field.  Check back or save the page to your favorites for updates as the odds change for the 09′ USOpen. These are the current odds are from BetUS Sportsbook.  You can also check out BetUS and you will find a variety of other props and match-up lines for the 2009 US Open.  Bet the US Open at BetUS and get a 100% Signup Bonus (up to $500) courtesy of Bankroll Sports when clicking this link.

Current odds to win the US Open From BetUS:

Current matchup odds for the US Open from BetUS Sportsbook (Get a 100% Bonus Above):

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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 5/24/2009
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 5/31/2009)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (30-14) – The Dodgers continue to hold the top spot, and the difference continues to expand. Los Angeles became the first team to win 30 games on the season Saturday against the Angels. The Dodgers continue to get solid power numbers from Casey Blake and Andre Either during the absence of Manny Ramirez. Closer Johnathan Broxton has been excellent, with a 5-0 record, and 11 saves, and just 2 blown saves on the season. The Dodgers lead the Padres by 8.5 games for the NL West lead. Los Angeles boasts the best home record in baseball, at 18-4, but have played well on the road as well, winning 12 of 22. After the Angels leave town on Sunday the Dodgers will start a seven game road trip on Monday at Colorado, and then a four game set at Wrigley Field on Thursday against the Cubs.  

2. Milwaukee Brewers (26-17) –  All the work the Brewers did to dispose of the Cardinals last week have went to waste this week, losing two straight to the Twins. With St. Louis winning five straight, the Cardinals and Brewers are once again tied atop the division. Milwaukee has a 12-7 record at home, and 14-10 when playing on the road. The Brewers have tortured fellow National League Central opponents winning 17 of 25 against them, including the three game sweep in St. Louis. Milwaukee picked up some insurance this week in the outfield, grabbing Jody Gerut from San Diego, in return for Tony Gwynn Jr. Ryan Braun continues to sparkle for Milwaukee, hitting a team best .336, and leading the team with 31 runs scored. The Brewers will complete their series with Minnesota on Sunday, and then host back to back Central foes in the Cardinals and Reds. The Cardinals will be in town Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while Cincinnati will start a three game set Friday.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (26-17) – The Cardinals have made an eight team jump from last weeks spot at #11. After getting swept at home to the Brewers, the Cardinals were able to real off a three game sweep over rival Chicago, and have won the first two against state opposition Kansas City. The starting pitching for St. Louis has done something that will be remembered for ages. All five starting pitchers picked up a win in the last five games, allowing just one earned run in 36 innings. In the Cubs series, Chicago scored just 2 runs in three games, while Kansas City has been shutout in the first 18 innings of the series. Chris Carpenter came back strong on Wednesday and went five scoreless innings. Carpenter is now 2-0 on the season, and pitched in 15 innings, not allowing an earned run. The dominance does not come as a surprise to Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan, as they saw the starters start the season 14-2, before the 1-10 string hit. The Cardinals offense still tries to get by, without outfielders Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel and third basemen Troy Glaus. The Cardinals will finish their series with Kansas City Sunday, before heading on the road for three at Milwaukee and then three at San Francisco over the weekend.

4. Detroit Tigers (24-17) – The Tigers had their seven game winning streak snapped on Saturday evening, but despite that, Detroit holds a four game lead in the American League Central. Detroit moved up four spots from # 8 last week to # 4 this week. Detroit won games with their pitching, allowing over six runs just once in the streak. Rick Porcello leads the Tigers staff with wins, winning five and losing three to start the season. Miguel Cabrera is hitting a team leading .370, with 33 runs batted in. Fernando Rodney has saved all eight opportunities he has had this year for Detroit. The Tigers will finish their three game set with Colorado on Sunday, and then face divisional foe Kansas City on the road, before heading to Baltimore for a four game weekend set.

5. Toronto Blue Jays (27-19) – The Blue Jays drop three spots from # 2 to # 5 with their recent struggles, that have seen them drop five straight games and six of their last ten. Toronto was swept by divisional foe Boston on the road, and they have dropped the first two at Atlanta. Toronto leads the American League by a slim ½ game going into Sunday’s games. The Blue Jays continue to play without catcher Michael Barrett starting pitchers Jesse Litsch and Dustin McGowan. Toronto will continue their long road trip on Monday in Baltimore, and then take Thursday off, before going back home to host the Boston Red Sox, in what they hope is revenge from the beating they took at Fenway.

6. Philadelphia Phillies (23-18) –  The defending World Series Champions have made their way up to # 6, four spots up from last weeks # 10 rankings. Philadelphia has won seven of their last ten games, despite falling on Saturday, behind a Brad Lidge blown save. The Phillies have struggled at home winning just 8 of 20 games, while they have thrived on the road, compiling a 15-6 record. Raul Ibanez has continued his torrid pace, leading the team in batting average (.350), homeruns (17), runs batted in (42) and runs scored (37). Those numbers place him in the top five in batting, the leader in homeruns and rbi’s and second in runs scored in the entire National League. For a team that has three offensive MVP type’s already, Ibanez has made the Philadelphia lineup even more potent. The Phillies have just a ½ game lead over the New York Mets in the National League East. Philadelphia will close their road series at the new Yankee Stadium on Sunday, and then make the trip back to Philadelphia to host divisional foes Florida and Washington, with an off day on Thursday.

7. Boston Red Sox (25-18) – The Red Sox have had two straight chances to over take the Toronto Blue Jays atop the American League East. Both times, the New York Mets knocked them off, to keep Boston ½ game behind Toronto. Despite sweeping Toronto in a three game series, the Red Sox have dropped from # 3 to # 7. Boston had a lead on Saturday until closer Jonathan Paplebon blew the save, and the game, and the Mets came back to win 3-2. Friday’s defeat was a 5-3 loss at the hands of Mets ace Johan Santana. American League MVP in 2008 Dustin Pedroia continues to hit, leading the team with a .327 batting average. The Red Sox will look to avoid the sweep on Sunday, and then travel to Minnesota for a four game series, followed by three north of the border in Toronto.

8. Texas Rangers (25-17) – Part of the Rangers success in 2009 has been winning games at home. Texas is 14-6 at home. The other part is beating up on divisional foes. The Rangers have won 10 of 12 against other AL West opponents. Texas has won two straight and seven of their last ten. Texas didn’t always play well this week, taking a three game sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. The Rangers lead the American League West by three games over Los Angeles, and six over Seattle. Michael Young and Ian Kinsler continue to provide offense for the potent Rangers offense. Young leads the team with a .345 batting average, while Kinsler has a team leading 32 runs batted in, and 31 runs scored. The Rangers will look to take the three game sweep at Houston on Sunday, before hosting the New York Yankees for a three game series on Monday and Oakland Athletics for three on Friday.

9. New York Yankees (25-18) – There isn’t a hotter team in baseball right now than the New York Yankees. The Yankees have won 12 of 15 games since third basemen Alex Rodriguez returned from the disabled list. Rodriguez is only hitting .200 since his return, but 7 of his 10 hits have homeruns. The Yankees have surged into a second place with the Boston Red Sox, just ½ game behind Toronto for the lead. The Yankees are 14-8 at the new stadium, and 11-10 on the road. The Yankees are still playing without their top two catchers as Jorge Posada is out with a right hamstring strain and Jose Molina has a strained right quadriceps. The Yankees will finish the three game set with Philadelphia on Sunday, and then play back to back road series’ at Texas and Cleveland, with an off day on Thursday.

10. New York Mets (23-19) – At 23-19 on the season, the New York Mets are just ½ game behind Philadelphia for the top spot in the National League East Division. The Mets have battled their share of injuries as closer Francisco Rodriguez is out for a few days, and shortstop Jose Reyes has been out a few games with an injury. The Mets are also without Carlos Delgado, Oliver Perez and Alex Cora, all on the disabled list with various injuries. The Mets offense has been lifted by Carlos Beltran, who is batting .364 with 6 homeruns, 29 runs batted in and 30 runs scored. Johan Santana leads the starting pitching staff with 6 wins, and only 3 losses. The Mets will finish their three game set at Boston, before coming back home and hosting the Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins.

11. Los Angeles Angels (22-20) – The Angels make a three team improvement from last week, jumping from # 14 to # 11. Los Angeles is three games back in the American League West, trailing the Texas Rangers. The Angels picked up a 3-1 win over the Dodgers Friday, only to fall on Saturday 5-4. The Angels will finish their three game series with the Dodgers on Sunday, and then go back home and host the Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners for three game sets.

12. Cincinnati Reds (22-20) – The young offensive sluggers for Cincinnati are learning the importance of consistency. Once this happens, Dusty Baker and his Reds will be a force to reckon with in the National League Central. Cincinnati, despite the inconsistency have stayed alive through two months in the division. Coming into Sunday’s game with the Indians, the Reds are two games over .500, and just 3.5 games back of Milwaukee and St. Louis. The Reds remain at # 12 in the power rankings. Joey Votto leads the Reds in batting, also leading the entire National League, with his .371 clip. Jay Bruce leads the team in homeruns with 12, while Brandon Phillips has knocked in 34 runs. The starting pitching staff has been anchored by veteran Bronson Arroyo, who has won six games in 2009. The Reds will finish their series against the Indians on Sunday, and then welcome the Houston Astros to town on Monday, and then get a shot against the division leading Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee over the weekend.

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13. Atlanta Braves (22-20) – Probably the most over-looked team in all of baseball is the Atlanta Braves. Quietly the Braves have crept to within 1.5 games of the lead in the National League East. With all the talk of the Phillies and Mets in the East, the Braves have hung around. Atlanta has won two straight games over the American League East leading Toronto Blue Jays, and will look to sweep the series on Sunday. Atlanta makes a three team jump from # 16 to # 13. Chipper Jones has heated up, raising his average to .316 on the season, while the power for the Braves continues to be non existent. Kelly Johnson leads the Braves in homeruns, with just four. After Toronto leaves town on Sunday, the Braves will head out west to play the Giants in a three game set, and then stop in Arizona on Thursday for a four game weekend series.

14. Tampa Bay Rays (23-22) – The defending American League Champions seem to heating up a bit, winners of three straight games and seven of ten overall. The Rays have made a five team jump from # 19 to # 14. Tampa fell in the first two games at Oakland, but picked up a win in the last game, and have won the first two over state foe Florida. Jason Bartlett continues to hit the ball around the park, batting for a team leading .376 batting average. Carlos Pena leads the team with 15 homeruns and Evan Longoria leads all of baseball with 48 runs batted in. The Rays will finish the series with Florida on Sunday, and then take to the road at Cleveland for a four game set, before hosting Minnesota over the weekend.

15. San Diego Padres (21-22) – Making the biggest jump of the week is the San Diego Padres. The Padres move up 11 spots from # 26 to # 15, winning eight straight games. All the wins for San Diego have come at home, where they are 16-6 on the season. The winning streak has help aid the Padres into second place in the National League West, but still 8.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Adrian Gonzalez continues to make a run at the All Star game, as he leads San Diego in batting average (.281), homeruns (16), runs batted in (30) and runs scored (29). Closer Heath Bell has saved 12 games, in 12 tries. The Padres will look to finish a perfect nine game home stand on Sunday against the Cubs, and then take the road to Arizona and Colorado.

16. Chicago Cubs (21-20) – The biggest loser of the week is the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have lost six straight games, and dropped from # 5 down all the way to # 16. More importantly for Chicago, they have fallen back to fourth place, four games behind Milwaukee and St. Louis. The Cubs were swept by the Cardinals during the week, only scoring two runs in three games. Since in San Diego, Chicago’s offense has not picked up, scoring just one run in two games. The Cubs got good news on Friday, but bad news as well. Chicago activated Carlos Zambrano from the disabled list, but also placed starting pitcher Rich Harden on the disabled list. Harden joins third basemen Aramis Ramirez on the list. The Cubs will look to win one game on the six game road trip on Sunday in San Diego, and then hope the friendly confines help the bats get back on track, as they will host Pittsburgh and Los Angeles for seven straight.

17. Kansas City Royals (21-22) – The Royals are searching for their bats, as they have scored just three runs in their last three games. All those runs came in the same game, a 8-3 loss to Cleveland on Thursday. Friday and Saturday have not been kind to the Royals, who have been out scored by state rival St. Louis 10-0. The Royals have dropped four spots from # 13 to # 17 with their current losing streak. Kansas City is in second place in the American League Central, four games behind first place Detroit. Zack Greinke picked up a no decision in Thursday’s loss, as his season era went up to 0.82. Greinke has won 7 of his 8 decisions in 2009.  The Royals will look to win one in St. Louis on Sunday, before heading home to host the Tigers and White Sox in back to back series’, taking Thursday off.

18. Minnesota Twins (21-23) – Despite winning three straight, the Minnesota Twins have lost six of their last ten games, and fallen three spots from # 15 to # 18. The Twins picked up a 20-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night, and followed suit on Friday with a 11-3 win over Milwaukee, and picked up another win Saturday 6-2. The Twins are 16-9 when playing at home, but a dismal 5-14 on the road. Minnesota has struggled against American League East foes, winning just 3 of 15 times against them. The Twins are in third place in the Central Division, trailing the Detroit Tigers by 4.5 games. Justin Morneau leads the Minnesota offense in batting average (.343), homeruns (12), runs batted in (36) and runs scored (35). The Twins will look to sweep the Brewers on Sunday night Baseball, before hosting the Boston Red Sox for four, and then head to Tampa Bay for a three game weekend set.

19. Seattle Mariners (20-24) – The Mariners cannot seem to find any positive consistency, as they have not won two straight since April 24^th and 25^th. The Mariners are six games behind the Texas Rangers, in third place in the American League West. Ichiro Suzuki leads the team in hitting with a .315 batting average, while big man Russell Branyan leads in homeruns with 10. Felix Hernandez leads the starting pitching staff, but has just four wins on the season. The Mariners and Giants will play the rubber game of a three game series on Sunday, and then Seattle will make trips to both Oakland and Los Angeles (Angels) this week.

20. San Francisco Giants (20-22) – If the Giants could play their entire season at home, they would have a chance to compete with the Dodgers atop the NL West. Problem is, they don’t. The road has been unkind to the Giants, who have won just 7 of 21. San Francisco dropped three spots from # 17 to # 20. Despite the win on Saturday, the Giants have won just two of their last ten games overall. After getting swept at divisional foe San Diego, the Giants fell in the first at Seattle, but bounced back on Saturday. The Giants are in third place, ½ game behind San Diego, and nine full games back of the Dodgers. The Giants, after finishing up in Seattle will head back home and look to get back on track against Atlanta and St. Louis this week.

21. Chicago White Sox (19-23) – The White Sox made their best efforts to grab Jake Peavy to join the starting rotation, but were not able to land him when Peavy declined a trade to the Windy City. The White Sox make a one team jump up from # 22 to # 21 winning four of their last five games.  The lone loss in that span was a 20-1 butt whooping at the hands of divisional foe Minnesota. The White Sox have shut out the Pirates 6-0 in the first two games of the three game series. Chicago will play Pittsburgh for the final time on Sunday, and then head west and take on the Angels Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. After an off day on Thursday, the White Sox will play at Kansas City over the weekend.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates (19-24) – Despite losing three straight games, the Pittsburgh Pirates actually moved up three spots from # 25 to # 22. Pittsburgh is seven games back in the National League Central, trailing the Brewers and Cardinals. Pittsburgh has struggled on the road, winning just 8 of 23 games. On Friday, Zach Duke pitched a complete game in just 88 pitches, but took the loss to the White Sox 2-0. Freddie Sanchez is Pittsburgh’s top hitter, batting .294 on the season. The Pirates will look to avoid the sweep Sunday at Chicago, before visiting the Cubs starting Monday, and coming home on Friday to host the Houston Astros.

23. Florida Marlins (19-25) – The Marlins continue to struggle after the red hot start. Florida falls another five spots this week from # 18 to # 23. The Marlins have lost four straight, including the final two against Arizona, and the first two against state rival Tampa Bay. The Marlins are 8-14 at home, while playing .500 (11-11) on the road this season. Florida has been beat up by Central foes, going just 2-10 against them. Florida has fallen to fourth place in the National League East, 5.5 games behind front running Philadelphia. Hanley Ramirez leads the Marlins in batting average and homeruns with a .323 clip and 8 blasts. The Marlins will look to pick up one win over the Rays on Sunday, and then head out on the road against divisional foes – Philadelphia and New York (Mets), with an off day Thursday.

24. Arizona Diamondbacks (19-24) – The Diamondbacks made a five team jump over the week. Instead of being the second worst, they have jumped to # 24. Arizona has won four straight and six of their last ten. In their recent win streak at Florida and Oakland, the Diamondbacks have outscored opponents 25-20. Felipe Lopez leads Arizona in hitting with a .323 mark, while Mark Reynolds has knocked 12 out of the park. Reliever Tony Pena leads the team in wins, with a 4-1 mark, and a robust era of 1.27. Arizona will finish their series with the Athletics on Sunday, and then head home for seven straight home games, starting with three with San Diego and finishing the weekend with the Atlanta Braves for four games.

25. Houston Astros (18-23) – The Astros fall five spots from # 20 to # 25 after their current three game losing streak.  Along with the losing streak, Houston has also lost six of their last ten games. The streak has sent the Astros to the bottom of the National League Central division standings, tied with Pittsburgh, seven games back. The Astros have struggled at home winning just 9 of 23, while playing .500 ball at home. Another down fall for the 2009 Astros is their record against National League Central foes. The Astros have went just 9-17 against the division. Hunter Pence leads the team in batting with a .351 mark, while Carlos Lee leads with 29 runs batted in. The Astros will look to avoid the three game sweep on Sunday against Texas, and then start a road trip on Monday at Cincinnati, and a weekend trip for three at Pittsburgh.

26. Baltimore Orioles (18-25) – Baltimore takes a three team tip from # 23 to # 26 with their recent struggles. Despite those struggles, the Orioles have been able to right the ship some and win two straight at Washington. Adam Jones continues to lead the offense, along side Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts. Jones leads in batting average (.362) and homeruns (9), while Markakis leads in runs batted in (36), while Roberts leads in runs scored (37) and stolen bases (10). Brian Bass, a relief pitcher leads the team in wins with 3, while closer George Sherill has saved 9 of 11 games. The Orioles will look to finish the sweep of Washington on Sunday, and then come home and host Toronto and Detroit, with the Tigers and Orioles playing four over the weekend.

27. Colorado Rockies (17-25) – The Rockies were able to stop the Detroit Tigers seven game winning streak on Saturday, topping them 4-3. Colorado remains at the # 27 position, sitting in last place in the National League West. The Rockies are a league worst 12 games behind first place in their division. The Rockies have gotten solid hitting from first basemen Todd Helton, who is hitting .343, and off season pick-up Jason Marquis has been solid, leading the team with five wins. Colorado will finish their series with the Tigers on Sunday, and then head back to the Mile High City to host the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, with an off day on Thursday.

28. Oakland Athletics (15-25 – Things have not gone as planned for the Oakland Athletics when they acquired Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies. The Athletics do not have a batter that is hitting over .300 on the season, with Kurt Suzuki leading the team with a .298 clip. Dallas Braden leads the team in wins, but has just a 3-5 record, with a 3.67 era. Oakland remains at # 28, just ahead of Cleveland. The Athletics will finish their three game set with Arizona over the weekend, and then host the Seattle Mariners for a three game set starting Monday. Oakland will take Thursday off, before traveling to Texas for  Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with Friday’s as a doubleheader.

29. Cleveland Indians (17-27) – Victor Martinez has stayed healthy through the first two months of the season, which has been a pleasant surprise for Indians fans. Unfortunately, his numbers have done very little as far as putting the Indians in the win column. Martinez is batting .391 on the season, and his driven in 30 runs. Cleveland has not capitalized, starting the season ten games under .500 and nine games back of the Detroit Tigers. Off-season pick-up Kerry Wood has saved six games for Cleveland, but has an ERA of 7.71 with 10 walks on the season. The Indians have played poor of late, and dropped five spots from # 24 to # 29. The Indians will finish their series with state rival Cincinnati on Sunday, and then host Tampa Bay on Monday for a four game series, and then welcome the Yankees in for a weekend series.

30. Washington Nationals (12-30) – The Nationals remain the worst team in Major League Baseball, and the distance between them and the next worse is growing. The Nationals are inching closer and closer to 20 games under .500, and they haven’t even played 45 on the season yet. Washington is a 11.5 games out of first place. Christian Guzman has been one of the bright spots offensively for the Nationals, hitting at a .360 clip, which ranks him fourth in the National League. Adam Dunn leads a group tied in fourth in the NL in homeruns with 12, while Ryan Zimmerman is fifth in RBI’s with 34. The Nationals will finish off their three game series with Baltimore on Sunday, and then hit the road against the top two teams in their division. On Monday  the Nationals will play at the new Citi Field in New York, and then over the weekend Washington will visit Philadelphia for three.

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The NBA lottery selection for the 2009 NBA Draft took place Tuesday night from Secaucus, New Jersey. The selection show officially molded what order the teams would select their picks for the festivities that will take place on June 25th. The Los Angeles Clippers came out smelling like a rose after landing the overall first pick in this year’s draft. The Clippers were held at 17% chance to win the overall pick and the luck just happened to fall their way. Now since we know the orders the teams will select their picks we can now break down how the NBA Draft could shape out with our own 2009 mock draft. We break down the top 10 picks and how we expect them to turn out on June 25th in New York.

1. L.A Clippers – Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)

Blake Griffin is the extreme overwhelming favorite to be taken first overall this year by the Clippers. Griffin dominated the college ranks last season like no other sophomore in recent memory. Griffin averaged 22.7 points per game for the season which led the Big 12. Griffin perhaps was even more impressive in the way he dominated the glass. The 6’10 sophomore led the nation averaging 14.4 rebounds per game. The LA Clippers will jump on the opportunity to grab Griffin who has all the expectations to be among the best in the NBA in a very short time.

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Ricky Rubio (International)

The Grizzlies major need is a guard mainly someone to handle the basketball. Ricky Rubio will likely be the selection to fill that desperation. Rubio is a gifted young 17 year old who has a ton of upside. The point guard out of El Masnou, Spain has great ball handling, strong defense, and can shoot the ball fairly well. The Grizzlies will likely bypass the opportunity to grab Hasheem Thabeet and grab Rubio to control the ball. However, not exactly sure how big of a scoring threat Rubio will develop into. He has all the makings of a solid guard, but perhaps not a great one.

3. Oklahoma City – Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut)

Oklahoma City would love to add a huge scorer to the lineup. However, they simply can not afford to lead Hasheem Thabeet slip by. The 7’3 center out of Connecticut is a beast on the defensive side of the ball. The junior averaged 4.5 blocks this season. Thabeet also averaged stout double-double type numbers with 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. The tall center may not be an immediate huge threat on the offensive side of the ball, but could become a Kevin Garnett type of defensive player and surely the scoring will develop as time passes.

4. Sacramento Kings – Jordan Hill (Arizona)

Many people think the Kings may go after a guard in this position, but there may be more need from some strength in the paint. Jordan Hill was a player who really came on strong for the Arizona Wildcats through the end of the season. The junior forward averaged 18 points on the season along with a strong 11 boards. Hill could give the Kings some depth on the inside and become an eventual playmaker on the inside. Sacramento already has a solid scorer in Kevin Martin on the outside and believes they will give up the opportunity to go after a guard.

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5. Washington Wizards – James Harden (Arizona State)

The Washington Wizards owned the worse record in the Eastern Conference this season and will get the chance to add some strength to the lineup with the 5th overall pick. The Wizards likely seek a guard preferably someone that can knock down shots in this position. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison were very effective at the forward positions this year, but they really lacked the outside scoring threat. James Harden could fill that void at the shooting guard position. Harden averaged 20 points per game this season while shooting just under 50% on the season. Harden can also shot the ball from behind the arc rather well which should make him a perfect fit for the Wizards at the number 5 selection.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Brandon Jennings (International)

Minnesota has plenty of needs on the court and could go in many different directions with their selection. However, we expect Brandon Jennings to be the most suitable expectation. Al Jefferson holds down the middle fairly strong for the Timberwolves and they may look to add an outside threat to take some pressure off Randy Foye. Brandon Jennings has great speed and a knack for getting to the basket. Jennings should become a solid player who can beat most defenders off the dribble right away.

7. Golden State Warriors – DeMar DeRozan (USC)

DeMar DeRozan does not have overpowering qualities that some of our previous selections maintain, however he is perhaps one of the most solid all around players on the board. DeRozan averaged 14 points in his freshman campaign at USC as he matured throughout the season. DeRozan knocked down 52% of his shots on the season. The big thing surround DeRozan is perhaps need a good bit of time to develop. We don’t expect the 19 year old to come in the league dominating, but expect him to be a solid starter in a year or two.

8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry (Davidson)

The New York Knicks made a lot of early season moves to try and grab some up and coming talent to the roster. The Knicks will get their chance at another up and coming star if Stephen Curry is still on the board at the number 8 selection. Curry led the nation this season with averaging a lucrative 28.6 points per game. Curry made a name for himself when he led a less than talented Davidson team to the sweet sixteen in 2008. Curry has the best shooting stroke of anyone in the 2009 class. If someone does not take a chance at him, surely New York will at the number 8 pick.

9. Toronto Raptors – Gerald Henderson (Duke)

Gerald Henderson is among the latest entries to add themselves to the 2009 NBA Draft. Henderson exploded in the second half of the season at Duke. Henderson actually tied with Kyle Singler at exactly 16.5 points per game this season to lead the Blue Devils. Henderson has molded into a Grant Hill type of star that also came out of Duke and entered the NBA. The junior has a solid shooting strong and some descent size that will probably take a small forward position. Henderson could find his way into the starting lineup in Toronto considering they have a need for scorers. However, after a big improvement in his junior season we wonder how much growing potential is left?

10. Milwaukee Bucks – DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh)

The Bucks could surprise a lot of people with this selection, but we have them taking the young sophomore talent out of Pittsburgh in DeJuan Blair. The Bucks are a team that was really beaten up against the glass last season. Andrew Bogut averaged 10.3 rebounds for Milwaukee but there many are some issues with how he will hold up in the future. DeJuan Blair is a big strong forward who can not only chance a game on the boards, but also a rather solid scorer as well. Blair has the strength to overpower defenders and make an early impact in this league. While many will have Blair going around the mid first round range, we think there could be a surprise at the number 10 pick.

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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 5/18/2009
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 5/24/2009)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (26-13) – The Dodgers remain the top team within the power rankings, despite just going 5-5 in their last ten games. The Dodgers have now been at the top of the rankings in both of the power rankings. Los Angeles had won three straight games before Saturday night’s defeat at the hands of the Florida Marlins. Los Angeles got a shot in the arm with their starting rotation when Eric Milton came back for the first two in two seasons and gave the Dodgers four innings. Leading the National League West by six games has made for a very dull time in Los Angeles. Manny Ramirez once again spicing up the locker room, apologizing to his teammates before Friday nights affair with three game series starting Monday and then welcome inter league play on Friday when the Angels come to town.

2. Toronto Blue Jays (26-14) –  Jose Bautista drove in the game winning rbi on Saturday to give Toronto their second straight win over the Chicago White Sox in a home series. The Blue Jays got the win from Robert Ray; his first ever MLB win. Toronto leads Boston by two full games in the American League East. Roy Halladay continues to shine, starting the season 7-1 with a 2.95 era and 49 strikeouts to just 7 walks on the season. The Blue Jays will start the new week with a three game series at Boston on Tuesday. Inter league play will begin Friday when Toronto heads to Atlanta.

3. Boston Red Sox (22-15) – The Boston Red Sox continue to keep pace with Toronto, just trailing the Blue Jays by two games in the American League East. Boston remains # 3 in the power rankings. The Red Sox used three homeruns in their latest win; a 5-3 decision at Seattle, to split the first two in the series. Jason Bay continues to shine in his first full season in Bean Town leading the team with 11 homeruns and 40 rbi’s. The Red Sox will finish their series with Seattle, and then head back home to host Toronto and the New York Mets in back to back series’.

4. Milwaukee Brewers (23-14) – The Milwaukee Brewers made a five team jump up from # 9 to # 4, winning eight of their last ten games. The Brewers took over first place for the first time all season Saturday afternoon, knocking off divisional foe St. Louis 1-0, in a well pitched game from starter Jeff Suppan. The Brewers hold a slim 1.5 game lead in the division, leading the Chicago Cubs. St. Louis is two games back, and the Cincinnati Reds are three games back. The Brewers Friday night game that was postponed due to rain will be played on Monday in St. Louis. Milwaukee will finish their series with the Cardinals, and then head to Houston and Minnesota, before coming back home on May 25^th to once again square off with St. Louis.

5. Chicago Cubs (21-15) – The Chicago Cubs have seemingly found their groove after a very slow start. The Cubs have won five straight, and seven of their last ten coming into Sunday’s game. The Cubs make a five team jump and move from # 10, into the top 5, at # 5. Chicago lost a four run lead in Saturday’s game, only to come back and use an Alfonso Soriano rbi single in the bottom half of the ninth inning. The Cubs will complete their series with the Astros on Sunday, before heading to St. Louis to face divisional, and long time rival Cardinals for a three game set, before heading to San Diego for the weekend.

6. Texas Rangers (23-14) – The hottest team in Major League Baseball right now is the Texas Rangers. The Rangers picked up their seventh straight win of the season with a 3-0 win over divisional foe Anaheim. The Rangers have made their way up six spots from # 12 to # 6. Despite the win, the Rangers got bad news when Center Fielder Josh Hamilton left the game after crashing into the wall. At this point, Texas in unsure how long he may miss, or if at all. The three game sweep for Texas put them up 4.5 games over Los Angeles, and six over Seattle. Michael Young is having a solid year leading the team in batting, with a .354 average, while Ian Kinsler has 11 homeruns, 31 rbi’s and 30 runs scored – all team leading. Texas will start a road trip on  Tuesday in Detroit, only to head back to the state of Texas for a date with the Astros in Houston, starting Friday.

7. New York Mets (21-15) – Lately the New York Mets have began to play like they were expected, and not like the poor beginning of the season. The Mets have remained at # 7, and continue to look impressive; winning eight of ten games. The Mets lead the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East by just one game. After falling in the final game of a three game series with the Atlanta Braves, the Mets have won the first three against the San Francisco Giants on the road at Pac Bell Park. The final game of the series is being played Sunday evening. Despite missing first base men Carlos Delgado with a hip injury, New York was able to put up 24 runs in three games on the West Coast. Carlos Beltran continue to have a MVP type season, leading the team in batting average (.379), homeruns (6), rbi’s (28) and runs scored (27). The Mets will continue to remain on the West Coast, on Monday when they play at West leading Los Angeles. Before going back home the Mets will play a weekend series at Boston, to kick off their inter league 2009 season.

8. Detroit Tigers (20-16) – The Tigers have won three straight games and six of their last ten to move into first place in the American League Central. Detroit picked up a three game sweep of Oakland over the weekend scoring 34 runs and only allowed 9. Miguel Cabrera continues to flirt with a .400 batting average, coming into Sunday’s game with a .389 average. Cabrera also leads Detroit in RBI’s with 30. The Tigers will take Monday off before hosting the Texas Rangers, the hottest team in all of baseball for a three game set. On Friday the Colorado Rockies come to town for a weekend inter league series.

9. New York Yankees (20-17) – The Yankees were able to make a seven team jump from # 16 to # 9 this week. New York picked up three straight thrilling wins over Minnesota at the new stadium, including the walk-off homerun by Alex Rodiguez on Saturday. A-Rod also homered on Sunday in the come from behind win. The Yankees have kept pace with both Toronto and Boston, trailing by 4.5 and 2.5 respectively. Overall, the Yankees have won five straight, after taking the final two in a road series at Toronto. Johnny Damon continues to be the New York spark plug in the offense, leading the team in batting average (.312), homeruns (9), runs batted in (26), and runs (28). The Yankees will conclude their four game series Monday with Minnesota and then welcome Baltimore and Philadelphia in for three game series’.

10. Philadelphia Phillies (20-16) – Albeit against the lowly Washington Nationals, the Phillies were able to pull of a four game sweep over the weekend. The four wins moved Philadelphia to four games over .500 and just one full game behind front running New York. The Phillies also were able to jump into the top 10, at # 10, up three spots from last week, coming in at # 13. The Phillies continue to get great numbers from off season pick-up Raul Ibanez. Ibanez leads in batting average (.368), homeruns (13), runs batted in (35) and runs scored (33). For the defending champions, if Ibanez can continue to mash, and Utley, Howard and Rollins hit close to their potential Philadelphia will like their chances come this off-season. The Phillies will take to the road starting on Tuesday when they visit the Cincinnati Reds. After leaving Cincinnati the Phillies will head to the new Yankee Stadium for a three game set.

11. St. Louis Cardinals (21-16) – The Cardinals made a seven team free fall from last week. The Cardinals, who started as Baseball’s best team have fallen to near mediocrity. With injuries to Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel, Troy Glaus, and Chris Carpenter, the Cardinals have been forced to rely on rookies. St. Louis has lost the first two, and the divisional lead to the Milwaukee Brewers, at home. The third game will be played on Monday evening. The Cardinals, will then host the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals to conclude the week.

12. Cincinnati Reds (20-17) – The Reds fall one spot from # 11 to # 12. The Reds were victims of a three game sweep on the road at the hands of the San Diego Padres. The sweep dropped Cincinnati down to 20-17 on the season, fourth place in the NL Central. Cincinnati trails front running Milwaukee by three games. The Reds will have a shot at making up ground this week as they host both the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians for three game series’.

13. Kansas City Royals (20-18) – Aided by Zack Greinke’s incredible start to the 2009 season the Kansas City Royals have been quite the surprise 1/4^th through the season. Kansas City did fall from # 5  to # 13 this week, but continue to stay in the hunt in the American League Central. Kansas City trails Detroit by just a game and ½. Greinke’s start has been so incredible (7-1, 0.60 era) that he has people already talking about Cy Young. The season has a lot of baseball left, but Greinke has been impressive, to say the least. The Royals will host divisional opponent Cleveland for three starting on Tuesday, followed by an inter league series against state rival St. Louis on Friday. Closer Joakim Soria continues to miss action with a strained right rotator cuff.

14. Los Angeles Angels (18-18) – With a chance to take over the American League West Division, the Angels did just the opposite, and lost three games in a row to fall to 4.5 games back. The Angeles, despite the three losses remain # 14 in the power rankings. Sunday’s finale was led by Scott Feldman of Texas, who tossed a three hit shutout in the win. The Angels lead for second place lowered to just 1.5 over Seattle. The Angels will look to get back on the winning way with a four game set at Seattle, followed by three against rivals – Dodgers.

15. Minnesota Twins (18-20) – The new Yankee Stadium has not been kind to the Minnesota Twins. After watching Alex Rodriguez end the game on Saturday night, the Twins lost a 2-0 late lead, and then the game 3-2 on Sunday. The Twins are now 18-20 on the season, and will look to salvage one game out of the four game series on Monday. After leaving New York the Twins will make a stop in Chicago on Tuesday, before heading back home to begin inter league play with the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.

16. Atlanta Braves (18-18) – The Braves picked up five spots in a week with their 7-3 record in last ten games. Last week Atlanta came in at # 21, this week they have crawled up to # 16. The Braves are in third place in the National League East, trailing both the Mets and Phillies. Atlanta is 12-8 at home, while winning just 6 of 16 games at home. The Braves were postponed on Sunday, finishing the series with Arizona split 1-1. Colorado and Toronto will be the next two visitors to the South to take on the Braves. 

17. San Francisco Giants (18-18) – Despite losers of four straight games, the Giants are right at the .500 mark. San Francisco lost the final game of the series to Washington, and then was swept by the New York Mets. With their recent losing streak, the Giants have fallen from # 15 to # 17. In the three game series the Giants were outscored 24-16. As the offense has struggled for the most part this season, Pablo Sandoval has been a bright spot, leading the team in batting with a .309 average. Catcher Bengie Molina leads the team in power numbers with 8 homeruns and 29 rbi’s. The Giants will start a road trip on Tuesday heading to divisional foe San Diego, before making the trip to the great Northwest to start an inter league series with the Mariners on Friday.

18.  Florida Marlins (18-20) – The Marlins after their red hot start have really struggled in May. Florida made the biggest down fall, losing ten spots and dropping out of the top ten at # 8, to # 18. The Marlins are getting solid contribution once again from shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who leads the team in batting with a .354 mark. Jorge Cantu leads Florida in the power numbers with eight homeruns and 33 rbi’s. The Marlins have fallen to fourth place in the National League East, trailing the front running Mets by 3.5 games. The Marlins and Diamondbacks will meet, starting Monday in Miami for a four game set, and then state rival Tampa Bay will come to town on Friday for a three game weekend series.

19. Tampa Bay Rays (19-20) – The Rays fell in the first game of a three game series to the Cleveland Indians, but were able to bounce back and win the next three to push their record to just one game under .500; at 19-20. Despite the string of wins, Tampa Bay actually fell two places from # 17 to # 19. Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria are having MVP type seasons, with Pena leading the American League with 13 homeruns, and Longoria leading all of baseball with 46 rbi’s. The problem for Tampa Bay has been the supporting cast, as well as a starting staff that has Matt Garza leading in wins; with four. Tampa Bay will look to continue their winning streak on Monday when the Athletics come in for a four game series. On Friday the Rays will travel to Miami to take on the Marlins.

20. Houston Astros (17-19) – Ivan Rodriguez hit his 300^th homerun to snap the Astros losing streak on Sunday. The win for Houston was their 17^th of the season to 19 losses. Houston has seen a struggle offensively, as Lance Berkman at times has fallen below .200, but has eight homeruns on the season. Carlos Lee leads the team in runs batted in with 29, while speedster Michael Bourn leads in runs scored (23) and stolen bases (13). The Astros are in fifth place in the National League Central, just ahead of Pittsburgh. The Astros will host red hot Milwaukee starting on Tuesday in a three game series. Once the Brewers leave town the Astros will welcome state rivals – the Texas Rangers to town.

21. Seattle Mariners (17-20) – The Marines fall three spots from # 18 to # 21, losers of eight of their last ten games. The Mariners sit in third place in the American League West, only ahead of Oakland. Despite their poor play, the Mariners only trail Texas by 5.5 games. Ichiro Suzuki leads the Mariners in batting average, with a .315 average, followed up with his four homeruns. The Mariners have gotten solid pitching from starters Felix Hernandez and Eric Bedard. Hernandez is 4-2 with a 3.53 ERA, with 53 strikeouts and 15 walks, while Bedard is 2-1 with a 2.53.The Mariners will continue their long home stand on Monday when the Los Angeles Angels come in for a four game set, followed by San Francisco coming to town. 

22. Chicago White Sox (15-21) – The Chicago White Sox cannot find a way to win north of the border. The Toronto Blue Jays picked up a big win on Friday, and then came from behind to pick up Saturday’s game against Chicago. The White Sox have fallen to five games under .500, with their 15-21 mark. With their current three game losing streak, the White Sox have dropped three spots from # 19 to # 22. Within the American League Central Division, the White Sox are just four games back, trailing Detroit; with Kansas City and Minnesota in between. Outfielder Carlos Quentin was recently scratched from the lineup with a sore left heel. Quentin leads the team in homeruns with eight on the season. The White Sox will play one more game at Toronto on Monday, before hosting Minnesota, followed by Pittsburgh.

23. Baltimore Orioles (16-22) – Rich Hill came off the disabled list on Saturday and picked up a huge win in his first start in 2009. The Orioles have won two of three in the weekend series at Kansas City, and will look for the third on Sunday afternoon. With the recent string of wins, Baltimore has moved up two positions from # 25 to # 23. The Orioles Adam Jones is hitting .370 with 8 homeruns and 35 runs scored. The Orioles continue to sit in fifth place in the American League East, eight games behind the leader – Toronto. The Orioles will take Monday off, before heading to the new Yankee Stadium for a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday series, and then travel across the state to take on the Washington Nationals over the weekend.

24. Cleveland Indians (14-25) – The Indians have gotten off to a very slow start, but with the American League Central remaining right around .500, Cleveland has remained in the race, for now. The Indians at 14-24, are just 6.5 games back of first place, with Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit and Kansas City ahead of them. The Indians were able to make a five team jump from # 29 to # 24. The Indians continue to get red hot offense from catcher/first base men Victor Martinez, who leads the team, and the American League with a .409 batting average. The Indians, after finishing the four game series with Tampa Bay will start a road series at Kansas City on Tuesday, and then start a road series at Cincinnati on Friday.

25. Pittsburgh Pirates (16-21) – The Pirates slide up one spot from # 26 to # 25 after knocking off St. Louis in two of three games. The Pirates are 16-21 on the season, and in fifth place in the National League Central Division. Nate McLouth’s two run homerun aided a Saturday evening win over the Colorado Rockies. McLouth leads the team with six homeruns, and also 24 rbi’s. Rookie right-hander Ross Ohlendorf leads the starting staff in wins, with 4, starting the season 4-3 with a 3.77 era. The Pirates will play a four game series at Washington, starting on Monday, followed by inter league play on Friday at Chicago, against the White Sox.

26. San Diego Padres (15-22) –  The Padres come in as “the best” of the trio of NL West teams, and slide down three spots from # 23 to # 26. San Diego comes in 15-22, winners of two straight games over Cincinnati, after taking a three game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs. Saturday night’s win over the Reds came in 16 innings, as Nick Hundley hit a homerun in his second at bat of the season. Adrian Gonzalez has been the Padres bright spot to start the season, leading San Diego in batting, homeruns, RBI’s and runs. Gonzalez’ 15 homeruns leads the National League, ahead of both Albert Pujols and Raul Ibanez, with 13. The Padres will host the Giants Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before hosting the Chicago Cubs for a weekend set.

27. Colorado Rockies (14-22) – The Rockies, in the middle of a trio of National League West teams have fallen 9.5 games behind the Dodgers through a month and half of the season. Colorado moves up one spot from # 28 to # 27 with their 14-22 mark. Colorado fell on Saturday to Pittsburgh, as the Pirates got a home run Nate McLouth, as both the Pirates and Rockies survived a nearly two hour rain delay. The Rockies took Friday night’s game behind a Brad Hawpe two run homerun in a 3-1 win. The Rockies will start a four game series in Atlanta on Monday, and then visit Detroit on Friday, before coming back home May 25^th to take on the front running Dodgers.

28. Oakland Athletics (13-21) – The Athletics have fallen to 7.5 games back of the front running Texas Rangers, in the American League West. Oakland is 13-20 overall, and dropped one spot from their post at # 27 to # 28 this week. Oakland picked up two wins over Kansas City, before heading to Detroit, where they dropped the first two games of the season. The Athletics are missing Nomar Garciaparra, Mark Ellis and Eric Chavez from their every day lineup. Recently Matt Holliday felt a twitch in his right side, making way for Aaron Cunningham to be called up. Oakland starts a four game series on Monday at Tampa Bay, and then comes back home for a three game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks (14-23) – The Diamondbacks under their new manager have not been able to find the winning groove. Arizona fell five spots from # 24 to # 29, as they have went 3-7 in their last 10 games. The Diamondbacks are just 9-15 at home this season, and 7-12 against West Divisional foes. The Diamondbacks picked up a win on Saturday at Atlanta as youngster Max Scherzer picked up his first win of the season, snapping a four game losing streak for the club. The Diamondbacks have dropped to fifth place in the National League West, trailing first place Los Angeles by 10.5 games. Arizona will continue on the road trip Monday, for a four game series at Florida, followed by a weekend trip to Oakland, before coming back home on May 25^th against San Diego.

30. Washington Nationals (11-25) – The Nationals have lost three straight games and six of their last ten, and remain at the bottom of the MLB Power Rankings. Washington is 11-24 overall, trailing the New York Mets by 9.5 games. Washington is just 5-10 at home this season, winning six of 20 on the road. The Nationals three straight losses came to Philadelphia, after winning the final game of a three game series at San Francisco. After Philadelphia leaves town on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Pirates will come to the nation’s capital to take on the Nationals. Washington’s inter league season begins on Friday when the Baltimore Orioles come to town.

The best drivers in the world will come together to bang fenders at the All Star Race at Lowes Motor Speedway this Saturday night. The racing spectacle will host 20 of the best drivers in NASCAR in a non-points race where the winner will pocket a lucrative million dollars. The All Star Race is known for providing some of the best excitement in racing because nothing matters except winning. Therefore drivers are most definitely going to trade paint with others as they fight over every inch of the race track. Over 180,000 will be in attendance for the 3 segment shootout style race to see what driver can take home one of the most prestigious titles in racing known as All Star Champion. Unlike other sports where all star games may not mean as much, in NASCAR it is in many ways more important than the Daytona 500. Claiming a victory at the All Star not only collects a big paycheck, but also means you beat the best of the best drivers in the world. NASCAR is also quickly growing as a big betting venue every weekend with unlimited head to head match-ups, winning odds, and more. We break down some bets to consider for the 2009 All Star Race that will add some money to your bankroll.

Bet #1: (Matchup Picks) – Dale Earnhardt Jr (-115) vs. Kasey Kahne (-115)

Kasey Kahne owned Lowes Motor Speedway last season winning both May races in the All Star and the following weekend with the Coca Cola 600. Kahne was actually voted in to the All Star Race by new rule that allowed fan favorite to enter the event after the #9 team failed to make the race in the All Star open event where drivers not in the All Star can race there way in. Kahne made the most of it and went on to score the victory. Dale Earnhardt Jr ran up front and led some of the All Star race and also clearly had the best car in the Coca Cola 600 before cutting a tire down leading the race. Both drivers have gotten off to sluggish starts in 2009, but for the #88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr it has been fairly horrendous. Dale Jr and company must use Lowes Motor Speedway as a stepping stone to get back on track. This race might be bigger for the #88 crew that any team this weekend. Earnhardt also won the event back in 2000 with the similar 10 lap dash that is returning this year in the final segment. We expect Kahne to continue to struggle, and the #88 to a least run towards the front and finally get a respectable finish.

Pick – Dale Earnhardt Jr -115

Bet #2: (Matchup Picks) – A.J Allmendinger (-110) vs. Marcos Ambrose (-120)

This betting preview is actually for the All Star Showdown event that takes place before the actual All Star Race. This 25 lap segment will be a race for the drivers not in the All Star to earn their chance to race there way into the event. We find some pretty good betting odds with this match-up. A.J Allmendinger raced his way into the All Star Race last year in this event winning the 2008 version of the All Star Showdown. Allmendinger has also had some rather surprisingly good runs this year despite searching for a sponsor most of the early season. Marcos Ambrose has been steadily getting better in the Sprint Cup Series, but he is far from a polished driver at this point in his career. Add to the fact that Ambrose does not have much experience at Lowes, and we really like Allmendinger to cover this battle fairly easily.

Pick – A.J Allmendinger -110

Bet #3: (Future Picks) – Who will win the All Star Race?

Picking the winner of any race is hard enough, but picking the winner of an All-Star Race is an entire different level of difficulty. However, comparing the way the teams have been running it may not be as far of a stretch as one may think. One team or organization to bet on would be Hendrick Motorsports. The Hendrick stable has won 5 of the last 6 races dating back to the end of March. Also Stewart-Haas Racing has been running very strong as well and they are powered by Hendrick engines. Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman have both finished in the top 5 in the last two races. We are going to step away from popular picks and take our chances with Ryan Newman. Newman is the only driver to finish in the top 5 in the last 3 races and he has just been all too close to getting his first victory with the new #39 team. Newman has also always run well at Lowes Motor Speedway dating back to win he won the All Star Event as a rookie in 2005. Only Dale Earnhardt Jr outside of Newman can claim wins at the All Star race in their rookie campaign. Newman has been very strong over the last few weeks and we like his chances to capture the checkered flag this Saturday night with some very profitable odds in his favor.

Pick – Ryan Newman +1500

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AFC East

Odds to win the AFC East:
Buffalo Bills +600
Miami Dolphins +1000
New England Patriots -400
New York Jets +700

The AFC East was among the most exciting playoff division races of 2009. Miami, New York, and New England all entered the last two weeks of the season with chances to make the playoffs and many were shocked when the Patriots dynasty failed to make the post-season. The Patriots lost QB Tom Brady early in the year and it quickly leveled the playing field among the division. Miami was among one of the biggest turnaround stories in recent memory and became the only team in the division to make the post-season. However, Brady is back and so are the expectations for the Patriots to return to dominance in 2010. The Patriots put together some depth through the NFL Draft and WR Brandon Tate could find away to fit into the air attack in the future. The Jets had a great draft as well landing Mark Sanchez to fill the shoes at quarterback. However, it will take Sanchez some time and the Jets need someone to make an immediate impact. Chad Pennington turned the Dolphins team around in 2009 throwing for over 3600 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Dolphins had an unexpected successful year, but that may have been more of a sign of how weak the division was instead of how well the Dolphins were playing. Buffalo struggled to move the ball last season as they only averaged 305 yards of total offense. The Bills addressed some defensive needs in the draft, but they are in desperate need for playmakers on offense. The Patriots appear to be a lock in the AFC East this year with their high power offense and solid defense. However, if Brady goes down again this year they will have a lot bigger problems as Cassel is not there any longer at backup.

Pick – Patriots -400

AFC North

Odds to win the AFC North:
Baltimore Ravens +250
Cincinnati Bengals +800
Cleveland Browns +800
Pittsburgh Steelers -200

The Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their NFL record 6th Super Bowl victory last season and they will of course be rather sizeable favorites to win the AFC North in 2010. The Steelers were involved in some hard fought battles with Baltimore throughout the season, but in the end the Steelers beat the Ravens in all 3 games played. Heading into next year it is fairly safe to say that the division will likely be a two horse racing again. Cleveland and Cincinnati ranked as the bottom two teams in the NFL in 2009 in terms of overall offense. Cleveland averaged 249 yards per game and the Bengals somehow were even worse at 245 yards per game. These two teams combined to only average 26 points per game last season. Seven teams averaged at least 26 points per game last season to just give an idea of how poor these offenses were. Do not expect any dramatic improvements next year. The Steelers and the Ravens were propelled by two very strong defenses in 2009. Pittsburgh’s defense was perhaps the best to take the field in the last decade as they were ranked number 1 in 3 out of 4 major defensive categories. Baltimore’s defense was ranked number 2 behind the Steelers in nearly every category and the two tangled for some low scoring defensive controlled games. The difference this year could be Joe Flacco ability to continue to mature at quarterback for Baltimore. The Ravens used Flacco’s arm to pursue the deep ball more often towards the end of the year and Baltimore could develop into a strong offensive team as well. We will pick the Ravens to play spoiler against the defending champions in the AFC North.

Pick – Baltimore +250

AFC South

Odds to win the AFC South:
Houston Texans +400
Indianapolis Colts +160
Jacksonville Jaguars +200
Tennessee Titans +300

The AFC South should without a doubt be the strongest division in the AFC next season from top to bottom. The Tennessee Titans started 2009 a perfect 10-0 as one of the breakout teams in the league. The Titans will look to stick to strong defense and an offense led by the legs of Chris Johnson. Draft picks Kenny Britt and Jared Cook could become potential weapons after time to develop. Cook has a lot of speed for a tight end that could present some big mismatches in the secondary. The Texans added a lot of focus to the defense during the off-season. Houston allowed 24 points per game last year and things must change for them to contend. Steve Slaton had strong year running the ball and will need similar efforts for Houston this year to keep the offense affective. Jacksonville did a wonderful job adding some premier talent to the offensive line with Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton during the draft. The offensive line allowed a miserable 42 sacks last season and these two young guys will change that. The question is how long will it take? The Jaguars defense is a work in progress and they could be a playmaker away on offense from shaping out to be a great team. The Indianapolis Colts got off to a horrible 3-4 start last year before rattling off 9 straight wins to close out the season. Indianapolis appears on the outside looking in to be primed for 2010. However, the release of Marvin Harrison along with major changes in the coaching staff after Tony Dungy retired and the Colts have a lot of question marks. However, Peyton Manning behind center is all anyone could ask for even when times are tough.

Pick – Indianapolis +160

AFC West

Odds to win the AFC West:
Denver Broncos +350
Kansas City Chiefs +600
Oakland Raiders +800
San Diego Chargers -225

The San Diego Chargers became the first team to enter the playoffs that did not have a winning record last season in nearly two decades. The Charges finished 8-8 on the season, but it was good enough as they held the tie breaker over Denver who was also 8-8. Darren Sproles made a big impact during the playoffs as the speedy running back will get his share of touches with LaDainian Tomlinson. San Diego’s late season success could be a good indication of what to expect in 2010. The Denver Broncos gave up star quarterback Jay Cutler. Does Kyle Orton come in to run the offense? If so we have seen the show before and it did not work out so well in Chicago. The Broncos did add Knowshon Moreno to the roster with the first pick. Moreno could be a solid back with unbelievable lateral quickness, but how much of an immediate impact he will make is the question. Oakland shocked the world by taking Darius Heyward-Bey in the first round over Michael Crabtree. However, the Raiders were going after an immediate big play threat. Heyward-Bey’s speed gives the down field threat on any given play. However, Oakland needs a lot more help to improve from the 16.4 points and 272 yards of offense from 2009 which were both among the worse in the NFL. Kansas City went after a few defensive needs with the draft selecting Tyson Jackson and Alex Magee for the defensive line. The Chiefs defense was flat frightening in all the wrong ways last season so any help has to be a plus. Kansas City still has a lot of question marks all over the field on the offensive side of the ball as well. The Chiefs should win more than two games this year, but perhaps not enough to consider contending for the division crown.

Pick – San Diego -225

While most of the world focuses on the new start of the Major League Baseball season and the NBA playoffs, the guys of the grid iron are hard at work during the off-season. Nearly two weeks after teams wrapped up the 2009 NFL Draft, teams are now holding the customary mini-camp and other off-season festivities. Betus.com has officially released the new odds to win the NFC Championship following the draft and we will take a look at some teams to consider in 2010. Take advantage of off-season odds at our sponsored sports books and consider placing a wager for next year’s Super Bowl contender. We break down who to watch out for in the NFC in 2010 and will follow up with a breakdown of the AFC during the middle of the week.

NFC East

Odds to win the NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys +300
New York Giants +150
Philadelphia Eagles +160
Washington Redskins +700

The NFC East is possibly the most unpredictable conference of all-time. Last year all four teams had legitimate chances to win the division throughout the season. The Giants were the most consistent team finishing with a record of 12-4. However, New York really faltered down the stretch after Plaxico Burress was apart of the off the field trouble. The Giants either never got back focused mentally or suffered offensively from not having Burress. The Giants lost 4 of their last 5 games of the season due to the flat offense. New York is a team with a lot of question marks heading into 2010. Could Hakeem Nicks be the spark they need back at wide out to get the offense rolling again? One thing is for sure is that the Giants defense did play solid all year and should be a force again in 2010. Philadelphia caught fire during the 2nd half of the season after Donovan McNabb was benched for the first time in his career. The Eagles defense was another strong unit that played very well. The question this year will be again surrounding the offense and quite possibly McNabb. Will the veteran quarterback have his act together early or will he show more signs of inconsistency? The Eagles top pick Jeremy Maclin could make an immediate impact especially if he gets the chance to help out the special teams. Philadelphia has strong possibility to be strong again as they fell one game short of the Super Bowl last season losing to Arizona. The Dallas Cowboys landed a lot of depth through the off-season, but there are still a lot of question marks in the air. How will the defense play and will the offense be better or worse after Terrell Owens? The Cowboys definitely have the ability to be a front runner, but they late season stumbles have become an unwanted tradition. Washington first round pick Brian Orakpo has a bright future in the NFL. The Redskins simply had problems moving the ball last season and will need more explosiveness. The defense like the rest of the division had its bright spots, but the offense still needs some work. Clinton Portis had strong start to the season running the ball, but that dwindled away towards the end of the year. The Redskins were 5-1 when Portis reached the 100 yard mark and 3-9 when he was held to less than 100 yards.

Pick – Philadelphia +160

NFC North

Odds to win the NFC North:
Chicago Bears +200
Detroit Lions +1500
Green Bay Packers +160
Minnesota Vikings +150

The NFC North is another division that could be wide open in 2010. The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers are both moving in the right direction with their franchises, but how long will it take them to truly get there? The Bears landed a big fish during the off-season with Jay Cutler. Cutler should finally end all the question marks behind center and put the focus on another aspect of the field. The offense lacks the playmakers needed for them to be among the best in the NFC, but things could see an upswing with Cutler at quarterback. The Packers made some moves to fill the defensive side of the ball with the 2009 draft. The Packers were on the verge of having a great year last season. In their 10 losses, 7 of those defeats came by less than 4 points. Turn just half of those around and Green Bay would have been in the playoffs easily. With most of the offense returning and some more depth on defense, look for Green Bay to turn some losses into wins this time around. In this division, 10-6 could win the division again. Minnesota won the North last year behind the legs of Adrian Peterson. Peterson posted 1760 yards on the year and Minnesota developed into an offensive threat during the closing weeks. Percy Harvin could add to the explosiveness or could become a let down as well. The Vikings main concern may be behind center. Gus Frerotte threw 15 picks last season and Tarvaris Jackson just has not been what they have hoped. However, the Vikings will still grind out some wins through a talented running game and a defense that matured at the end of the year. As far as Detroit is concerned, do we really have to consider them for winning the division? The question for this team is how many games they will win this year. Better days are ahead for the Lions, but 2010 would be a success with as little as 4 victories.

Pick – Green Bay +160

NFC South

Odds to win the NFC South:
Atlanta Falcons +180
Carolina Panthers +200
New Orleans Saints +180
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +600

The Carolina Panthers closed out the 2009 regular season out very strong led by one of the best running back duos in the league. DeAngelo Williams had 1515 yards for the season while Jonathan Stewart added 836 yards as well and the two combined for 28 touchdowns. Carolina went out on a limb to draft Everette Brown as Julius Peppers made it public that he was exploring options out of Carolina. The offense will be another similar Panthers offense with Steve Smith at wide out and strong rushing attack. However, Jake Delhomme still has not convinced anyone that he is a true winner. Also, the Panthers will have to defend their NFC South crown from some talented up and coming teams. The New Orleans Saints could be one of the surprise stories this season. The Saints offense is a lot like the Cardinals offense that shined in 2009. However, New Orleans had one of the worse defenses in the league last year that allowed 24.6 points per game. The Saints drafted Malcom Jenkins in the first round that could start from day one in the weak secondary. If the Saints defense could just come together and improve, New Orleans offense could have the Saints marching again. Atlanta will be looking for superstar sophomore quarterback Matt Ryan to lead the Falcons back to the playoffs. The Falcons possess a solid balanced passing and rushing attack that keeps defenses on their hills. If Ryan can continue to impress the world, there is not much reason to bet against the Falcons as they are solid in all aspects of the field. Tampa Bay has finished at 9-7 the past two seasons and mediocrity appears to be the future. The Buccaneers drafted Josh Freeman with their first round pick who they hope can be the Matt Ryan type lottery pick. However, Freeman will need time to develop and nothing looks to immediately impact the struggling offense.

Pick – Atlanta +180

NFC West

Odds to win the NFC Wtst:
Arizona Cardinals +140
San Francisco 49ers +260
Seattle Seahawks +180
St Louis Rams +800

The Arizona Cardinals were the biggest surprise story of 2009. Kurt Warner return to the main stage was a great feel good story, but for the possibly Hall of Fame quarterback it will be another work in progress in 2010. The Cardinals had 3 receivers to reach the 1,000 yard plateau in that impressive offense last season. If Kurt Warner could just hook up with Larry Fitzgerald like they did in the playoffs that could be enough to win the division. After all, the Cardinals won the NFC West last season with only a 9-7 record. The St. Louis Rams completely fell apart last year as they lost their last 10 games of the season. The Rams drafted Jason Smith at the number 2 overall pick to try and help Steven Jackson at running back. Unfortunately, the Rams defense gave up 29 points per game last season which was among the leagues 2nd worse defense. The Rams just have not made enough changes to see a big difference this fall. Seattle sported another weak defense in 2009 that gave up 24.5 points per game. However, Aaron Curry was the best defensive pick in the draft and should give some help in the heart of that defense. The offense needs some playmakers as well before they can contend with the rest of the NFC. However, the Seahawks may have what it takes already to contend in this division. San Francisco actually finished the year fairly well despite only having a 7-9 record for the year. The 49ers lost 6 straight games through the middle of the season, but did finish winning 5 of their last 7. Michael Crabtree should add excitement at wide receiver and Glen Coffee is a downhill runner who may be very under rated. The 49ers could just focus on the NFC West wins and make some noise in the division race next season.

Pick – Arizona/San Francisco