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The NL East is going to be one of the toughest divisions in baseball this year, and the favorites on the odds to win the World Series are clearly in this division. Check out how we stack up the five squads for our NL East preview.

Even though they didn’t look all that dominating in Spring Training, the Philadelphia Phillies (1 to 2.60@ Sportbet Sportsbook). The Phils really made the coup of the offseason by swiping Cliff Lee from the grasps of both the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees. Lee really was a huge difference maker for this team in the half season that he spent with the Phils two years ago, and he loved his time in the City of Brotherly Love so much that he elected to come back. The man that he was traded for, Roy Halladay is still here, and so are Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton. Sure, Jayson Werth is gone, but the rest of this lineup in still intact. There are some concerns injury wise, most notably Brad Lidge and Chase Utley, and if these two can’t get the job done, they’re in some trouble. If the much maligned bullpen pulls it together though, the Phils won’t be touched in this division.

The Atlanta Braves (4 to 1@ Hollywood Sportsbook) are the one team that really could make a stink this year as well. This is the first time in decades that Bobby Cox isn’t with the team. However, he didn’t leave the cupboard bare, as the starting lineup is still fantastic and the pitching staff is still full of youngsters that are up and coming. The question is going to be whether this very young bullpen is going to keep it together this season. The playoffs aren’t a guarantee.

It seems as though the Florida Marlins (10.25 to 1@ Sportbet Sportsbook) are the team that proves to be the pain in the backside every single season, but when push really comes to shove, they almost always end up falling short. The Fish have one of the best and most underappreciated players in the game in Hanley Ramirez, and they really have one of the best starting pitchers in the game as well in Josh Johnson. Leo Nunez anchors a fantastic bullpen with a ton of arms in it as well. Is it enough to win this division? Probably not. However, we have to believe that there is at least a 10 to 1 shot that the Fish get the job done.

The New York Mets (25 to 1@ Sportbet Sportsbook) and the Washington Nationals (37 to 1@ Sportbet Sportsbook) are a long, long way out of the division race right now. New York just wasn’t able to make any splashes in the offseason due to tight money conditions with ownership, and though Washington did sign Jayson Werth, it also let Adam Dunn get away. Both teams are missing stud pitchers this season as well, as Johan Santana won’t be ready until at least July, while Stephen Strasburg is out for the entire season following Tommy John surgery.

Odds to Win NL East @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Atlanta Braves 4 to 1
Florida Marlins 10 to 1
New York Mets 18 to 1
Philadelphia Phillies 1 to 3.50
Washington Nationals 25 to 1

Betting Lines to Win NL East @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Philadelphia Phillies 1 to 2.60
Atlanta Braves 3.25 to 1
Florida Marlins 10.25 to 1
New York Mets 21 to 1
Washington Nationals 37 to 1

2011 NL East Odds @ Hollywood Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Atlanta Braves 4 to 1
Florida Marlins 8 to 1
New York Mets 25 to 1
Philadelphia Phillies 1 to 4
Washington Nationals 60 to 1

The Butler Bulldogs and the VCU Rams are arguably two of the most unlikely teams to ever make it to the Final Four. Here at Bankroll Sports, we have all of the ins and outs that you need to know about the first of the two national semifinals in Houston, TX.

Trends Of Note
The Rams have absolutely stormed through five games in the NCAA Tournament this year, accounting for five covers on the March Madness odds and five outright victories as underdogs, something that is just unprecedented by any standards in most any sport. They are now 9-0 ATS over the course of their last nine NCAA Tournament games overall, though they have never been in this type of a spotlight before in school history. However, if there is one bugaboo surrounding this team, it is that it is just 1-4 ATS over the course of its last five games played on Saturdays.

Butler has had a remarkable run as well, and it has some significantly more important NCAA basketball trends on its side. Sure, the Dogs are 4-0 SU and ATS as well in this tournament, something that is absolutely remarkable, but more importantly, they are 17-5 ATS over the course of their last 22 games played in the dance, many of which have come under Head Coach Brad Stevens. The Bulldogs are a whopping 21-4-2 ATS in their last 27 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600, and they are 40-16-2 ATS in their last 58 games played outside of the Horizon League. Butler is also 15-2 ATS in its last 17 neutral site games, which includes some great duels against fantastic teams both in and out of conference.

Players To Watch
For VCU, the men to really watch out for are Jamie Skeen and Bradford Burgess. These two make the perfect inside, outside combination, and they can both do a ton of damage from all over the course. Burgess actually had his quietest game against the Kansas Jayhawks over the weekend, as he only scored nine points. However, just like we saw against the Florida State Seminoles, he can be unconscious from beyond the arc and just knock down triples like it’s nothing. Skeen, a transfer from the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, stood toe to toe with Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris on Sunday, and the end result was one of his best games of the year with 26 points and 10 boards. He rarely takes time off in games, and he can stretch the entire court as well.

Of course, Butler has its own version of a dynamic inside, outside twosome with Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack. These two were key in the run to the finale last year in the dance, and they are both doing it once again. Howard is the gritty player that really probably doesn’t have all that much talent, but can really get the job done just through hard work. He’s always getting those tough boards, and he’s got a great shot from the outside as well. Howard has six straight games with at least 14 points scored, something that is really key for his team. Mack can just go off as he did against the Florida Gators, scoring 27 points on Saturday in the Elite 8. He also had 30 against the Pitt Panthers. The better the foe, the better this man plays, and this should be his time to shine now that he doesn’t have to split outside shots with the departed Gordon Hayward.

Keys to the Game
The trick for VCU is going to be three point shooting. March Madness betting fans know that this is the key to these mid major teams equalizing against the big boys, and the Rams have taken full advantage of it. Just listen to these three point stats from the games in this tournament… 12-of-25 against Kansas, 12-of-26 against Florida State, 8-of-21 against Purdue, 12-of-25 against Georgetown, 9-of-24 against USC… and all of this comes for a team that was shooting less than 36 percent from beyond the arc at the start of this tournament!

For Butler, obviously, defending the triple is going to be of paramount importance, but it seems like keeping Howard on the court is the bigger key. Howard is really the grit of this club, and if he isn’t in the fold, Butler is hard pressed to find a replacement for him. Over the course of the last two seasons in the dance, the Bulldogs were just significantly better with Howard out there than with him on the bench, and if he can stay out there, he should be able to provide Skeen with a heck of a battle in the paint. It’s not about the numbers. It’s just about keeping him and his presence out there on the court at all times.

Last season, the Rangers weren’t just able to knock the Halos out of the catbird seat in the AL West, but they nearly won the whole enchilada as well. Will history repeat itself? Check out this year’s AL West preview and the AL West odds to find out.

The Texas Rangers (1.25 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) are once again the favorites to win this division, but we aren’t so sure that it’s justified. Sure, this was a team that did well most of last season, but Vladimir Guerrero and Bengie Molina are both gone, and Texas wasn’t able to nail down Cliff Lee in the offseason either. The pieces are still in place for Manager Ron Washington to get the job done, but the task is going to be significantly harder now than it was at the end of last season when the Rangers probably did really have the best team in the American League.

As for those Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2.95 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook), they were truly losers in the offseason as well. Not only couldn’t they lure a big time starting pitcher to town, but they didn’t get Carl Crawford or any other big bats via free agency either. The Halos still have a nice looking nucleus, but there were definitely some faults last year, especially after Kendry Morales suffered his season ending injury relatively early on. Dan Haren might be a sneaky pick for AL Cy Young this year though, especially without any huge contenders emerging as early favorites.

The team that really could make strides this year is the Oakland Athletics (2.25 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook). There were a lot of great signings in the offseason by General Manager Billy Beane, including Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham, David DeJesus, Grant Balfour, and Brian Fuentes. None of the moves by themselves are all that amazing, but the whole story is now looking sharp in Oakland. This pen is stacked, and the starting rotation is featuring five up and comers this year, including Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Braden, and Brandon McCarthy. This is definitely a squad to watch out for this year.

Rounding out the pack will be the Seattle Mariners (23.50 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook). The M’s just haven’t made enough moves to make us go, “Wow!” Unless there’s suddenly some offense joining Ichiro Suzuki in the lineup, there’s no way that this team plates enough runs to consistently win for any pitcher not named Felix Hernandez. Things would really be disastrous for the Mariners if they had to trade King Felix at the trade deadline, something that is a legitimate possibility if the price is right.

Odds to Win AL West @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2.25 to 1
Oakland Athletics 2.25 to 1
Seattle Mariners 20 to 1
Texas Rangers 1 to 1.20

Betting Lines to Win AL West @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Texas Rangers 1.25 to 1
Oakland Athletics 2 to 1
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2.95 to 1
Seattle Mariners 23.50 to 1

2011 AL West Odds @ Hollywood Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2.75 to 1
Oakland Athletics 1.80 to 1
Seattle Mariners 20 to 1
Texas Rangers 1 to 1

The AL Central is one of the most interesting divisions this year. There are legitimately three teams that not only could win this division, but that could win the whole enchilada as well. Check out how the AL Central odds stack up this year!

It’s going to be really interesting in this division this year, especially if Adam Dunn can really help out the Chicago White Sox (1.75 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook). This is the man that is really supposed to help out this lineup this year, as there really needs to be some big time pop in the fold. Jake Peavy should help out the rotation as well now that he is once again healthy, and he and Mark Buehrle should make a great 1 and 1A in the Windy City. Manager Ozzie Guillen is certainly out if he can’t get the Palehose in the postseason this year.

The team that is always forgotten about in this division is the Minnesota Twins (1.80 to 1 @ Hollywood Sportsbook). The Twinkies once again have Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau to rely on, but there really aren’t a heck of a lot of other stars that are out there on this club. Still, Manager Rod Gardenhire gets more out of his team every single year than any other manager in the bigs, and that’s what makes this team, a very good home team, a very dangerous one again this year.

General Manager Dave Dombrowski did everything he could to try to help out the Detroit Tigers (2.30 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) in the offseason. He brought in Victor Martinez to shore up the catcher position, though we’re not so sure how well that’s going to translate when push comes to shove defensively. Justin Verlander has 37 wins over the course of the last two seasons, and he is once again going to have to pitch like a Cy Young Award winner to pitch this team into the second season.

Neither the Kansas City Royals (50 to 1 @ Hollywood Sportsbook) nor the Cleveland Indians (25 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) are going to contend for anything but the gutter in this division this year. KC made a bad team worse by getting rid of both David DeJesus and Zack Greinke in the offseason. Now, we’re not so sure who any of these pitchers are that are taking the mound at Kauffman Stadium this year. The Tribe at least have some great looking youngsters, but they are definitely at least a couple of years away.

Odds to Win AL Central @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Chicago White Sox 1.60 to 1
Cleveland Indians 20 to 1
Detroit Tigers 2 to 1
Kansas City Royals 40 to 1
Minnesota Twins 1.50 to 1

Betting Lines to Win AL Central @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Chicago White Sox 1.75 to 1
Minnesota Twins 1.80 to 1
Detroit Tigers 2.30 to 1
Cleveland Indians 25 to 1
Kansas City Royals 40 to 1

2011 AL Central Odds @ Hollywood Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Chicago White Sox 1.75 to 1
Cleveland Indians 25 to 1
Detroit Tigers 1.75 to 1
Kansas City Royals 50 to 1
Minnesota Twins 1.60 to 1

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The AL East is going to be one of the toughest divisions in baseball this year, and the favorites on the odds to win the World Series are clearly in this division. Check out how we stack up the five squads for our AL East preview.

Of course, the bona fide favorite to win this division is the Boston Red Sox (1 to 1.65@ Sportbet Sportsbook). This offseason was a particularly amazing one for the Sox, as they landed Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to help out a lineup that was beaten up via injuries all season long last year. The starting rotation wasn’t really helped out any, but when you’ve got Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey, and a slew of pitchers in the minors that are ready to shine, you don’t need much help there. The bullpen didn’t look great in Spring Training, but Jonathan Papelbon is still a great closer. If he fails, Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler were added to really help out.

We’re not really all that thrilled about the New York Yankees (2 to 1@ Hollywood Sportsbook) this season. The Yanks really didn’t do a heck of a lot in the offseason, and they were beaten up by the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason in the battle to get Cliff Lee. Still, Derek Jeter will end up with his 3,000th hit at some point this season, while Alex Rodriguez will end up inching closer to the all time home run lead this year as well. The rest of this team just doesn’t excite us all that much. Rafael Soriano was a nice addition in the bullpen, but Mariano Rivera probably doesn’t need much in the way of help.

The team that is really falling off this year will be the Tampa Bay Rays (10.25 to 1@ Sportbet Sportsbook). The Rays just lost too much in the offseason to really compete. Carlos Pena, Carl Crawford, Matt Garza, and basically the entire bullpen are all gone now, and a lot of the pieces ended up in other venues in the division. There are a lot of youngsters that are coming up to the majors here, but the team is just short of what it was in these recent years.

The other two teams in this division, the Toronto Blue Jays (25 to 1@ Sportbet Sportsbook) and the Baltimore Orioles (26 to 1@ Sportbet Sportsbook) are both trying to become the next version of the Rays. Baltimore is probably closer to getting the job done, as there are a ton of veterans on this team to help out all of the youngsters as well. Manager Buck Showalter did a great job with the O’s after taking over in the middle of last year. Toronto is likely to pull up the rear here, though it could be a bust out year for Ricky Romero on the mound.

Odds to Win AL East @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Baltimore Orioles 20 to 1
Boston Red Sox 1 to 1.70
New York Yankees 1.90 to 1
Tampa Bay Rays 8 to 1
Toronto Blue Jays 14 to 1

Betting Lines to Win AL East @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Boston Red Sox 1 to 1.65
New York Yankees 1.90 to 1
Tampa Bay Rays 10.25 to 1
Toronto Blue Jays 25 to 1
Baltimore Orioles 26 to 1

2011 AL East Odds @ Hollywood Sportsbook (as of 3/27/11):
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Baltimore Orioles 15 to 1
Boston Red Sox 1 to 1.75
New York Yankees 2 to 1
Tampa Bay Rays 10 to 1
Toronto Blue Jays 20 to 1

The four games in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night give we, the March Madness betting public a great chance to make some great coin on some fantastic props. Check out our Sweet 16 prop picks for the biggest games of the season to date!

Marquette/North Carolina Over/Under 10.5 Three Point Field Goals
It just seems like every single NCAA Tournament game is featuring at least 20 threes right now, and North Carolina has been engaged in two battles thus far that have been indicative of that. Sure, the Golden Eagles will be able to slow the Tar Heels down just a bit, but when push comes to shove, Marquette probably has to hit this many three pointers by itself just to be able to stay in this one. Harrison Barnes definitely isn’t shy about uncorking the three balls, and neither is a man like Kendrick Marshall. Carolina doesn’t take all that many threes over the course of a game, but it does knock down a good chunk of what it takes. Just like seemingly every other tourney game, this one will go Over 10.5 Three Point Field Goals (-140 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

John Henson Over/Under 25.5 Points + Rebounds + Blocked Shots
Henson isn’t normally a fantastic offensive weapon for the Tar Heels, but he has really come alive over the course of these two games in the dance. We tend to believe that he is going to end up with somewhere around 15 blocks and boards combined, which really should leave this prop coming down to whether or not he is going to score 11 points or not. We just don’t see how he won’t do that, especially in a game that should be featuring UNC overpowering Marquette on the inside. The Golden Eagles just don’t have enough bigs to be able to duke it out with Henson, Harrison Barnes, and Tyler Zeller, and this could be another one of these 20 point nights for Henson. Go with him to end up going Over 25.5 Points + Rebounds + Blocks (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against a relatively weak set of Marquette post players.

Jared Sullinger Over/Under 26.5 Points + Rebounds
Interesting prop here. Sullinger is clearly one of the most dominating big men in the entire country, and when he is on the court, he is a real nightmare to try to defend. Many think that he is better than Greg Oden was when the Buckeyes ran all the way to the finale against the Florida Gators a few years back. Sullinger hasn’t really had the benefit of playing a full game in this dance, and we haven’t seen his fullest potential. We know that Kentucky can go big for big with the Buckeyes, but can it really keep up on the inside? We’re just not all that sure that Josh Harrellson is holding his own against the big fella in the post. As long as he stays out of foul trouble (and he usually does), there’s no reason to think that this is anything but a double-double performance for Sullinger. He’ll fly Over 26.5 Points + Rebounds (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) in this battle against the Wildcats.

Joey Rodriguez Over/Under 15.5 Points + Assists
Everyone is getting caught up in the types of games that Rodriguez has had in the first week of this tournament. Sure, he averaged over 12 points and right around eight helpers per game in these first three games, but this is a significantly longer and more athletic Florida State team that he is going against now. The men that has to pass through are significantly bigger and tend to get their hands on the basketball more often than not. The Noles not only hold teams down to the worst field goal percentage in the game, but they also allow the fewest assists as well. Rodriguez has his work cut out for him to get to this number. Expect him to stay Under 15.5 Points + Assists (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) versus the Seminoles.

The four games in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night give we, the March Madness betting public a great chance to make some great coin on some fantastic props. Check out our Sweet 16 prop picks for the biggest games of the season to date!

Jimmer Fredette Over/Under 31.5 Points
There is the point of ridiculousness, and we think that we have hit it. The Florida Gators play some absolutely fantastic defense, and they certainly learned their lessons from last year’s game against these BYU Cougars. Not just one, but all five bodies on the court need to be aware of where Jimmer Fredette is at all times. Sure, Fredette went off for 37 in this fixture last year in the first round of the dance, and yes, he has gone beyond this total in both of the first two games in this tournament, but this is a significantly different challenge. Will Fredette inch up near here scoring average of around 28 points per game? Quite possibly. But are the odds on his side to get to 32? Certainly not. Go with Fredette to score Under 31.5 Points (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) in the Sweet 16.

Derrick Williams Over/Under 18.5 Points
The thing about Williams is that he is so much more than just a big body on the inside that can throw down some thunderous dunks. We know that Williams is good for that as well, but he can stroke it from the outside and is a great foul shooter as well. The Duke Blue Devils are going to have a hard time containing this big man on the inside, as this is the first time since having to deal with the bigs of the North Carolina Tar Heels that they have had to defend a man like this. If the Arizona Wildcats are pulling off this upset and getting into the Elite 8, this is the man that really needs to be at his best. The big time players shine in the big time games, and Williams will end up going Over 18.5 Points (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against a relatively weak set of Duke post players.

Matt Howard Over/Under 23.5 Points + Rebounds
Howard has a couple of things going for him right now. The first is that he really is coming off of one of the best games of his career against the Pitt Panthers. The second is that he is really the icon on a team that has found a way to amazingly overachieve quite a bit over the course of these last two seasons on a consistent basis. Howard doesn’t have the talent for the Butler Bulldogs to be able to outclass other teams, but just like his teammates, he just works really hard and often gets the stats to show stardom. However, foul trouble is a problem on a regular basis, and Head Coach Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin Badgers know all about it. Howard has the tendency of picking up some ticky tack fouls in the paint, and the Badgers are just going to be relentless about it. Once he’s out of the lineup, we have nothing left to worry about. Howard’s not going for a double-double in this one, and as a result, against one of the best defenses in the country, he’s staying Under 23.5 Points + Rebounds (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) in this battle against the Badgers.

Keaton Nankivil Over/Under 12 Points + Rebounds
Nankivil has sort of become the forgotten man for the Badgers, and we’re really not all that sure as to why. He has only scored a grand total of 13 points in his last three games, but this could be a totally different case. At 6’8″ and 240 pounds, Nankivil can really dominate the paint against an undersized Butler team that was dominated on the glass against the Pittsburgh Panthers just a few days ago. He’s got the mojo to be able to both score and rebound, and he is averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game to show for it. If nothing else, Ryan will want him on the court to give another man to frustrate Howard, and that means plenty of driving to the hoop and getting down and dirty on the boards. This is the specialty of Nankivil. He’ll come out of nowhere and post a huge game to go Over 12 Points + Rebounds (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) versus the Bulldogs.