The World Baseball Classic might still be a full year away from being complete, but qualifying for the tournament is about set to get started in September. Join us for our first look at the 2013 World Baseball Classic odds and which teams you should be looking out for to claim this illustrious title down the line.

This really is a matter of three teams, one of which is probably going to end up winning the World Baseball Classic. The favorites for the time being is the Dominican Republic (World Baseball Classic Odds: 2 to 1 SportBet Sportsbook). The Dominicans have some outstanding starts on their team, including some powerful outfielders like Jose Bautista and Nelson Cruz. Robinson Cano, Hanley Ramirez, and Jose Reyes will arm the infield, and the pitching staff has some great arms like Johnny Cueto, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Edinson Volquez. It’s not the greatest staff in the world, but in a tournament like this one, this lineup should be able to pick up the slack for what the pitchers might not be good enough to do.

There has only been one team that has been able to win this tournament in the past, and that is Japan (Odds To Win World Baseball Classic: 2.50 to 1 SportBet Sportsbook). The man that has won the MVP Award in the previous two World Baseball Classics, Daisuke Matsuzaka just doesn’t feel like he is going to be able to contribute to his team in 2013. Yu Darvish should be able to carry the load as the main ace of this team. Other major leaguers like Kosuke Fukudome, Ichiro Suzuki, and Kenji Johjima will help the team, but in the end, we always have to remember that a lot of these others players work together in the Japanese league, and that camaraderie is something that cannot be underestimated. There is a reason that baseball is so big in Japan, and that’s why this team is one of the best in the world year in and year out.

Home field advantage will go to the United States (2012 World Baseball Classic Betting Lines: 2.50 to 1 @ SportBet Sportsbook). Of course, the Americans have had the advantage of playing in their own backyard over the course of the last two World Baseball Classics, but they only have one fourth place finish to show for their work. It’s not that this team is void of talent for sure. Just look at some of the names of the men that could start… Brian McCann behind the plate, Evan Longoria at third, Jimmy Rollins at short, Kevin Youkilis at first, Ryan Braun, Adam Dunn, Curtis Granderson, and Shane Victorino in the outfield… and that doesn’t even include a bullpen with Heath Bell, Jonathan Broxton, Joel Hanrahan, and others that really have the ability to shut the door. The starting pitchers are thin right now, but the options are there for the Americans to be able to put a heck of a lot of players that are aces on this roster if they want to join the team.

There is only one other team that has succeeded in medaling in both of the first two World Baseball Classics. South Korea (World Baseball Classic Futures Lines: 15 to 1 SportBet Sportsbook) is one of the longest shots on the board, and we wonder if this team is going to be able to get the job done again. Just as baseball is big in Japan, it is just as big in South Korea as well. There are a heck of a lot of young players on this team, but there aren’t all that many players that are even thought about as big league players. That doesn’t mean that the squad isn’t going to be able to win once again, and if Japan can do it, so can South Korea.

Odds to Win the 2013 World Baseball Classic @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 8/7/12):
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Dominican Republic 2 to 1
Japan 2.50 to 1
United States 2.50 to 1
Chinese Taipei 12 to 1
Cuba 12 to 1
Canada 15 to 1
South Korea 15 to 1
Mexico 18 to 1
Puerto Rico 20 to 1
Venezuela 225 to 1
Panama 35 to 1
Field (Any Other Team) 15 to 1

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1. Texas Rangers (50-29) – Texas has won five in a row, and became the first team in Major League Baseball to win 50 games. The Rangers are looking to sweep the Oakland Athletics at home on Sunday. Texas is the top offensive team in all of Major League Baseball with 426 runs scored, a .284 batting average and .346 slugging. The Rangers’ Josh Hamilton leads the team with 25 homeruns, while driving in 73 runs as well. Texas plays at Chicago on Tuesday.

2. New York Yankees (47-30) – Despite losing C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte in the same week; the Yankees are in full control of the American League East. The Yankees lead the Orioles by five games. New York has seen Robinson Cano lead the way with a .308 batting average, while Curtis Granderson has blasted 23 homeruns and drove in 46 runs. New York will start a big week on Monday with a trip to Tampa Bay, before taking on the Red Sox over the weekend.

3. Los Angeles Angels (43-35) – After a slow start, the Angels are right back into the mix within the American League postseason chase. Despite their hot play – the Angels trail Texas by 6.5 games in the AL West. Los Angeles is the AL leading team for the first of two wildcard spots. The Angels are the fifth best batting team with a .268 batting average, led by Mike Trout’s .336. The Angels head to Cleveland on Monday to open up a series.

4. Washington Nationals (44-32) – The Nationals continue to be a surprise story in all of Major League Baseball. Washington is 12 games over .500, and leads the NL East by 2.5 games. The Nationals are the top pitching team in all of MLB with a 3.18 earned run average. Washington also has 50 quality starts; which ranks third in the game. The Nationals will welcome the San Francisco Giants to town on Tuesday for a three game series.

5. San Francisco Giants (44-35) – The Giants 2012 success was seen through the 2012 All Star game voting. The Giants got three starters into the game; Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and Melky Cabrera. San Francisco has been hot as of late; moving to 9 games over .500. Lately, San Francisco has had a tough time scoring, as the Reds have beat them twice in a row. San Francisco is led by Cabrera’s .350 batting average.

6.  Los Angeles Dodgers (43-36) – Los Angeles is having a tough time scoring runs. The Dodgers were shut-out on Friday and Saturday by the New York Mets. Los Angeles has scored just 304 runs on the season; which ranks them 24^th overall. The Dodgers look to get their top offensive threat Matt Kemp back immediately after the All Star break. Los Angeles will play the Sunday night game of the week, and then welcome Cincinnati to town.

7. Cincinnati Reds (43-34) – The National League Central leading Reds were shut-out on Thursday night but came back with impressive wins Saturday and Sunday in San Francisco. The Reds hold just a slim one game lead over Pittsburgh in the National League Central. Cincinnati is led by Joey Votto’s .350 batting average, along with Jay Bruce and his 17 homeruns and 54 runs batted in.  The Reds continue their road trip with a visit to Los Angeles to start the week.

8. Chicago White Sox (42-36) – The White Sox continue to be surprise leaders out of the American League Central. Robin Ventura in his first season as manager has done a great job with a mix of veterans and youngsters. Chicago leads Cleveland by 2.5 games in the division. The White Sox are 7^th in the league with 366 runs scored; led by Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn. Chicago will start a series with the two time defending AL champion Texas Rangers on Tuesday.

9. Baltimore Orioles (42-36) – The Orioles made a statement that they were going to do whatever they could to contend in the second half. Baltimore is 42-35 overall, and in second place in the AL East. The Orioles traded on Saturday for veteran Jim Thome. The former Phillie slugger is expected to be a regular as designated hitter for the Orioles. Baltimore’s Adam Jones is leading the team with a .300 batting average and 19 homeruns.

10. Atlanta Braves (41-36) – Atlanta continues to hang around in the National League East divisional race. Atlanta is the 9^th highest scoring team in the league with 353 runs, while batting .260. The Braves’ Martin Prado is batting .323 while Jason Heyward has blasted 12 homeruns. The pitching for Atlanta has been anchored by Tommy Hanson, with 9 wins. The Braves will host the Chicago Cubs on Monday in an effort to get hot before the All Star break.

11. New York Mets (43-36) – The Mets are getting great starting pitching, especially from their knuckleball pitcher – R.A. Dickey. New York shut-out the Dodgers in both games on Friday and Saturday and head into their Sunday night game with Dillon Gee on the mound. The Mets offense is seeing third basemen David Wright put together a great season, with a .355 batting average. New York comes into Sunday trailing Washington by 2.5 games.

12. Pittsburgh Pirates (42-35) – The Pirates had a good weekend in St. Louis winning the first two games by scoring a bunch of runs. Andrew McCutchen is having a sensational season, with a .346 batting average and 15 homeruns. Pittsburgh is trying to break the longest streak in professional sports history of being under .500. The Pirates come into Sunday trailing Cincinnati by just a single game. Pittsburgh’s A.J. Burnett leads the team with 9 wins.

13. St. Louis Cardinals (40-38) – The Cardinals, following their five game winning streak lost three straight to Miami and Pittsburgh. St. Louis has been one of the top hitting teams in all of the game, but still trail Cincinnati by 3.5 games coming into Sunday’s action. The Cardinals top offensive player has been their catcher Yadier Molina with a .311 batting average and 13 homeruns. Molina was one of four Cardinals named to the All Star game.

14. Boston Red Sox (41-37) – The Red Sox are the second highest scoring team in all of baseball; with 404 runs. The Red Sox are fourth in the game with a .270 batting average. On Saturday; the Red Sox scored just 2 runs in a loss to the Mariners. Boston’s offense has seen David Ortiz bat .305, hit 21 homeruns and drive in 53 runs on the season. The Red Sox will head out to Oakland this week before taking on the Yankees over the weekend.

15. Tampa Bay Rays (41-37) – The Rays have dropped seven of their last ten to fall into fourth place in the American League East. Tampa Bay got a great outing Friday from David Price, but then could not back it up with a win on Saturday. The Rays offense is led by the power of Matt Joyce, with 11 homeruns. The Rays are one of the worst offensive teams, as they are batting just .233 as a team. Tampa Bay prepares to take on divisional leading New York this week.

16. Cleveland Indians (40-38) – The Cleveland Indians feel they can make a run in the American League Central if they are able to shore up their pitching. The Indians have the third worst ERA in all of baseball; with a 4.61. The offense for the Indians has been led by Asdrubal Cabrera, who is batting .292 with 11 homeruns. The Indians come into Saturday in second place in the division. Cleveland’s catcher Carlos Santana is day-to-day with a couple nagging injuries.

17. Toronto Blue Jays (40-38) – The Blue Jays put up 11 runs on Saturday over Los Angeles, to make the two day total 18. Toronto has the ability to score with anyone, especially in their home field. The Blue Jays Jose Bautista has once again shown the ability to hit the long ball, as he leads the AL with 26 homeruns. Third basemen Edwin Encarnacion also has 20+ on the season. The Blue Jays are without their top starting pitcher Brandon Morrow.

18. Detroit Tigers (38-40) – The Detroit Tigers would like to catch fire, and play to the level they feel they should be playing. The Tigers, who many felt should win the American League Central are three games under .500. The Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander was defeated Friday night by Tampa Bay, and their ace David Price. The Tigers have seen their center fielder Austin Jackson lead the way with a .324 batting average. Miguel Cabrera has blasted 16 homeruns on the season.

19. Arizona Diamondbacks (39-38) – Arizona has played good baseball as of late. With their winning ways, they have climbed back into the National League West chase. The Diamondbacks come into Saturday trailing San Francisco by just four games. The Diamondbacks saw their second base men Aaron Hill pick up his second cycle of the season. The Diamondbacks youngster Wade Miley leads the team with 9 wins and a 2.19 earned run average.

20.  Oakland Athletics (37-42) – The Athletics let one get away on Friday night. Oakland let 2-0 heading into the bottom of the 8^th, only to see Texas come back to win the game 4-3. The Athletics have scored 295 runs and allowed 294 on the season. Oakland heads into Saturday’s action, 12 games behind the Rangers within divisional play. The Athletics top offensive threat has been Josh Reddick, with a .260 average, along with 18 homeruns and 39 runs batted in.

21. Milwaukee Brewers (35-42) – At 8 games under .500 – the Brewers are also 8 games behind the Reds in the National League Central. After winning the division and getting to the NLCS a year ago – Milwaukee appears to be sellers at the trade deadline. The Brewers top trading chip could be right hander Zach Greinke, who leads the team with 9 wins. The Brewers have a team earned run average of nearly 4.25 on the season. Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun is once again having another MVP type season.

22. Miami Marlins (38-40) – The Marlins have struggled through most of the season, but their struggles have reached a new level in the month of June. The Marlins have lost seven of their last ten overall. Miami was able to pick up a win on Friday night, behind Josh Johnson. The Marlins offense has struggled a bit; scoring 289 runs on the season, which ranks them 27^th in all of Major League Baseball. The Marlins are 8.5 games back in the NL East.

23. Philadelphia Phillies (36-45) – Marred in last place within the National League East – the Philadelphia Phillies need to get going. Charlie Manuel’s team come into Saturday 10 games behind the Nationals for first place in the National League East. Cliff Lee, one of the Phillies top starting pitchers has yet to record a win in 2012. The Phillies offense ranks 10th in the league with 343 runs, while also ranking 7th with a .265 batting average. The top offensive threat for Philadelphia has been catcher Carlos Ruiz, who is batting .356.

24. Kansas City Royals (35-41) – Kansas City is playing some of the best baseball in all of MLB. The Royals have won four straight games and moved to within four games of .500. The Royals offense has enjoyed the success of Alcides Escobar, and his .316 batting average. Kansas City as a team is batting .264, which ranks in the top ten in all of Major League Baseball. Despite being under .500 – the Royals are just 5.5 games behind Chicago in the American League Central.

25. Seattle Mariners (34-46) – The Mariners are 16.5 games behind the front running Texas Rangers in the American League West. Seattle was shut-out by the Red Sox Friday night. The Mariners are 27^th in the league in batting, with an average just over .230. The Mariners’ youngster Justin Smoak has provided the power; as he leads the way with 11 homeruns. The Mariners’ Jason Vargas leads the starting pitchers, with 7 wins.

26. Houston Astros (32-46) – The Astros have fallen on some tough times recently, as they have dropped to 13 games below .500. On Friday, Houston was unable to score; as the Cubs beat them 4-0. The Astros lone All Star will most likely be Jose Altuve, who leads the team with a .309 batting average. Houston’s Lucas Harrell leads the team with 7 wins on the season.

27. Minnesota Twins (32-45) – The Twins come into the weekend with the worst record in the American League. The Twins took a 4-3 loss on Friday to Kansas City to fall 5.5 games behind the Royals for fourth place. The Twins offensive numbers are led by Josh Willingham, who has 15 homeruns and 50 runs batted in, while scoring 40 runs. The Twins pitching is 29^th in all of baseball with an earned run average of 5.02.

28. Colorado Rockies (30-47) – The Rockies cannot seem to find a solution to their porous pitching staff. Colorado’s earned run average is over 5 on the season. The Rockies have put together just 18 quality starts in 76 games. The Rockies offense is anchored by Carlos Gonzalez, who is batting .338, and has also blasted 17 homeruns. Colorado is in fourth place in the National League West. The Rockies are 13 games behind the Giants in the division.

29. San Diego Padres (29-50) – The Padres allowed 10 runs on the road at Colorado to drop their 50^th game of the season. San Diego is the worst offensive team in all of Major League Baseball, with just 263 runs scored. The pitching for the Padres has fared a little better behind Clayton Richard. Richard has an ERA of just 3.77. San Diego comes into the weekend 16 games behind the National League West leading San Francisco Giants.

30. Chicago Cubs (28-49) – The Cubs continue to re-build as they call up their prospect in Anthony Rizzo during the past week. Chicago has dropped to 22 games under .500, and look to be shipping a few guys off at the deadline. The latest names to be sent out include Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster. The Cubs are 29^th in all of baseball with just 280 runs scored. The pitching for Chicago ranks 27^th in MLB with an earned run average of nearly 4.50. Starlin Castro will most likely be the lone Cub representative on the National League All Star team.

Here at Bankroll Sports, we’ve always got our pulse on all of the best MLB betting action, and as a part of all of the action, we’re taking a look at the Top 10 money pitchers in the league through games ending June 4th.

1: Dillon Gee, New York Mets (8-0, +$876) – Is Gee that lucky or that good? The answer is probably a little from Column A and a little from Column B. Gee does have a 3.33 ERA, but he only has 39 strikeouts in 54 innings of work. He also has 20 walks. Still, the 25 year old righty has a bright future with the Mets, and he certainly knows that he isn’t goingt o get that much run support when he comes out to pitch. Gee also spent plenty of time in the New York bullpen this year, which also doesn’t give us all that much confidence that this is going to keep up.

2: Jason Marquis, Washington Nationals (8-3, +$809) – The Nats are finally getting their money’s worth on Marquis after bringing him in from the Colorado Rockies. Marquis had a disastrous year last year, going 2-9 with a 6.60 ERA, and this year, he is already 6-2. No, we aren’t all that impressed with a 4.13 ERA for Marquis, but he definitely continues to get the job done. Of course, it helps that in his last 10 starts, Marquis has gotten at least seven runs of support six times. The righty still has only started 24 games since coming to DC, something that concerns us for a man that had thrown at least 28 starts in his previous six seasons.

3: Aaron Harang, San Diego Padres (9-3, +$708) – The big right hander is absolutely loving his new digs at Petco Park, and he is putting up some phenomenal numbers this year. Harang has a 3.77 ERA, and he hasn’t had a loss since May 2nd. Amazingly, for as well as Harang has pitched at home, he hasn’t lost a start on the road this season. Three of his four starts on the road have been stellar, and the dud at the Colorado Rockies in which he allowed seven runs in 4.1 innings was overcome by his normally shoddy offense.

4: Kevin Correia, Pittsburgh Pirates (8-4, +$686) – We can’t even remember the last time that the Pirates had a pitcher in the Top 10 on the MLB lines this late in the season. Correia doesn’t get a lot of strikeouts (just 34 this season), but he does a great job keeping the ball on the ground and trusting the defense behind him. Correia has three straight wins, two of which came as underdogs, and he is about to notch his third straight season with double digits worth of wins.

5: Kyle McClellan, St. Louis Cardinals (8-2, +$590) – McClellan hadn’t started a game in his entire career before this year. We guess he has a newly found trade at this point. Manager Tony LaRussa really didn’t have a choice but to go with McClellan in his rotation this year when Adam Wainwright went down, and he certainly answered the bell. The righty is 6-2 with a 3.86 ERA. He’s on the DL now with a hip flexor injury, but when he comes back, we’d have no reason to believe that McClellan won’t be able to continue on his torrid pace in his first year as a starter.

6: Bruce Chen, Kansas City Royals (6-1, +$554) – We just don’t know how Bruce Chen continues to stick around in this league. He has been around since 1998, has bounced around to a million different franchises, and yet he already has the third most wins that he has ever had in a season in his career with four. Chen is on the DL right now, and when he comes back, we would be fading him on the MLB odds all the time until he and the Royals come back to earth.

7: Josh Tomlin, Cleveland Indians (8-3, +$552) – The Tribe are still in the driver’s seat in the AL Central, and Tomlin is a big part of the reason why. He has had back to back iffy starts against the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays, but both of those games were on the road. This year at home, Tomlin has been unhittable, and this is why he has a 3.27 ERA and a 7-2 record for the season.

8: Kyle Drabek, Toronto Blue Jays (8-4, +$526) – Drabek is one of the few pitchers that have stayed on this list as one of the best arms to make MLB picks with for the majority of this season. The problem that Drabek has right now is that he is coming off of the worst start of his career. He allowed four runs in just 0.2 innings against the Cleveland Indians in a 13-9 loss. However, he was on the heels of throwing 121 pitches, a career high against the Chicago White Sox the game before, so we tend to give him the benefit of the doubt.

9: Ian Kennedy, Arizona Diamondbacks (8-4, +$506) – Really, since allowing nine runs in just three innings against the St. Louis Cardinals back on April 14th, Kennedy has been fantastic, dropping his ERA down to just 3.16. He has 63 strikeouts against 22 walks this year, and as a result, he has a 6-2 mark. Kennedy is really one of the main reasons for which the D’Backs have come all the way back this season to compete in the NL West, and he needs to keep it up if they’re going to stay in it.

10: Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox (4-0, +$505) – The last pitcher this year to have at least $500 worth of profits on the MLB lines is a man that has only had four starts under his belt. Peavy has been absolutely electric this year since coming back off of shoulder surgery. He has a 3.24 ERA in 25 frames, and he has a whopping K/BB ratio of 16/1. If Peavy can regain his form of the past with the San Diego Padres, the White Sox really might not be out of the AL Central race yet even though they still have a lot of work to do to get back anywhere near the top of the division.

The NL West is one of the more interesting divisions this year in the game, as always. There really aren’t any teams that you can totally count out of this mess, but there aren’t any that you’d think are a surefire lock either. Check out the NL West odds and our NL West preview!

The San Francisco Giants (1.30 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) are the defending World Series champs, and they largely have the exact same team that they did last year. However, what we have to remember about this team is that it just barely got into the second season last year, and the hope is that it can do a heck of a lot better and get into the dance with plenty of games to spare this year.

The up and coming team on the NL West odds is the Colorado Rockies (2 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook). The Rockies really didn’t do a heck of a lot in the offseason this year, but they did wrap up a ton of their young players to incredibly long contracts. Colorado still has a great starting rotation, anchored around Ubaldo Jimenez, who looked like he had a chance to win 30 games last year before he fell off in the second half of the campaign.

We’re really not so sure why the Los Angeles Dodgers (3.90 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook) are in the same sort of discussion right now as the Giants and Rockies. Sure, Manager Don Mattingly is certain to bring in a new flare to the team this year, but when push comes to shove, there just weren’t enough moves that were made to keep this team competitive in all likelihood.

The San Diego Padres (13.50 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) were the upstart team down the stretch last season, and they really went for it to get into the playoffs. As we know, they didn’t succeed, and they really don’t have that impressive looking of a team. However, it wasn’t all that sharp looking last year either. Now that Adrian Gonzalez is gone though, this isn’t really the best looking team in the world. Don’t really look for the rebuilding Arizona Diamondbacks (20 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) to compete either, though we know that this team has a great nucleus of young hitters like Stephen Drew and Justin Upton to build around.

Odds to Win NL West @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Arizona Diamondbacks 20 to 1
Colorado Rockies 1.75 to 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 3 to 1
San Diego Padres 10 to 1
San Francisco Giants 1.25 to 1

Betting Lines to Win NL West @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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San Francisco Giants 1.30 to 1
Colorado Rockies 2 to 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 3.90 to 1
San Diego Padres 13.50 to 1
Arizona Diamondbacks 20 to 1

2011 NL West Odds @ Hollywood Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Arizona Diamondbacks 18 to 1
Colorado Rockies 1.80 to 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 2.75 to 1
San Diego Padres 10 to 1
San Francisco Giants 1.50 to 1

The NL Central is a wide open division this season, and there are legitimately four teams that could ultimately end up making the playoffs out of this bunch. Check out how we stack up the NL Central odds this season.

The favorites to win this division this year are the Milwaukee Brewers (2.05 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook). We know that Zack Greinke isn’t going to be in the lineup on Opening Day, but he really has the ability to win 20 games this year for this team. This is largely the same type of squad that made the postseason a few years ago with CC Sabathia, and now, the Brew Crew have the use of Greinke for the whole year. Yovani Gallardo is a great No. 2 starter, while John Axford should be able to anchor the bullpen. Prince Fielder, in a contract season, could be in line for a great year, and if he gets off to a great start, this team really could be a terror on the rest of the division.

The defending champs on the division are the Cincinnati Reds (2.35 to 1 @ Hollywood Sportsbook). Joey Votto in an unheralded star, and Manager Dusty Baker has a great set of bats and arms at his disposal as well. Was Cincy a one year wonder last year in the postseason? We’ll soon find out. However, one thing is for sure, and that’s that the rest of the division is a heck of a lot better this year.

The team that suffered the worst break of the offseason was the St. Louis Cardinals (3 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook). Not only did the team not ultimately end up winning the race with Albert Pujols to get a contract done, but then it lost Adam Wainwright in Spring Training for the year as well. It would be a tremendous accomplishment for this team to make it into the second season this year, and if it doesn’t, don’t be surprised if both Pujols and Manager Tony LaRussa end up flying the Cardinals’ coup.

The team that could be the real upstart this year out of nowhere is the Chicago Cubs (5 to 1 @ Hollywood Sportsbook). The Cubbies were one of the teams that raided the Tampa Bay Rays in this offseason. They picked up both Carlos Pena and Matt Garza in the winter, and those acquisitions really might make up for a number of bad signings over the years. This is the longest shot of the realistic teams that can get the job done, but we aren’t counting out the North Siders yet.

Both the Houston Astros (33 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (45 to 1 @ Sportbet Sportsbook) really have no shot to do that much damage. You can bet that the Pirates are good for yet another season below .500.

Odds to Win NL Central @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Chicago Cubs 5 to 1
Cincinnati Reds 2 to 1
Houston Astros 25 to 1
Milwaukee Brewers 1.75 to 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 40 to 1
St. Louis Cardinals 2.75 to 1

Betting Lines to Win NL Central @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Milwaukee Brewers 2.05 to 1
Cincinnati Reds 2.35 to 1
St. Louis Cardinals 3 to 1
Chicago Cubs 4.85 to 1
Houston Astros 33 to 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 45 to 1

2011 NL Central Odds @ Hollywood Sportsbook (as of 3/30/11):
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Chicago Cubs 4.50 to 1
Cincinnati Reds 1.80 to 1
Houston Astros 40 to 1
Milwaukee Brewers 1.80 to 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 100 to 1
St. Louis Cardinals 3 to 1

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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

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