Less than two months in to the 2012 MLB regular season, the sports betting sites contenders have already began to create separation between themselves and the rest of their respective divisions in the National League. While the jury is still out on teams like the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves, there is no doubt that the Los Angeles Dodgers and defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals deserve to be the favorites to emerge from the NL. Once again the Cardinals have all of the necessary pieces to make a run to the World Series, but unlike last season they now have a legitimate NL opponent that could keep them from reaching that goal in the Dodgers.

Heading in to their respective series’ this past sportsbook weekend, it was Los Angeles that held a two-game lead over the Cardinals for the best record in the NL, and it is considered much more than just a fast start. While Matt Kemp has set the tone on offense with his MVP caliber numbers, the Dodgers’ pitching staff has been lights out with Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly flanking reigning NL Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw as one of the best starting three’s in the majors. Kershaw is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA, and even after a loss Chris Capuano isn’t far behind at 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA, while Ted Lilly actually has the best numbers of them all at 5-0 with a 2.11 ERA. Consistency will be the key for a pitching staff that ranks third in the majors with a combined 3.21 ERA, and if they can keep it up it will be hard for the Cardinals to overcome them to get back to the World Series.

That is not to say that St. Louis does not have its own horses, as Carlos Beltran leads the NL with 13 home runs and 32 RBI on an offense that ranks second in the majors in runs scored. Beltran, David Freese, Rafael Furcal, Jon Jay, and Yadier Molina are all batting better than .285, with Furcal leading the way with a .370 mark. While the Cardinals have the depth to compete with Los Angeles offensively, the question marks exist with a pitching staff that has not been nearly as strong without former ace Chris Carpenter. While Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse have been solid, St. Louis will need more out of Adam Wainwright, who missed last year’s title run because of injury.

While the Nationals and Braves have both exceeded expectations early on, neither is considered to be a serious World Series sports betting contender. The Cardinals remain the World Series favorites in the NL at +500 odds with BetOnline, but the Dodgers are right behind them at + 800 odds, and could actually be ahead of them in terms of showing they have what it takes to go all the way at this point in the season.

Most sports betting sites had Philadelphia and Boston at or near the top of the list when it came to World Series favorites heading into the season, and even though both have stumbled out of the gate, you know they’re going to be a factor before it’s all said and done. The two meet in the City of Brotherly Love on Friday night in the marquee interleague matchup of the weekend.

Red Sox Phillies Betting – Friday, 7:05 PM ET

Daniel Bard (3-4, 4.30) snapped a two-start losing skid with a great performance in a 12-1 romp at home against Cleveland, and online sportsbook sharps should know that the Red Sox have scored a combined 28 runs in his three wins. Bard, a converted reliever, scattered a run on six hits over six innings, with a pair of strikeouts and four walks, and while that is still an issue with Bard, he seems like he has the resolve to get over it; this is a frequent concern when you bring someone from the bullpen to the rotation. The 26-year-old has made four relief appearances against the Phillies, recording a save, but he has posted a 9.82 ERA: all four have come in Philadelphia.

Cole Hamels (5-1, 2.28) returned from suspension with another solid performance in a 3-2 win at home over San Diego, allowing a run on five hits over seven innings of work, striking out five and walking three. Hamels, who would be a pretty nice Cy Young darkhorse if you’re betting online, was suspended for five games for intentionally hitting Washington rookie Bryce Harper and then admitting it, but he only missed a start and never missed a beat. The 28-year-old lefty is 3-0 in four starts against the Red Sox with a 1.44 ERA, and he is 2-1 in three starts at home with a 2.79 ERA.

Sport betting odds should favor the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, but the Red Sox have won six of their last 10 in Philadelphia with five games going over the posted total, along with a push. Even though most of the attention in Philadelphia goes to former Cy Young winners Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, Hamels may be their best big-game pitcher with the postseason awards to prove it and it won’t be hard to find motivation for this game as the Phillies will be seeing a team they could meet in the World Series, despite both getting off to rough starts. Put Hamels against a converted reliever and the odds should be tilted heavily towards the Phillies, who should pay out with a sports betting online victory on Friday night in Philadelphia.

A pair of underachieving World Series contenders will clash in interleague play this weekend, as the Philadelphia Phillies look to shake off some of their rust against an equally-disappointing Boston Red Sox team. Get your MLB odds for the ugly affair at Bovada.

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Though each has struggled mightily to start the 2012 campaign, the Phillies and Red Sox remain intriguing options on the MLB betting line. The question is, how long do they deserve such praise on the World Series futures list if they’re not producing results?

Heading into the weekend set the two clubs are dead last in their respective divisions, having shown no indication of crawling out of the basement any time soon. Could a strong showing against the other give at least one of them some momentum to climb back up the standings?

According to Bovada’s MLB odds makers, the Phillies still hold 11/1 odds of winning the World Series. The Red Sox, perhaps slightly more dysfunctional at the time, sit lower down the list at 18/1.

It might not be pretty, but there’s nowhere to go but up for both clubs. Weigh in the series with Bovada’s MLB betting line today.

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Headed for his second consecutive 350 batting average and 30 plus home run season, Josh Hamilton is set to become a sports betting free agent at the end of the 2012 MLB season. Last week, Hamilton furthered his case as the modern day Babe Ruth, when he launched nine home runs in a span of four games against two different opponents. As a result, Hamilton alone has more home runs then five-baseball teams! With back – to – back runners up appearances in the World Series, will this be Hamilton’s final year as a Texas Ranger?

Josh Hamilton is every body’s favorite player, even if he hits home runs against your team. Over the past three years, Hamilton has grown into one of the most dynamic baseball players to ever play the game, as his five tool attributes have allowed for the Texas Rangers to go from a good team to an elite team. While Hamilton has held up his end of the bargain by performing to the most of his abilities, the Rangers have seemed to lag in regards to contract negotiations. Essentially, the Rangers acquired Hamilton for next to nothing from the Cincinnati Reds, as personal problems made him appear as a project player. For this reason, Hamilton was signed to cheap one-year deals regardless of impressive numbers.

As we noted earlier, Hamilton launched nine home runs last week, while anchoring the Rangers offense. Right now, Hamilton is on pace for 80 home runs 204 RBI and a 980 OBP. Meaning to say, for the Rangers to continue to sit on their hands and avoid signing Hamilton to a long-term deal, makes very little sense. After all, the team could believe that Josh Hamilton should be loyal to them since they stuck by him throughout his recovery from a variety of addictions. However, after bringing the team to within a World Series victory in back to back years, does he really owe them anything?

In theory, if Hamilton elects to test the free agent market, he could have plenty of suitors, with all five AL East teams being in the fold. To us, the team that makes the most sense of the five AL East teams for Hamilton to play for is the Toronto Blue Jays. Currently in rebuilding mode, the Jays management plans to contend for a betting online World Series Title by 2013. With uncertainty in left field, where Josh Hamilton currently resides on the baseball diamond, signing the best hitter in the game makes a ton of sense on the surface. Yet, there are plenty of things to consider both for Hamilton and the Blue Jays.

For Hamilton, he has shown that he can hit the ball very well in a warm climate, and Toronto plays in a dome, would it have an effect? Conversely, the Blue Jays offense has struggled this year, as even though they rank fourth in total offense, the team batting average is awful. One of the main reasons for this is the approach of hitting coach Dwayne Murphy, whose game plan isn’t very good. If Hamilton leaves for the Blue Jays would his overall game be affected, by leaving the Rangers hitting coach? At the end of the day, if the Toronto Blue Jays can land Josh Hamilton, they should be able to win the World Series.

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The Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox will meet on the field at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday in a battle of division rivals.

Lefthander Drew Smyly will take the mound for the Tigers to start this game. Smyly is 1-0 this season with a 1.59 ERA.

The White Sox will counter Smyly with John Danks. Lefthander Danks has a 5.89 ERA to go along with a 2-4 record this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Tigers listed as 130-moneyline favorites versus the White Sox, while the game’s total is sitting at 8.

Last time out for Detroit, they were a 3-1 winner as they battled the Athletics on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Tigers at -163 were rewarded, while the 4 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Last time out for Chicago, they were a 9-1 loser as they battled the Royals at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Royals at +106 were rewarded, while the 10 combined runs moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Current streak:
Chicago has lost 2 straight games.

Team records:
Detroit: 17-17 SU
Chicago: 16-19 SU

Detroit most recently:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing Chi White Sox are 6-4
After playing Oakland are 5-5
After a win are 2-8

Chicago most recently:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing Detroit are 4-6
After playing Kansas City are 4-6
After a loss are 3-7

A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit’s last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Detroit is 9-3 SU in their last 12 games when playing Chi White Sox
Detroit is 12-5 SU in their last 17 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox’s last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox’s last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Chi White Sox are 6-13 SU in their last 19 games
Chi White Sox are 5-12 SU in their last 17 games when playing at home against Detroit

Next up:
Chi White Sox home to Detroit, Tuesday, May 15

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Lost in the media circus that has been the utter dysfunction of the Boston Red Sox and the unlikely rise of the Baltimore Orioles has been a pair of more-than-relevant American League East contenders quietly making their mark on the division – and no, we’re not talking about the New York Yankees. What’s the story behind the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays this season and where do they factor into the MLB betting line?

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Nestled comfortably above the .500 mark, the Jays and Rays have laid relatively low on the Major League Baseball radar. Notably, however, each are capable of making a dent on the World Series futures line.

With 10/1 MLB odds, the Rays are among the most highly-touted, second only to New York, but it hasn’t yielded them any time in the spotlight – such is life in baseball’s deepest division.

Starting this Monday, Tampa will get yet another opportunity to prove their division supremacy against a Blue Jays team just as capable of making a run for the AL East title in what’s shaping up to be a four-team race.

Though the jury is still out on whether the Orioles are really this good (or the Red Sox really this bad), the Rays, Jays and Yankees have made their intentions perfectly clear.

With 22/1 odds on that same MLB futures line, the Jays aren’t to be taken lightly, but is this the year they lock down a playoff berth for the first time since 1993?

Get a taste of what to expect down the stretch in the AL East as the Jays and Rays clash on the individual game MLB betting line.

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The Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers will both be gunning for a victory on Sunday when they meet at Rangers Ballpark.

The Angels will give the ball to starter Jered Weaver in this one. Righthander Weaver is 5-0 this season with a 1.60 ERA.

It’ll be Neftali Feliz toeing the rubber for the Rangers in this contest. Righthander Feliz is 2-1 with a 3.19 ERA so far this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Rangers listed as 124-moneyline favorites versus the Angels, while the game’s total is sitting at 8½.

The Angels were a 4-2 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the Rangers. That made winners of bettors who got Los Angeles at +142 on the moneyline, while the total score (6) was good news for UNDER bettors.

Team records:
Los Angeles: 15-19 SU
Texas: 22-12 SU

Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Oakland are 3-7
After playing Texas are 4-6
After a win are 5-5

Texas most recently:
When playing on Sunday are 7-3
Before playing Kansas City are 6-4
After playing LA Angels are 6-4
After a loss are 8-2

A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels’s last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of LA Angels’s last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of LA Angels’s last 11 games on the road
LA Angels are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas’s last 6 games
Texas is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas’s last 6 games when playing at home against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Texas’s last 16 games at home

Next up:
LA Angels home to Oakland, Monday, May 14
Texas home to Kansas City, Monday, May 14

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The fans at Busch Stadium will be treated to a game between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals when they take their seats on Sunday.

The Braves will give the ball to starter Tommy Hanson in this one. Righthander Hanson is 3-3 this season with a 3.63 ERA.

Meanwhile, it’ll be Lance Lynn who starts for the Cardinals. Righthander Lynn is 6-0 with a 1.40 ERA so far this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Cardinals listed as 142-moneyline favorites versus the Braves, while the game’s total is sitting at 7.

The Braves were a 7-2 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the Cardinals. That made winners of bettors who got Atlanta at +126 on the moneyline, while the total score (9) was good news for OVER bettors.

Current streak:
Atlanta has won 2 straight games.
St. Louis has lost 2 straight games.

Team records:
Atlanta: 21-13 SU
St. Louis: 20-13 SU

Atlanta most recently:
When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing Cincinnati are 6-4
After playing St. Louis are 5-5
After a win are 5-5

St. Louis most recently:
When playing on Sunday are 3-7
Before playing Chi Cubs are 3-7
After playing Atlanta are 4-6
After a loss are 6-4

A few trends to consider:
Atlanta is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Atlanta’s last 13 games when playing St. Louis
Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis’s last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 10 of St. Louis’s last 13 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 8 of St. Louis’s last 11 games

Next up:
Atlanta home to Cincinnati, Monday, May 14
St. Louis home to Chi Cubs, Monday, May 14

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The Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at Busch Stadium.

Righthander Brandon Beachy will take the mound for the Braves to start this game. Beachy is 3-1 this season with a 1.62 ERA.

Beachy’s opponent in this one will be Adam Wainwright. The Cardinals righthander has a 5.61 ERA to go along with a 2-3 record this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Cardinals listed as 123-moneyline favorites versus the Braves, while the game’s total is sitting at 7½.

In their last action, Atlanta was a 9-7 winner on the road against the Cardinals. Bettors on Atlanta at +133 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (16) sent OVER bettors home happy as well.

Team records:
Atlanta: 20-13 SU
St. Louis: 20-12 SU

Atlanta most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 7-3
Before playing St. Louis are 4-6
After playing St. Louis are 5-5
After a win are 4-6

St. Louis most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Atlanta are 8-2
After playing Atlanta are 4-6
After a loss are 6-4

A few trends to consider:
Atlanta is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Atlanta’s last 12 games when playing St. Louis
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 8 of St. Louis’s last 9 games at home
St. Louis is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Atlanta
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Atlanta

Next up:
St. Louis home to Atlanta, Sunday, May 13

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If familiarity breeds contempt, there should be animosity aplenty on Saturday when the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins meet at Marlins Park.

The Mets will pin their hopes on the pitching of righthander R.A. Dickey in this game. Dickey has a 4-1 record and a 3.76 ERA this season.

Dickey’s opponent in this one will be Ricky Nolasco. The Marlins righthander has a 2.72 ERA to go along with a 4-0 record this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Marlins listed as 136-moneyline favorites versus the Mets, while the game’s total is sitting at 7½.

In their last action, New York was a 6-5 loser on the road against the Marlins. Bettors on Miami at -137 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (11) sent OVER bettors home happy as well.

Current streak:
Miami has won 2 straight games.

Team records:
New York: 18-14 SU
Miami: 17-15 SU

New York most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Miami are 7-3
After playing Miami are 7-3
After a loss are 4-6

Miami most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing NY Mets are 4-6
After playing NY Mets are 2-8
After a win are 7-3

A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Mets’s last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of NY Mets’s last 11 games when playing on the road against Miami
NY Mets are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
NY Mets are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Miami’s last 11 games when playing at home against NY Mets
Miami is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami’s last 5 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Miami’s last 19 games

Next up:
Miami home to NY Mets, Sunday, May 13

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