Sports Betting Tips and Game Handicapping Picks » MLB Playoffs

Can the NY Yankees win a re-peat?

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:12:08 +0000

With Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui no longer part of the Yankees, can these guys return to the World Series this year?

That is the question most Yankee fans are asking themselves as we kick off the brand new 2010 MLB baseball season. Will the key additions of Javier Vasquez and Curtis Granderson be enough to fill the holes Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui left on the roster?

Without a shadow of a doubt, both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui were keys in the Yankees’ World Series run in 2009. Hell, Matsui was the 2009 World Series MVP for crying out loud. Thankfully, the Yankees are deep enough on both offense and with pitching that they can probably afford to lose out on those key elements on their title run heading to the season.

While some will remember Vazquez’s bad first go-around with the New York Yankees, things will be drastically different in that he won’t be counted on to be the ace or even second-best pitcher on the team. He’ll be the fourth starter behind CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte. There is no questioning Vazquez’s stuff and the second tour on duty with the Bronx Bombers should be a lot smoother.

Granderson can do a lot of things on offense, but would be so much better if he could hit lefties (.210 career batting average). Yet, in a lineup that includes Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada, and newly (re)-acquired Nick Johnson, Granderson will be alright.

And so will the Yankees as they have a great shot to repeat. (Can you imagine if they lost Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter? Now THAT will be an entirely different story and a huge problem at that…)

Of course, while the Yankees prepare for a possible title run, their rivals, the Boston Red Sox, are looking for the opportunity to unseat them in the AL.

The Red Sox were winners in the John Lackey sweepstakes...

Mark McGwire admits to Steroids usage

Jeffdstuff — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:29:10 +0000

Why now? Well, McGwire probably wants to be in the MLB Hall of Fame and he probably thinks doing this is his ticket.

After losing out on the Hall of Fame voting for God knows how many times already, Mark McGwire felt it was time to finally admit to the very thing that has cast a shadow over what was once a stellar MLB career.

Yup, he finally admitted of using steroids during the time he and Sammy Sosa were blasting all them balls out of the park. He finally came clean people. But what difference does this make, we all knew he was on steroids anyway when he broke the home run record back in 1998 right?

McGwire said in an interview that he used steroids on and off the field for nearly a decade. But he believes the drugs didn’t gave him more power to hit home runs. As far as he’s concerned, his ability to hit home runs is a God given gift. Yeah, suuure it is.

”I was given a gift to hit home runs,” McGwire told Bob Costas on the MLB Network. He also told Costas that studying pitchers and making his swing shorter led to his increase in home runs and that he could have hit them without PEDs.

”I truly believe so,” McGwire said. ”I believe I was given this gift. The only reason I took steroids was for health purposes.”

Jeez… He’s almost as bad a liar as Manny Pacquiao.

”It’s very emotional, it’s telling family members, friends and coaches, you know, it’s former teammates to try to get ahold of, you know, that I’m coming clean and being honest,” he said. ”It’s the first time they’ve ever heard me, you know, talk about this. I hid it from everybody.”

McGwire said he called MLB commissioner Bud Selig and...

Who will meet in MLB World Series?

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:00:50 +0000

We are, along with other baseball fans across the country.

You can almost feel the intensity of the 2009 MLB World Series as the ALCS and the NLCS will decide which two teams will come out to play for the world championship.

In the ALCS, the New York Yankees are looking to return back to the big dance as they go up against the Los Angeles Angels, a team looking to get at least one team from Hollywood in the World Series.

In the NLCS, the Philadelphia Phillies are looking to return to the World Series and defend the world title they won last year after dominating the Tampa Bay Rays in five games. They do battle with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team looking to give Joe Torre his first world championship ring since moving to Hollywood.

What’ll happen if the Yankees face their old mentor and take on the Dodgers? Will the World Series be settled in Hollywood this year? Can the Philadelphia Phillies win back to back titles and beat whichever team that’ll come out of the American League?

Here’s a look at all four possible matchups and who we think will take it. Unfortunately, we’re not picking the Los Angeles Angels to win ANY matchup. Sorry.

Los Angeles Angels vs. Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2009 MLB World Series

Another cross-town World Series match-up in the making? As everybody knows, this kind of scenario never materialized like the New York Yankees – New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals – Kansas City Royals matchups they were gunning for before mainly because there still is the ”baseball doesn’t exist west of Kansas” reaction.

And since East Coast fans usually can’t...

Betting on NY Yankees in MLB Playoffs

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:07:36 +0000

The American League has always been all about the Yankees. And it doesn’t matter if they are playing well or not.

But since the New York Yankees are just clicking on all cylinders this 2009 MLB season, you just know that they’re talking about them Yankees like never before. But can they really win it all?

The New York Yankees hold the best record in the league. Mark Teixeira leads the American League in RBIs, Derek Jeter is having another great season and they have a good supporting cast in Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, Hideki Matsui, and Jorge Posada.

The pitching has improved, and that’s the main reason why they are where they are. CC Sabathia has 19 wins, AJ Burnett has 12, and Andy Pettitte has 13. And of course, closer Mariano Rivera continues to dominate from the mound.

So if the New York Yankees are the best team in baseball right now, who’ll challenge these guys in the conference? We have two, the Los Angeles Angels and the Boston Red Sox.

The Los Angeles Angels are six games behind the Yankees, and the second best team in the league. Angels manager Mike Scioscia says this is the deepest lineup he has taken into the playoffs since the 2002 team that won the World Series.

Let’s see if they can indeed win it all.

On the other hand, we have the Boston Red Sox, taking the second spot in the AL East. The Red Sox have depth in the infield as they can play with Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek at catcher, Kevin Youkilis, Casey Kotchman, and Martinez at first, and Youkilis and Mike Lowell at third. They also have a solid pitching staff and have one of the best bullpens in the league, not to mention...

LA Dodgers looking to win World Series

Jeffdstuff — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:17:01 +0000

Are the Dodgers really that good?

Since Manny Ramirez came back from his suspension, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been on a roll this 2009 MLB baseball season.

You read it, the Los Angeles Dodgers look like the team to come out and represent the National League in the World Series. The Dodgers lead the pack in the NL West. However, slugger Manny Ramirez is in a downward spiral and he appears to be bringing the Dodgers down with him.

On their fifth attempt to clinch the National League West, the Dodgers fell 4-3 to the second-place Colorado Rockies as Manny Ramirez struck out in each of his four trips to the plate. The Dodgers may have gotten some sort of momentum since Ramirez came back from the suspension but with Ramirez himself struggling, I’m not sure how long can the rest of the Dodgers keep themselves afloat.

Last year, after acquiring Ramirez, the Dodgers looked like a completely different team. Before trading for him, they were 54-54. In the Dodger blue, Manny hit .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBI in 53 games. Truth be told, they have been led by outfielders not named Manny in Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, along with first baseman James Loney, and young pitchers like Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw.

It’ll be interesting to see how everything unfolds around the Dodgers.

One team looking to challenge the Dodgers are the Colorado Rockies. Under new manager Jim Tracy, the Rockies appear to be a completely different team. They don’t have any superstar pitchers, but Jason Marquis has 15 wins, Ubaldo Jimenez has 14 along with an ERA of 3.47, and Jorge De La Rosa has 15 in addition to 181 strikeouts.

They have a pretty good offense too...

Time to bet on the Texas Rangers

Jeffdstuff — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:15:40 +0000

Now that’s something new right?

And in case you didn’t get that, yes, the Rangers have been playing terrific defense this 2009 MLB baseball season. And for a team that has been known for anything BUT their D, it definitely looks like this club has finally moved on since losing A-Rod years ago.

The Texas Rangers have done a lot to get this defense going the way it is right now. For one, they knew they would get a full season from Chris Davis, a very good defensive first baseman, otherwise known for his power. To tighten the defensive skills of catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, they dispatched former big league catcher Scott Servais to Saltalamacchia’s home in Florida over the winter for some defensive tutoring.

The Rangers installed rookie Elvis Andrus at shortstop while shifting erstwhile shortstop Michael Young to third. ‘’It made us better at two positions,'’ Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. They have jumped from last in defensive efficiency to second, similar to the worst to first improvement by the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rangers’ pitching has also improved. The hiring of pitching coach Mike Maddux away from Milwaukee was an inspired move. Ace Kevin Millwood (4-3, 2.93) not only has set the tone for a rotation that goes deep into games, but ‘’has set the example for everyone else as far as conditioning and work ethic,'’ Daniels said.

‘’In the past couple of years we had people to pitch the eighth and ninth innings,'’ Daniels said. ‘’We just couldn’t get to them. Now, with the starters going deep into games, you’re not at risk of overexposing your bullpen and you’re able to pitch people in roles they were intended to pitch in.'’

‘’Our bullpen is a little bit different,'’ Daniel...

Betting on the 2009 MLB All-Star Game

Jeffdstuff — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:04:22 +0000

The Midsummer Classic is here.

That’s right, the 2009 MLB All-Star Game is set this Tuesday as the players fans voted in to play will hope they can make an even bigger name for themselves and increase their dollars.

So who made the cut? Let’s start with the 2009 MLB National League All-Star starters. The NL team consists of catcher Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals, and top vote-getter Albert Pujols at first base.

And since Pujols was the leading vote-getter in balloting for the Midsummer Classic, he became the very first Cardinal to start an All-Star game in his home ballpark. ‘’It feels great to be there and represent the organization and the city you play in,'’ Albert Pujols said.

Albert Pujols is well on his way to another amazing year, leading the majors with 31 homers and 82 RBIs. He collected 5,397,374 votes to finish with the second-highest total in Major League history, trailing only Ken Griffey Jr.’s six million votes in 1994. Pujols has made the NL team eight times in nine seasons and will be making his sixth start.

The rest of the National League all star infield consists of Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez, and Mets third baseman David Wright. Manning the outfield would be Brewers Ryan Braun, Mets Carlos Beltran, and Phillie’s Raul Ibanez.

The injury-riddled Mets lead the NL with...

Home Runs kick off Midsummer Classic

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:18:24 +0000

Albert Pujols kicks off the Midsummer Classic in front of his hometown fans in St. Louis.

THAT is the kind of pressure top vote-getter Albert Pujols is in coming to the 2009 MLB All-Star festivities in St. Louis. Imagine this, he was just voted in by baseball fans the most, getting majority of the votes to play in the All-Star game. But before he can get to play the actual game, he has the 2009 MLB Home Run Derby to worry about first. And did I mention he has the entire town of St. Louis watching his every move?

There is no doubt that Albert Pujols will go for broke once the Midsummer Classic gets to St. Louis. The top vote-getter for the 2009 MLB All-Star Game will compete in his third Home Run Derby and while the last two were already great, this one should be more special since this will be the first time Pujols will perform in front of the Cardinals fans in Missouri.

There’s this one problem though.

In the 23 previous Home Run Derby contests, only one hometown favorite has hoisted a trophy at the end of the night. That was Ryne Sandberg back in 1990. But if there’s one guy who can win the Derby for his hometown, it’s Albert Pujols.

Other guys who’ll be competing against Pujols include Prince Fielder. Fielder is the first second generation player to be a Home Run Derby contestant. His father, Cecil Fielder competed back in the early 90s. He never won, which gives estranged son Prince some motivation to show up his dad.

Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres is also in. The guy is quietly having an awesome season for the floundering Padres, looking like a young Sammy Sosa for at least the first half of the season. Don’t let those 24 home runs fool you though, Gonzalez plays in the spacious Petco Park, where he’s only cranked out 8 Home Runs at clip of 18.1 AB/HR. On the road, he’s a Pujolsesque 8.5 AB/HR with 16 Homers.

Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies is...

Team to bet on this 2009 MLB Season

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 11 May 2009 09:03:21 +0000

Baseball has already settled in and it’s time to determine where you can put some money on and win big.

One month into the baseball betting marathon that is the 2009 MLB baseball season, is behind us and there have been some surprises thus far. The latest one is of course Manny Ramirez being the latest guy to be linked to banned substances.

With that said, I know most of you won’t be wasting their time (and money) betting on the Dodgers since they’ll have a lot to figure out in the next few weeks with the fallout of the Manny Ramirez issue.

So, which team is the best ‘’money'’ team in baseball now? Some of you might say the Boston Red Sox are, while some will go with the Tampa Bay Rays. Well, NONE of them are ‘’money'’ teams. But if you’re looking for the best team to bet on, you can’t go wrong with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Toronto Blue Jays are 20-10 overall with a profitable 11-4 record at home and a healthy 9-6 record on the road. A $100 a game bettor would have a profit of approximately $950 if they wagered on every Jay game this season so far (depending on the lines when they bet on Toronto).

Over / Under bettors can take note, the Jays have posted 19 overs and 11 unders so far this year.

Toronto hasn’t played many games against teams from its own division so far but it has played a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles and it swept the O’s 3-0. You can’t win in baseball without good pitching and the Jays have two pitchers who rank in the Top 10 MLB money pitchers.

As the ace of Toronto’s rotation, you expect wins from Roy Halladay and he hasn’t disappointed this year with a 6-1 record. But as good as he has been for the Jays, Scott Richmond has been a pleasant surprise. Last season, Richmond only started in five games all season, grabbing 1 win and 3 losses.

This season, Richmond has already pitched in five games and has paid off for those who backed him, racing out to a perfect 5-0 mark.

The Toronto Blue Jays are second only to...

2009 MLB Odds from BetUS.com

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:26:37 +0000

In case you don’t know it yet, baseball is finally here.

That’s right, the brand new 2009 MLB baseball season is finally here. Isn’t that something?

Yes, amidst the controversy involving Alex Rodriguez and steroids, the situation between Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers and the Red Sox, and basically everything else that kept fans talking about baseball, the season is here and BetUS.com is right in the thick of it.

With the start of the brand new MLB regular season, baseball fans across the country are already speculating as to how their teams will perform. Will they win it all this year? How long until our coach gets fired? Will our clean-up hitter outperform the rest?

With this being the case, the largest most successful sportsbook on the web, (that’s according to them anyway…) BetUS.com, posted early season predictions on all things MLB to give fans some resemblance of what to expect.

‘’Despite the off-season turmoil that followed some of the game’s biggest stars, interest in America’s pastime is still alive and well,'’ stated BetUS.com spokesman Reed Richards.

‘’Fans are flooding our site for up to the minute predictions and prognostications. We’ve got everything from early World Series odds, to which coach will be fired first!'’

Want to see these 2009 MLB baseball season betting odds they’re talking about? Here they are...