MLB Playoff Odds, Preview

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Last Updated on Thursday, 29 September 2011 00:17
Written by BetRepublic
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If Wednesday night was any indication, this year’s Major League Baseball playoffs are going to have all the action and suspense sports bettors can handle. Our first playoff preview looks at matchups and World Series odds.

The Tampa Bay Rays were -250 favorites going into action Wednesday but until the eighth, it looked like the party was over

When the New York Yankees carry a 7-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning you can close the book 99.9-percent of the time. Only when a team like the Rays comes along who is desperate enough and talented enough, do miracles come true.

Tampa Bay rallied for six runs in the eighth, tied the game in the ninth and then completed the comeback with an Evan Longoria home run in the bottom of the 12th to lockup their spot in the postseason.

Boston was in the driver’s seat against Baltimore Wednesday and unlike New York, the Red Sox sent out their top closer to seal the deal. With a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth, Jonathan Papelbon struck out the first two batters but couldn’t get the final out and suddenly the worst September collapse of all-time was complete.

Tampa Bay will face AL West champion Texas in the opening round of the playoffs and the New York Yankees will take on AL Central winner Detroit. Both series are set to begin Friday night.

In the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals staked a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning and went on to win 8-0. After trailing by 10.5 games in the Wild Card race, St. Louis will be a "live" dog in the opening round against NL East champion Philadelphia.

 

St. Louis is 4-1 in its past five against Philly and put together a 12-2 September record vs. teams with a winning record


Philadelphia (+175) is listed at bet365 as the outright favorite to win the World Series and odds will be stacked against the top pitching staff in baseball but the Phillies were just 1-7 in their final eight home games of the regular season. Three of the seven losses were in a series against these Cardinals (Sept. 16-19) and two of the starts were by Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels.

The Cardinals and Phillies will begin their series Saturday as will the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers.

Here is a complete list of current World Series odds as of Thursday. Check Sportsbetting.ag for opening series matchups and lines for game 1 as they become available.

 

PHILADELPHIA.........+175

NEW YORK.............. +390

DETROIT...................+800

TEXAS...................... +800

MILWAUKEE............ +800

TAMPA BAY .............+800

ARIZONA................ +1200

ST. LOUIS................+1200


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