MLB 2008 Futures Odds From Sportsbook.com

[Qbins Missile Crisis]

MLB: Future Value Odds

Sportsbook.com has updated its MLB Future Odds and we’ve polled our sportswriters for some of the best value selections.

Tampa Bay Rays (10:1) to win A.L.



It’s hard to believe that a team playing in the same division as two of the biggest spenders in baseball (Red Sox and Yankees) could compete for a division title and pennant.

But as we sit here and look at the standings, we see a Rays’ team that is one-game out of first place in the A.L. East and five games ahead of the last place Yankees. Who would have predicted that at the beginning of the season?

Tampa Bay has succeeded so far due to a 16-8 home record. They need to play better on the road but so do most teams. The Rays are 5th in the A.L. in runs scored which is not that surprising.

The fact they have the 5th lowest ERA is very surprising as their young starters are really performing well. If that continues, this team will surprise through at least the summer.

Houston Astros (30:1) to win N.L.

Houston is part of a very competitive N.L. Central that includes the Cubs and Cardinals. The Astros were not supposed to compete with the division’s best, but they are holding their own at 25-20 and sit in second place.

If you want to point at one factor for Houston’s success, it’s their ability to mash the ball. They are 3rd in the N.L. in runs scored as Lance Berkman, Miguel Tejada and Carlos Lee make a terrific middle of the order.

The pitching was supposed to be their weak link, and they rank 10th in the N.L in team ERA. They will need to add another starting pitcher (hello Roger Clemens) to stay competitive.

St. Louis Cardinals (30:1) to win World Series

St. Louis won the World Series just two years, and while a lot of players are gone from that team, manager Tony La Russa and the remaining guys still know what it takes to go all the way.

The Cardinals are 26-20 on the year and in 2nd place in the N.L. Central. Ironically, that’s after they played another ‘high value’ team (Tampa Bay) over the weekend for the start of Interleague play. St. Louis took two out of three at home.

For the year, St. Louis is in the middle of the pack offensively in the N.L., and 5th in ERA. The team should start to hit better, but they need to figure out their closer situation after the implosion of Jason Isringhausen.

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