Home Run Derby Betting – Pujols, Howard figure to lead home-run bashers
Home Run Derby betting is the hot play of the week before British Open betting gets underway on Thursday, and Monday’s Home Run Derby is always one of the most anticipated events of the Midseason Classic. Offshore sportsbook odds are favoring St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols and Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard to take over the crown won by Minnesota’s Justin Morneau in 2008.
Home Run Derby Odds – July 13, 8:00 PM ET
Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena, who was a last-minute sub for Boston’s Dustin Pedroia, leads the American League with odds of +600, and the hard-hitting first baseman leads the league with 24 homers. Another pair of first-time All-Stars will be flying the flag for the American League as Texas’ Nelson Cruz is rated at +800, while Detroit’s Brandon Inge is the longshot at +1200.
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Cruz is tied for second in the league with 22 dingers, while Inge is having a surprising season and is right behind Cruz with 21 homers. Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer will be making his third All-Star appearance and comes in with MLB All-Star odds of +800. Mauer has never been known as a power hitter as he leads the American League in batting average, but his 15 homers at the break is already a career high, so he may be worth a look in your baseball picks.
For the National League, Pujols will get a chance to thrill his hometown crowd as he has all season. The big first baseman leads the majors with 32 homers and he also ranks first in slugging percentage.
Pujols is the favorite for this contest at +190, just ahead of Howard, who won the Derby in 2006. Howard has 22 homers at the break, and betting services have also rated him at +260.
Prince Fielder of Milwaukee has MLB All-Star betting odds of +450 as he comes in with 22 homers as well, while San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez brings up the rear at +650.
Gonzalez is on pace to break last year’s career high of 36 homers with 24 at the break, although only a third of his dingers have come at home in PETCO Park, which is well known as a pitcher’s paradise.
Still, with his numbers and the way he’s been swinging the bat, you can make worse picks than Gonzalez in your offshore sportsbook.
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