Categories
MLB

2011 MLB Season Picks – Baseball Predictions

Shea Matthews weighs in with his 2011 MLB season preview and predictions article detailing all the team by team analysis he forecasted into a comprehensive whole. Read on for World series 2011 picks, and fearless AL and NL pennant predictions…

MLB 2011 Division by Division Predictions + Future Baseball Picks

Teams have reported to 2010 Major League Baseball training camps, we’ve played a whack of pre-season baseball, and now the season is here. It’s time to NOW bring you our division-by-division betting future picks & our 2010 season MLB baseball betting predictions for the year.

SIGN UP TODAY With MySportsbook.com – 10% Sign UP Bonus – 10c Baseball Lines – Gamble On 2011 MLB Future Odds and 2011 World Series Championship Lines

MLB Futures Betting & World Series Pick

It’s almost time to start the 2011 MLB season, so now is a great time to examine MLB futures. Here’s an updated look at the top 15 odds to win the World Series followed by my playoff predictions.

1. Philadelphia Phillies (+225): Even if Chase Utley is hurt, the Phillies are an easy pick, at least to win the National League pennant. The pitching quartet of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels could be among the best the game has ever seen.

2. Boston Red Sox (+400): I’m surprised the BoSox aren’t getting as much hype as the Phillies. This was already a good team a year ago and it added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez? Wow. I think Boston can win 105 games.

3. New York Yankees (+600): The rich history and star-studded offense keep the Yankees up there with the elite. But will the pitching staff hold up? I’m not convinced. The only sure things are C.C. Sabathia and (probably) Phil Hughes.

4. San Francisco Giants (+1500): Note the big dropoff between No. 3 and No. 4. Oddsmakers aren’t believers in the defending champs and I don’t blame them. The Giants’ pitching is amazing, sure, but their hitting happened to get hot during the playoffs last season. The chances of that happening again are slim.

5. Milwaukee Brewers (+1500): The former sexy sleeper isn’t really a sleeper anymore. The Brew Crew has power to spare and seriously bolstered its rotation by adding Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum. It’s easy to see why they’re such a popular pick.

6. Atlanta Braves (+2000): Don’t sleep on Atlanta. After earning the NL Wild Card last season, they should be at least that good if not better this year. Jason Heyward will keep improving and getting Dan Uggla for nothing in the offseason was a coup.

7. Chicago White Sox (+2000): Chicago is as deep and well-rounded as any team in the game. It has five starters it can count on (four if you don’t think Jake Peavy can give some healthy innings) and a powerful lineup that only got better with the offseason addition of Adam Dunn.

8. Detroit Tigers (+2000): Miguel Cabrera should get better lineup protection now that Victor Martinez is a Tiger. But can Austin Jackson duplicate his fine rookie season? And will a young guy like Rick Porcello elevate his game to give Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer some backup in the rotation?

9. Texas Rangers (+2000): The Rangers barely crack the top 10. That’s how much oddsmakers love Cliff Lee. They think Texas is lost without him. I disagree. The Rangers still have one of baseball’s most terrifying lineups and a respectable staff led by Colby Lewis and C.J. Wilson. It would really help if one of Brandon Webb and Derek Holland stepped up.

10. Minnesota Twins (+2000): The Twinkies always find a way to win but can they soldier on again without Justin Morneau? They’re crossing their fingers hoping the slugger has no setbacks in his recovery from post-concussion syndrome.

11. Cincinnati Reds (+2500): The Reds have a talented offense led by 2010 NL MVP Joey Votto but questions abound about their pitching for 2011. Can Travis Wood repeat his great rookie season? Is Johnny Cueto’s arm OK? Will Edinson Volquez stay healthy? The Reds have many question marks but that could also make them a bargain pick.

12. Colorado Rockies (+2500): The Rockies are the Tigers of the NL to me. They have the amazing top-end stars in Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Ubaldo Jimenez. But some of the youngsters in the lineup and on the pitching staff must show more consistency if Colorado wants to contend.

13. Los Angeles Dodgers (+3000): Stay away. The Dodgers have a solid pitching staff but did nothing to improve offensively in the offseason. A lack of run production will be their downfall.

14. Oakland Athletics (+3000): Deep sleeper alert. The A’s have good pitching and could get some sneaky-helpful offensive contributions from newbies like Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham and David DeJesus.

15. Tampa Bay Rays (+3000): The Rays take the biggest MLB futures plunge of all the 2010 division winners. Oddsmakers worry that they’ll flop after losing Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena and Matt Garza. But they still have Evan Longoria, David Price and Manny Ramirez with a chip on his shoulder. I wouldn’t count them out.

2011 MLB FUTURES PREDICTIONS

AL East champion: Boston Red Sox
AL Central champion: Chicago White Sox
AL West champion: Texas Rangers
AL Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays
AL Pennant: Boston Red Sox
NL East champion: Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central champion: Milwaukee Brewers
NL West champion: San Francisco Giants
NL Pennant: Philadelphia Phillies
World Series: Red Sox over Phillies

View The MLB Cappers Leaderboard For 2010  – Picks Packages for 2010 On Sale Now! —–>

By Shea Matthews

Shea Matthews the Senior Writer at CP. Lives and breathes sports. He made the transition from athlete to sports journalist at a young age, writing in TV & national papers. Shea applies his knowledge to sports betting + handicapping daily, and shares winning picks with the world.