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2012 AL East Odds / Season Win Total Lines + Predictions

MLB 2012 Division Odds and Win Totals – AL East

The 2012 MLB season is just days away. Spring Training will be winding down soon, and the games will start to count. We’re taking a division-by-division look at betting odds and team by team season win totals. Let’s take a closer look at the American League East.

The AL East was the best division in baseball in 2011. The Yankees and Red Sox battled back and forth for much of the year. It was the Yankees who won the division with a record of 97-65. New York piled up a 52-29 record at home, and their powerful offense led the way to a division win. Boston fans certainly don’t want to relive the end of last season. It was an epic meltdown by the Red Sox when they collapsed in September and allowed the Rays to pass them for the AL Wild Card. Tampa Bay finished 91-71, while the Red Sox finished 90-72.

Toronto finished the season at 81-81. The Blue Jays aren’t a bad team, but they have to play against tough teams constantly in this highly competitive AL East. Baltimore was in the cellar yet again. The Orioles finished 2011 with a 69-93 record.

MLB 2012 Previews and Predictions- AL East

AL East Odds: New York Yankees -155
Season Win Total: Over/Under 93

The Yankees won the division last year, but they weren’t happy with losing to the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS. The team went out and upgraded its starting rotation in a big way. Michael Pineda was brought in from Seattle for Jesus Montero in a major offseason trade. Pineda has a live arm and he was dominating at times in his rookie season with a bad team last year. Hiroki Kuroda has been solid with the Dodgers, and he was signed in the offseason by the Yankees. Most surprising was the news that Andy Pettite came out of retirement to shore up the Yankees staff. The lineup is almost identical to last year, which means the Yankees will pile up the runs again. Expect a big season out of this team.

AL East Odds: Boston Red Sox +185
Season Win Total: Over/Under 90

Terry Francona was let go after last season, and Bobby Valentine will be the team’s new skipper. It was the Red Sox starting rotation that let them down last season. Jon Lester is a solid ace, but his numbers weren’t quite what the team expected last year. John Lackey is out for 2012 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Clay Buchholz needs to stay healthy and be a strong number two starter. The back of the rotation is a huge question mark for the Red Sox, and it could be what holds this team back in 2012. The lineup is as strong as anyone in baseball from 1 through 6, but the final three spots will probably switch around multiple times. This should be a good team, but they don’t look as balanced as the Yankees.

AL East Odds: Tampa Bay Rays +425
Season Win Total: Over/Under 87

The major strength of this Tampa Bay team is their starting rotation. David Price, James Shields, and Jeremy Hellickson would all be the top starter for most teams. All three of these guys have top quality stuff, and I expect big things from them again this year. Jeff Niemann is fully capable of being tremendous, and Matt Moore is 22-year-old prospect who we’ll hear a lot from this year. Evan Longoria anchors the lineup, and the team needs him to stay healthy. Desmond Jennings is a young star in the outfield. B.J. Upton needs to be more consistent and Carlos Pena needs to improve his average a bit. The bullpen will likely blow a lot of leads, because they have tons of question marks. Still, the Rays should have a pretty good year. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]

AL East Odds: Toronto Blue Jays +1,300
Season Win Total: Over/Under 81.5

Toronto hasn’t been to the postseason in almost 20 years. Toronto starting pitching had a 4.55 ERA last year, and they must be better. Kyle Drabek and Henderson Alvarez have both been very highly rated prospects, and the team needs a lot from them in 2012. Ricky Romero matured into a terrific pitcher last year. Brandon Morrow has been inconsistent, but he has the stuff to be a great number two pitcher. Sergio Santos was a nice addition at the closer spot. Jose Bautista is a beast in the three-spot of the order. Adam Lind must hit well in the cleanup spot. Toronto is a talented team, but they have a lot of youth.

AL East Odds: Baltimore Orioles +3,000
Season Win Total: Over/Under 69

Buck Showalter’s team has been at the bottom of the division for a while now, and it doesn’t look like that will change this year. Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, and Adam Jones are all very good hitters. The problem the Orioles have is they have several guys who strike out far too much. Mark Reynolds and Chris Davis are at the top of that list. The pitching staff will be led by newcomer Wei-Yin Chen. Chen has the stuff to be an ace, but he is coming off an injury last year. Zach Britton should turn into a very good pitcher in the long run. The bullpen is a major area of concern. This too has too many holes to compete in the tough AL East.

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