Chicago Cubs Vs. Miami Marlins Betting Odds For April 18, 2012

The Miami Marlins are finally coming back around, putting together a string of firsts for the season. Now, its time to get down to the real business of climbing back into the NL East race with the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals.

Miami won back-to-back home games in its new park for the first time, thanks to Hanley Ramirez’s three-run bomb. Closer Heath Bell also got his first save of the year, and manager Ozzie Guillen managed his first game since his suspension for negative comments about Cuban president Fidel Castro. Continue reading

Cleveland Indians Vs. Seattle Mariners Betting Odds For April 17, 2012

Despite a .500 record, the Cleveland Indians are one of the hottest offensive teams in baseball. They are averaging over six runs per game with a home run in each of their first eight. They’ve gotten contributions from young and old as 34-year old Travis Hafner and sophomore second baseman Jason Kipnis are off to great starts.

Hafner has two home runs and 5 RBI so far this year, while Kipnis has added three bombs and seven RBI. That’s allowed Cleveland to score eight or more runs in each of its first three road games for the first time in franchise history. Continue reading

Texas Rangers Vs. Boston Red Sox Betting Odds For April 17, 2012

The Texas Rangers have suffered.

Losing two straight World Series is tough. Losing the ace of your staff to a division rival is tougher.

Yet, the Rangers apparently aren’t feeling the affects. They’ve won all three of their road games to start the year, and look for their first 4-0 start in 20 years Tuesday night.

Texas travels to Fenway to take on the struggling Boston Red Sox. Bovada is favoring the Red Sox by 1 1/2 runs with a -117 moneyline. Continue reading

Cincinnati Reds Vs. St. Louis Cardinals Betting Odds For April 17, 2012

There were questions to how the St. Louis Cardinals would look in 2012 with Albert Pujols out of the lineup and Adam Wainwright back from Tommy John surgery. But after 10 games, the answer is apparently no different than last year.

The reigning world champions are 7-3 and sitting atop the NL Central standings and showing no signs of slowing down. Continue reading

New York Mets Vs. Atlanta Braves MLB Betting Odds For April 16th, 2012

The Atlanta Braves just got its balance back, and now the New York Mets again?

After starting the year out with three-straight losses to the Mets, Atlanta finally got its balance back with a five game winning streak to get to .500 for the first time this season. That also happens to be just one game shy of its longest winning streak in all of 2011.

All that hard work, and now the Mets are flying into Turner Field in hopes to knock the Braves off track yet again. Atlanta was 4-5 at home against New York last season. Continue reading

New York Yankees Vs. Minnesota Twins MLB Betting Odds For April 16th, 2012

It’s not like its been all that good to be a Minnesota Twin this year anyways.

But the team’s bleak circumstances get even dire Monday night when they travel to face the New York Yankees to start a three-game series. It’s the beginning of a seven-game swing in which they play the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays all in one week. The Twins already own the league’s worst record at 2-7 after losing three-straight to the Texas Rangers. Continue reading

Philadelphia Phillies Vs. San Francisco Giants MLB Betting Odds For April 16th, 2012

Tonight’s game between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants is supposed to be stingy. An epic showdown between pitchers who have won three of the last four National League Cy Young awards.

Leave your bat in the dugout kind of game.

But if the first two weeks of the season is any indication, it’s going to be a one-sided blowout in about two innings. Continue reading

New York Mets Vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB Betting Odds For April 13, 2012

The New York Mets probably wouldn’t have hated it if a meteor halted baseball after the first week of the season. What a relief it must have been to start the year with four straight wins, distracting from the messy off-season they had this winter.

No meteor, though. Tears.

Since their 4-0 start, the Mets have lost two-straight, including a drubbing by the Washington Nationals Thursday night. New York only scored two runs combined over the last two days. Continue reading

Atlanta Braves Vs. Milwaukee Brewers MLB Betting Odds For April 13, 2012

Chipper Jones returns for his swan song season, and it couldn’t be at a better time.

The Atlanta Braves are on a mini-streak, winning their last two games and return to Turner Field for their home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. A season that started with four straight losses seems to be taking a turn after the Braves took the last two against the Houston Astros.

“Road trips get longer and longer,” Jones told the Associated Press. “Especially when you lose the first four, you miss home at lot. It will be good to get back to Atlanta and play in front of the home fans, who we haven’t seen in a long time. The home opener is always a special occasion no matter when it comes.” Continue reading

Boston Red Sox Favored Over Tampa Bay Rays In April 13, 2012 MLB Betting Odds

Here we go again.

After a whirlwind offseason that saw sweeping changes in the clubhouse, promising a new era and tighter ship, the Boston Red Sox are right back where they were last year, off to a lousy 1-5 start that puts them squarely in the basement of the AL East. Boston started 0-6 last year, but won 10 of its next 15, though, and is hoping another turnaround is coming.

“You have stretches where you play six games and things don’t go your way,” manager Bobby Valentine told the Associated Press. “Then you have stretches where you play six games and everything goes your way. Six games is a ridiculously small sample size.” Continue reading