The Toronto Blue Jays and other baseball teams are out on the market looking to improve their teams, but no one is making a splash like Miami, as the new-look Marlins are ready to splash some cash. They’ve lured one star to South Beach and now, they’ve at least driven up the asking price of the biggest fish on the free-agent market.

Shortstop Jose Reyes left the National League East rival New York Mets to head south, signing a six-year, $106 million deal and he instantly boosts the Marlins’ chance among those who purchase bookie software. When he is healthy and motivated, Reyes is the game’s best base-stealer, an excellent hitter and a Gold Glove candidate, but he’ll probably force out Hanley Ramirez, who doesn’t want to move to third base.

Albert Pujols is still mulling over a ten-year offer from the Marlins that some say would pay him over $200 million and there are post-playing provisions in the contract as well. Pujols has been in St. Louis for his entire career and will end up in the Hall of Fame, but the Marlins are aggressive courting Pujols, who, like Reyes, would help the Marlins capitalize on the large Latin population in Miami.

Miami is also in the hunt for pitchers C.J. Wilson (Texas) and Mark Buerhle (Chicago White Sox), and after years of being frugal, a new stadium has energized the franchise and they’re now willing to spend. They’ve claimed Reyes, and they’ll get at least one more star to come to Miami, who should be on your sports betting online radar.

Toronto Blue Jays fans know all about what Detroit’s Justin Verlander can do as the Tigers ace no-hit the Blue Jays earlier this year, and there was no resistance when he was given the Cy Young award. But he was also awarded the MVP this week and some analysts feel the wrong player was honored. Here is why Justin Verlander was given the Most Valuable Player award.

There was no standout player in the American League this year, and there are reasons why Verlander stood above the rest. Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury was excellent, but after the Red Sox imploded, his MVP chances went with it. Toronto’s Jose Bautista continued to put up monster numbers, but the Blue Jays’ record didn’t help. New York’s Curtis Granderson and Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera were also in the running, but really, were they much better than Ellsbury or Bautista?

When it comes to Cabrera, could you say he was more valuable than his teammate, Verlander? The righthander led the American League in wins (24), innings (251.0), strikeouts (250), ERA (2.40) and WHIP (0.92), and he had a much larger effect on Detroit’s price per head odds than Cabrera, and more than any other “player”.

Another stat for you: Verlander was 16-3 after a Tigers’ loss, and that was huge for his teammates, who could have gotten in the dumps in the middle of a skid. With Verlander on the hill every fifth day (his 133-pitch performance in Game 5 of the ALCS against Texas was his best of the season), they knew they were probably going to win, and he saved Detroit’s bullpen at points because of his ability to go deep into games. Because of Verlander, in 2012, Detroit will earn some respect in online sportsbooks.

Toronto Blue Jays fans are even getting in on the action right now in the World Series, as Texas and St. Louis are down to the championship rounds, as boxing fans would call it. The Rangers have a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6, which will now be held on Thursday due to weather issues

The Rangers are -270 favorites according to cost per head odds, and they managed to earn a split in the first two games of the series in St. Louis, so sportsbooks are betting that they can do it again, which would give them a World Series win. Mike Napoli has been a monster, hitting .308 with a pair of homers and nine RBIs in the first five games of the Series.

The Cardinals are rated at +230, and even though Albert Pujols had a historic Game 3, he hasn’t done much since. Still, he’s been the most productive Cardinal in the World Series as Lance Berkman (.389), David Freese (.313) and Yadier Molina (.294) hit for power, but they have nine RBIs between them. The Cardinals have also had some issues in the bullpen and you could argue that the Series should be over, if not for a blown chance by Jason Motte in Game 2 and communication problems between the bullpen and dugout in Game 5.

It’s going to fun to watch Game 6 and 7, and the pitching matchups could be thrown for a loop, so confirm who will be on the mound in your online sportsbooks.

In less than two weeks time, the MLB will be crowning the World Series Champion for the 2011 season. Four amazing teams remain, as the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers battle to win the American League pennant. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals are battling it out for the National League pennant. By all accounts, if we look at the bookie software odds, the right teams are leading each series, as Texas and St. Louis are considered the favorites to meet for the World Series. Today we will give you our picks for the World Series finalists.

Despite being down two games to one, look for the Detroit Tigers to bounce back and take the AL Championship away from the Texas Rangers. The Tigers never say die attitude, has allowed the team to come back and put up impressive numbers at different points this season. For instance, the Tigers trailed the Cleveland Indians by seven games for the AL sports betting Central title at the All Star Break, before coming back and winning the division by a remarkable 10 games. Then in the playoffs, the Tigers took on the New York Yankees and defeated them in five games, before coming back in last night against Texas. Detroit’s resiliency will be what helps them make it back to the World Series for the first time since 2006.

On the other hand, we believe that the Milwaukee Brewers will discover a way to win on the road, as they mount a comeback against divisional rivals the St. Louis Cardinals. Milwaukee is facing their first true test of adversity this season, as the Cardinals have tied the series at one game apiece. Milwaukee hasn’t gone to the World Series since 1982, and with Prince Fielder looking to make this his final year in Wisconsin, Milwaukee will send him out with a bang, by winning the World Series.

The MLB betting spotlight is always the brightest when everyone is looking. If that is not true, then the Boston Red Sox likely would have found a cure to what has been ailing them throughout the month of September. However, the problem at Fenway Park isn’t one that can just be fixed by trying harder, as sometimes the more you try the more you lose that natural rhythm. For the amount of talent that the Red Sox have, there is little doubt that they should be in a better situation at this point. Still, it is unlikely that they will have an easy time clinching the American League Wild Card.

After earning a split in a sports betting doubleheader against the lowly Baltimore Orioles on Monday, the Red Sox sat two games up on the Tampa Bay Rays for the Wild Card spot. Losers of 12 of their last 15, Boston will play out its remaining eight games against the Orioles and New York Yankees, including their final six on the road. That trip could end up being a blessing in disguise for the Fenway faithful, as the Red Sox won’t have to deal with the media pressure at home or playing in front of their fans. In the end, it is still very likely that Boston will reach the postseason, only don’t take a relatively light schedule as a reason to make them a sports betting priority, at least not until they can prove mentally tough enough to break out of their bass fishing slump.

While the New York Yankees are on top of the American League East division now and in line for the pennant, it may not be long before they fall behind again. Too many times this season the Yankees have swapped positions with the Boston Red Sox at the top, and the reason is simple. While the pinstripes boast a ton of talent, they do not have the depth to perform on a consistent enough basis to lock up the division, so just when they begin to pull away, you can bet that their fishing line will hit a snag.

Heading into the MLB betting week the Yankees have won five straight, and are beginning to build a little separation at the top. They had no trouble at home against the Toronto Blue Jays, and have carried that momentum into their series with the Baltimore Orioles, two teams that they absolutely have to beat. However, a nine-game road trip is right around the corner and while the Seattle Mariners and Blue Jays are part of that long trip, it does open with a Los Angeles Angels team that is battling to remain in contention. There are a ton of reasons to bank on the Yankees making the postseason, and possibly even locking up an AL pennant. But beware of the team’s inconsistent play, because New York could be due for a couple of sports betting surprises when they leave home later in the week.

Following a 4-1 loss to open their three-game MLB betting series against the Washington Nationals, the Arizona Diamondbacks were quickly approaching the low point of their season if not already there. Losers of six in a row, the Diamondbacks were barely hanging on to the top spot in the National League West, with a one-game lead over the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants. If not for so many injuries to their NL West-rivals the Giants may have already passed them for first place, but as it stands Arizona is still in the driver seat. That will be a key as the Diamondbacks look to turn things around in a major way over the next 10 days, as they enter one of the most crucial parts of their schedule.

Following the remainder of their series against Washington, the Diamondbacks will return home for consecutive series’ against two of the worst teams in their division. Arizona will host the struggling San Diego Padres for three-straight before taking on the Colorado Rockies, which will be their final tune up before heading to the Bay Area to take on the Giants in a series that could determine first place in the NL West. Things may have not gone well for Arizona over the past seven days, but look for them to turn things around and solidify their position at the top of the NL West over the next 10 sports betting days.

Last year, it was the San Diego Padres that suffered a major second-half collapse that left them on the outside looking in for the National League West race, as they conceded the final playoff spot to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants on the final weekend of the regular season. Perhaps this year’s championship team will not come from the NL Central, but it is the Pittsburgh Pirates that have experienced the biggest collapse so far this MLB betting year.

Pittsburgh Pirates @ Milwaukee Brewers

Friday, 8:10 PM ET

The Pirates will throw everything that they have at the NL Central division-leading Milwaukee Brewers this weekend in hopes of climbing back into relevancy in what has become one of baseball’s toughest divisions. Paul Maholm will get the start for the Pirates on Friday night against Chris Narveson, and while neither pitcher has been outstanding it is difficult to think that the Pittsburgh offense can do enough to rattle the Brewers in front of their own home crowd. Milwaukee is as focused as ever as they look to hold off the St. Louis Cardinals and return to the postseason, and they will need to make another strong statement this weekend against a desperate Pirates’ team to move one step closer to locking up a sports betting division title.

MLB Betting Pick: Milwaukee Brewers – 120

With two months to go in the MLB betting regular season, the focus will shift on some key matchups over the next few weeks that will go a long way to determining which teams get into the playoffs and which teams are left on the outside looking in. The Chicago White Sox have struggled with consistency over the past couple of seasons, something that has plagued a roster loaded with talent but lacking the extra something to get into the postseason. The White Sox have managed to stay in contention in the American League Central, but they will face a tough task this weekend with one of those critical matchups against the AL-leading Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox have combined a lethal blend of offense and defense to take over sole possession of the top spot in the AL, and will be pushed by the presence of the New York Yankees right behind them in the AL East, and the defending AL champion Texas Rangers in the pennant race. Chicago has had a rough time playing at US Cellular Field this sports betting season, and a series win over the hate Red Sox would go a long way to proving that this team has what it takes to make a postseason push. Confidence will be a key as the White Sox chase the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians in the AL Central, and this weekend will be crucial to their outlook the remainder of the year and whether they truly believe that they can contend.

The selections for the 2011 All Star game already came with a ton of scrutiny and criticism for the fact that there may have been names that fans thought shouldn’t be there, and with the loss of several key sports betting stars due to injuries it has left the cupboard for the big game even less stocked. The league may have to deal with the growing complaints about the rosters for the annual Midsummer Classic, but for now there are at least a couple of players that have been named that simply don’t deserve it.

For the American League, the biggest criticism went to the New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter, who despite reaching 3,000 hits this past week does not have the numbers to justify him as an All Star for this year. Jeter hit just .270 with three home runs and 24 RBI through the first half of the season, and although he won’t play anyway due to injury it seems as though there has been a ton of criticism levied on him as of late. While the National League side may not have a single player that stands out as much as Jeter in a negative light, they do have a questionable MLB betting starter in PlacidoPolanco of the Philadelphia Phillies. Polanco hit just .271 in the first half with only four home runs, not nearly as good as the names around him in the heart of the NL batting order for the big game.