After watching the Boston Red Sox go down as the consensus sports betting favorite to win the American League Championship Series, the Philadelphia Phillies aren’t taking anything for granted as they get set to clash with the St. Louis Cardinals in game four of the NLDS. The Cardinals were the NL version of the Tampa Bay Rays this season, and it is up to the Phillies to make sure that they aren’t upset in the opening playoff round by a team that has been playing baseball as though it were the playoffs since the end of August.

Philadelphia Phillies @ St. Louis Cardinals

Wednesday, 6:07 PM ET

Game four will feature the MLB depth of the Phillies’ rotation, with Roy Oswalt getting the call as the fourth man in the starting rotations even though he would be the No. 1 for some teams around the league. Oswalt will need to find his ace game in order to give his team another shot on the road, but it isn’t all on his shoulders. The Phillies’ offense will need to produce against Cardinals’ starter Edwin Jackson, who allowed two runs or less in all but one of his appearances in September. The pressure will be on Philadelphia to get the job done against a team that arguably shouldn’t even be there, and that will make a difference as St. Louis approaches this game with a greater focus and calmer price per head demeanor.

MLB Betting Pick: St. Louis Cardinals

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.

After watching the Boston Red Sox pull their way out of the basement of the American League East to climb all the way back up into first place, the New York Yankees have responded by keeping pace. As of Tuesday morning the Yankees were back in first place in the AL East, one-half game ahead of the Red Sox for the top spot. While Boston has been the better overall team the past couple of months, New York has proven that they have the talent and MLB betting depth to make things interesting in the division race, and they won’t be forgotten about very easily.

The Yankees have won seven of their past ten games, and their plus-97 run differential mark remains the best in the AL East. New York is far ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for the league-lead in home runs, with a surprising 21 from Curtis Granderson ranking just behind the 23 that Mark Teixeira has hit. Alex Rodriguez is batting .300 and players such as Nick Swisher have really stepped up this betting season, while the same can be said about players such as Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia on the pitching staff. CC Sabathia continues to lead the way with a 10-4 record and 3.25 ERA, but the team has gotten some quality starts from its depth so far. With so many things going the Yankees’ way, they will continue to get the job done as they keep their distance ahead of Boston in the AL East.

After a strong start to the 2011 MLB betting season, the Toronto Blue Jays have fallen back down to earth with a rough stretch from May leading into June, and it may take some time for this team to find their identity in one of the toughest divisions in baseball. There is no doubt that Toronto fans have waited patiently for a winner over the past couple of seasons while battling with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East, it will take at least one more year before this team is ready to contend for a playoff spot.

The Blue Jays have a ton of talent and potential to grow with, including the best hitter in baseball over the past two online sports betting seasons in Jose Bautista. After taking the home run crown a year ago Bautista has surprised again with his incredible play to open 2011, and has hit .338 with 21 home runs and 42 RBI. Toronto locked up Bautista for the near future with a deal this past summer, and with young hitters such as Adam Lind and JP Arencibia finding their groove the team has a solid core to move forward with. There is good depth in the pitching department although young stars such as Kyle Drabek will still need some time to develop, and Toronto can still use some help in the bullpen including the acquisition of a proven close. It won’t be long before the Blue Jays compete for in the crowded AL East, but it will take at least another year as this team continues to search for an identity.

While it may seem like a solid online sports betting move to jump on the Seattle Mariners’ bandwagon during their recent hot streak, buyer beware when considering rocking with an AL West team other than the defending AL champion Texas Rangers in the next couple of weeks. The Mariners had won 10 of their past 12 games heading into Tuesday night’s matchup against the Baltimore Orioles, and while they should be able to finish off the series strong they could run into some trouble in the weeks leading into the Belmont Stakes betting race.

Seattle has climbed their way back to the .500 mark after opening the year with just four wins through their first 15 games, and while it may seem as though this team has turned the corner that is nothing more than gambling on the streak. In reality, the Mariners have clinched seven of those 10 wins against two of the worst teams in baseball in the Minnesota Twins and the San Diego Padres, and they were fortunate to earn two of three against the New York Yankees with the difference being an extra innings outing. Following their series against Baltimore the Mariners will welcome the Tampa Bay Rays for a tough four-game set before heading on the road to battle the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. With one of the worst offenses in the majors the pitching alone won’t be able to carry them, and that should have Seattle crashing back down to earth in the near future.

The one factor that all championship baseball teams have in common is consistency. The MLB schedule has always been regarded as more of a marathon than a sprint, and whether it’s late April or early September the best teams in baseball always find ways to battle through adversity and get the job done. Playing out of arguably the most competitive division in baseball, the Toronto Blue Jays know that as well as any other team looking up at the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, or Boston Red Sox over the past decade. While it’s easy to plan on paper, it’s much harder to consistently perform on the field, and that is why the Blue Jays have struggled with sports betting mediocrity again in 2011.

A quick look at their schedule leading up to the Kentucky derby betting 2011 race reveals an interesting find, as the Blue Jays have won or lost more than two games only twice this season. Separate three and four game losing streaks in mid-April kept the team from crossing above the .500 mark, a trend that is likely to continue into May. To get an edge, wait for a team like Toronto to win or lose two games, and then bet against the streak to continue. The odds are in favor that they will get back in the win column, and as an underdog in most scenarios they can be a player’s dream.

It seems as though the majority of online sports betting sites tell players not to wager on favorites when it comes to baseball if they want to win. But considering that every division leader except for one has won at least two-thirds of their games, can that theory really be justified? The truth is that the best way to bet on baseball is to take the favorites, only in order to win you have to pick your spots.

Unlike in Kentucky Derby betting where there is one race and one favorite to pick in it, the baseball season is months long and the favorites are on the field almost every day. While it would be unrealistic to bet on a team such as the New York Yankees every day because of the odds that are available, there is nothing wrong with picking a spot with a team as good as the American League East leaders. The Yankees will not win every game, but they won’t lose every game either. The perfect way to guarantee making money on these games is to wait for a team as good as New York to lose two or three games in a row, and then bet on them until they get back in the win column. By starting small and covering losses from game to game, the end result will always be a win as long as the bankroll is available to go the distance until they get a victory. A team as good as the Yankees won’t lose 10 games in a row, so although it isn’t guaranteed a win is very likely.

The 2010-11 MLB betting online free agency period has been both a memorable and rather forgettable one. On the one hand, all of the top sports betting free agents of the baseball world have been signed except for two. However, on the other hand this offseason has given fans and experts alike a good idea of just how desperate some teams can get when a player leaves their team. With only a select few top free agents remaining, these are the players we are still surprised do not have a job yet.

Rafael Soriano P – The former Kansas City Royal turned Tampa Bay Ray for a season, still remains the hottest free agent on the market. Soriano not being signed yet comes as both a surprise and a head scratcher to us, as he is one of the best if not the best closer in the game today.

Throughout his career, Soriano has enjoyed playing in smaller markets. Meaning to say, the fact that former Pittsburgh Pirate and veteran relief pitcher Octavio Dotel got a job with the Blue Jays over Soriano makes us think Soriano might need to reduce his asking price. In our opinion, Soriano is the Cliff Lee of the bullpen. Our suspicion is that a team such as the Minnesota Twins, who sorely lacked a closer last season, will be the team that takes Soriano this offseason.

Adrian Beltre 3B – Beltre is another player whose contract demands may be a little too high for teams to accommodate. Over the last couple of seasons, Beltre has been rather inconsistent. On the one hand, he showed in Boston that when he focuses Beltre is perhaps one of the top five best third basemen in the MLB both offensively and defensively.

However, on the contrary he showed in Seattle, that despite receiving a decent pay day, he’s not always focused. During his time in Seattle he put up poor offensive numbers, while his defense left a bit to be desired. We see Beltre ending up with the LA Angels.

MLB betting handicappers predicting where the league’s top free agent pitchers will land, were for the most part shocked and amazed that gem of the 2011 class, Cliff Lee signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. In an era where the almighty dollar dictates where baseball betting online stars will sign, Lee shocked the world by going with his heart. Now that Lee is signed, who will be the next pitcher scooped up by a new team? Here are three of the remaining top free agent pitchers.

• Kevin Millwood – The grizzly veteran had one of the most forgettable seasons of his career in 2010, playing on a young bad Baltimore Orioles squad that really didn’t show up until the beginning of September. In saying that, over his career, the 37 year old Millwood has a record of 159 – 137 with a four point 11 earned run average.

Last season, Millwood one of the league’s work horses, earned a whopping $12 million. However, at 37 years of age, many clubs have been hesitant to offer the big right hander a contract with the same monetary figures. Meaning to say, we expect a team looking for a strong veteran presence to add Millwood, but at a reduced price from the $12 million from a year ago.

• Justin Duchscherer - Once considered one of the best young arms in the game, Duchscherer has suffered through a lot of arm and back injuries over the past few seasons. Only accumulating a record of 33 – 25 with an earned run average just over three.

When he’s healthy, Duchsherer is one of the most affective pitchers in the game. Last season he only made two million dollars with Oakland. However, we feel he could be effective coming out of the bullpen for his new team, perhaps as a closer.

• Jon Garland - From years of watching the American League Central, breeders cup betting fans may remember Jon Garland, the staff ace of the Chicago White Sox. Over the last couple of seasons, Garland has bounced around several teams, pitching admirably. However, each team he’s been on has had a difficult time contending and has found his value to be beneficial on the trade market.

It is no Bet Online scam — for teams looking for an innings eater, Garland is the pitcher you want to go after. What’s more, he can be a gap whole guy until a prospect being groomed in the minors is ready to come up during the middle of the season.

Today is a very important day with a lot of MLB betting ramifications, as it is the final day for free agents to accept or decline arbitration offers from the clubs they played with last season. If a player accepts arbitration, they will remain with their current team. Yet as many baseball betting online handicappers are hoping, if players decline arbitration, they can become free agents.

In essence, the reason the 2010 MLB offseason has been so quiet since the World Series ended, is because players and teams have been waiting for today to arrive. With so many of today’s players feeling they are worth more on the open market then what their teams suggest via arbitration, it is more than likely that the free agent pool will heat up in the coming weeks.

Over the last decade, several marquee players have declined arbitration and signed with a new baseball team and helped their new team win the World Series. The best example of this was back in 2002, when a then fairly unknown designated hitter and occasional first baseman named David Ortiz, declined his arbitration offer from the Minnesota Twins. The result? Ortiz would sign with the Boston Red Sox, and become one of their most valuable players en route to two World Series titles.

This offseason, the biggest name to be tendered an arbitration offer but is likely to decline is Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks. The 2005 World Series winning closer had an off season last year with awful statistical numbers. Also with the emergence of several other bullpen arms in Chicago last year, who proved able to close out games, it appears Jenks days in Chicago are numbered. With the Toronto Blue Jays looking for a new closer and having a tendency to take a flyer on players, Jenks may be the perfect fit.