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.

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.

One of the biggest reasons why the Boston Red Sox were the consensus World Series pick heading into the 2011 online sports betting season was the addition of third basemen Adrian Gonzalez to the lineup along with several other key pieces. The Red Sox managed to stay in the playoff race in the deepest division in baseball a year ago without Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and a plethora of injured players that didn’t make it through 2011. With those key additions as well as the return of key hitters such as former MVP Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkillis Boston started slow, but after a strong start to the month of May have reached the .500 mark and appear on their way in the American League East.

One of the biggest reasons for the turnaround is the sensational play of Gonzalez over the past 10 games. With a .348 batting average, seven home runs, and 16 RBI in his last 10 games Gonzalez has largely carried the load, and the fact that those games have been against division rivals such as the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays has been an added bonus. With the 2011 Preakness Stakes betting race right around the corner there is still a ton of time for things to change in the AL East, and the Red Sox have now served noticed that they are ready to contend for one of the four playoff spots in the league.