Yankees fans waited nine years between championships.

In 2009, the pinstriped posse finally delivered, returning to the top of the MLB mountain.

The Bronx bullies beat up on Minnesota and Anaheim in the American League playoffs, before handling the Philadelphia Phillies for their record 27^th World Series title. After years of criticism for a massive payroll, New York’s players finally played at or above expectations. It’s scary to think that a 103-win season and World Series championship roster may have improved in the off-season.

But according to MLB odds that’s exactly what the Yankees have done.

New York added one of the six pitchers to throw 900 innings and 900 strikeouts in each of the past five seasons when general manager Brian Cashman traded for Javier Vasquez in December.

C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett are two of the other five pitchers on that list.

The Yankees then added Curtis Granderson to solidify their outfield and add a left-handed hitter to its order.

In the American League, The Angels lost key contributors in John Lackey, Chone Figgins, and Vladimir Guerrero. The Red Sox may have the deepest rotation in the big leagues, there are questions on offense after losing Jason Bay to the Mets.

Last year’s NL champion Philadelphia Phillies added ace Roy Halliday to a deep pitching staff and explosive offense, but also lost last year’s ace Cliff Lee.

The Yankees have improved the team that won the World Series, while their main challengers have done little to get better.

That is why New York will repeat as champions this season.

The NFL Championship is nearing, and the Super Bowl line is still open but when the game ends, so too does football for many months to come. However, with the ending of one season, another will begin.

Major League Baseball starts spring training in under two months, and there have been many key moves made in the off season.

The two biggest moves in the offseason have involved two of the best pitchers in the game. Roy Halladay left the dome in Toronto to become the new ace of the NL Pennant winners Philadelphia Phillies. He takes up the spot of Cliff Lee, who heads to Safe Co field in Seattle.

The deal was as impactful on the league as it was bizarre. Until we see what happens with Halladay, it appears the Phillies have simply traded one ace that has proven great in Philadelphia, for another ace that have proven great in Toronto.

In the end, though, it may be Halladay that comes out with better numbers. The efficient veteran has endured years with low run support on the Blue Jays while facing the likes of the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox on a consistent basis. The move to the NL will benefit greatly a man who often already allows only one or two runs a game. Putting him in a league with a weak eighth batter and a pitcher hitting ninth, and Halladay should be one of the top pitchers. He has always pitched economically, and on occasion Halladay would receive the rare complete game loss. Having seen what Lee did last year moving from the AL to an NL team that can hit, Halladay will thrive.

Lee meanwhile is more of a question mark. The move to the AL from the NL for pitchers has produced varied results the last few years. The Park certainly favous Lee, and he becomes part of a rotation that has a solid number two and three starters. It will be a tough division, however, as the Mariners look to move past the Rangers and the Angels. Another piece of information to consider: Seattle consistently travels the most in the league compared to any other team.

Baseball can be tricky, but it’s never too early to check out some MLB betting tips. Whenever you can, pick Halladay to win, to shutout, and to go nine innings. Lee, however, may be less certain.

All of the headlines nowadays seem to relate to the 2010 Super Bowl odds but there was one specific story that caught everyone’s attention on radar:

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum files for record $13 million arbitration.

Bodog sportsbook (Bodog reviews) has already posted a betting line as to whether he will or will not receive this money and for now, it doesn’t look like he’s going to get it.

Lincecum is still a very young player and if he was a free agent, it would be fair for him to command at least $13 million – if not more – as part of a long term deal.

But Lincecum is eligible for arbitration, which means that he’s not free to sign wherever he wants and he’s forced to stick it out with the Giants.

This could be one of the biggest richest contracts in MLB history awarded in arbitration – especially since the Giants are already offering $8 million.

If the two sides can’t come to an agreement, expect the arbitrator to take a good look at what the Philadelphia Phillies paid Ryan Howard in a similar record-setting salary.

Expect Lincecum to get more than the $10 million than Howard got as Lincecum is a back-to-back Cy Young winner.

Our latest report on MLB free agency dives deeper into the ocean of available players. We’ve looked at the big names and the boom/bust types. Who are the sleepers that could quietly push a team toward glory at bargain prices?

Joel Pineiro, starting pitcher

Talk around expert circles suggests that Pineiro is seeking $7-$8 million per season. Considering that the likes of Jeff Suppan and Carlos Silva make $11-$12 million, Pineiro could be a massive steal. He transformed himself into a groundball pitcher and flourished, walking only 27 hitters in 214 innings as he posted the highest groundball rate among starting pitchers in the majors. That type of approach is one that translates to all ballparks. Someone should go after the reinvented hurler and reap the rewards.

Kiko Calero, relief pitcher

He’s far from a household name but he could absolutely help a contending team in a setup role. Calero posted fantastic numbers last season – 1.95 ERA, .180 opponents average and 69 strikeouts in 60 innings. He has a fantastic slider and could be a nice find if he can avoid his injury troubles.

Adam LaRoche, first baseman

You can do a lot worse than LaRoche and his nice, long swing. The lanky first baseman plays solid defense and always mashes the ball in the second half – he hit .325 with 12 homers and 40 RBI in his last 57 games. If only he could put it together for a whole season.

Troy Glaus, third baseman

Steroid rumors or not, Glaus is a big guy with legit home run power. If he’s willing to swallow his pride and become a DH, he could hit another 25 homers with a solid on-base percentage.

Marco Scutaro, shortstop

Was he a fluke last year or did he simply excel when finally given a chance to start? Either way, Scutaro can be an asset. He gets on base, plays solid defense and has a tiny bit of pop. He can also play at least three positions. Think of him as a (very) poor man’s Chone Figgins.

MLB odds of Toronto ace Roy Halladay being traded before the deadline are pretty good, which means there should be thousands of fans on deck for what could be his final start at the Rogers Center when the Blue Jays kick off a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

Rays Blue Jays odds – Friday, July 24, 7:07 PM ET

Matt Garza (6-7, 3.80) can’t seem to get his control down, as he is eighth in the American League in strikeouts, but also third in walks. He was lights out in a win in Toronto on June 30^th, taking his record to 4-3 in seven career starts despite a 1.89 ERA. That was Garza’s last good game away from home, where he is 2-4 with a 4.44 ERA in nine outings.

Halladay (11-3, 2.73) tossed his fourth complete game of the season in a 3-1 win over Boston, taking his home record to 7-2 in 10 starts with a 2.76 ERA, and all of those complete games have come at the Rogers Center. “Doc” has made 30 appearances (27 starts) against the Rays in his career, going 11-9 with a 3.73 ERA. Two of those losses came this season, but through no fault of Halladay, who allowed five runs in 13 innings. The Blue Jays only managed to score three runs in those two games.

MLB odds will definitely favor the Blue Jays at home, and if it is Halladay’s last game, you’ll probably see another complete game as well. Garza has been all over the place, but he’ll setlle down enough to give Halladay a duel as he loves pitching against the Blue Jays. Still, emotion is a crazy thing sometimes, and it’ll power the Blue Jays to a win.

MLB odds pick: Toronto Blue Jays

MLB odds aren’t giving Houston much of a chance in the National League race, but they used a late push to put themselves in the mix for the Central just before the All-Star break. The Astros will face the Dodgers on Friday in the second of a four-game series, and MLB odds should go against them in this battle of pitching aces.

Astros Dodgers odds – Friday, July 17, 10:10 PM ET

Roy Oswalt (5-4, 3.85) is still one of the most consistent pitchers in all of baseball, and he gave up six runs in his last 29 innings before the All-Star break, racking up a 2-0 record in four starts with a complete game. The 31-year-old took a no-decision against the Dodgers earlier this year, taking his career record to 5-3 in nine games (eight starts) with a 3.91 ERA.

Chad Billingsley (9-4, 3.38) is coming off his first All-Star appearance, and you can only imagine what his numbers would be like if he wasn’t second in the National League in walks. The 24-year-old righthander cooled off a bit before the break, racking up four no-decisions and a loss in his last five starts, but he’ll return to face a team which he shut out for 7.1 innings earlier this year, tossing a three-hitter in a victory. Billingsley is now 3-2 in five starts against the Astros with a 2.62 ERA.

The Dodgers should be favored by MLB odds in this contest, as Billingsley is 6-3 in nine starts at Dodger Stadium with a 3.38 ERA. Oswalt is 3-2 with a 3.71 ERA in 10 road starts, but his first outing of the second half was pushed back a day to rest an injured finger, which could be a concern to some offshore sportsbook players. Go with the young gun over the veteran this time.

MLB odds pick: Los Angeles Dodgers

Online betting players will get to see a potentially thrilling pitching duel with a mix of youth and experience on Thursday afternoon at Tropicana Field, when the Tampa Bay Rays wrap up a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays – Thursday, July 9, 12:08 PM ET

Roy Halladay (10-2, 2.79) lost to the Rays two starts ago when he came off the disabled list, which took his career mark against Tampa Bay to 11-8 in 29 outings (26 starts) with a 3.72 ERA. Halladay was also taken deep three times in a 6-5 loss in New York, and one has to wonder if he is being distracted by the speculation that he’ll be traded out of Toronto by the deadline, or in the offseason.

David Price (2-3, 5.21) will be making his first appearance against the Blue Jays, and he’ll be trying to bounce back from a horrible outing in Texas, when he gave up six runs and walked five batters in only 1.1 innings. That was the third time in four starts that the young phenom has allowed five runs or more, and it was the second consecutive outing in which he walked five batters. If he can keep the base-on-balls to a minimum, he should be able to lead his team to a win, and they’ll definitely be the sports betting favorites in your offshore sportsbook.