Most baseball experts were betting that the AL East would be a dogfight between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The Red Sox pitching staff was touted to be every bit as effective as the Yankees, and no one was denying the bat power of the Red Sox. But just like betting on NFL games in the preseason, you never really know what you get until the teams take the field.

This season, the Red Sox pitching has been inconsistent and unreliable. Staff ace Josh Beckett has spent most of the season on the injury list, and no one in the staff has really been able to pick up the slack. When you get involved in NCAA football betting, you rarely bet on the team that has lost its star quarterback. When the Red Sox lost their star quarterback in Beckett, it seemed like the rest of the team just fell apart.

The Angels were expecting great things this season. But the Angels hopes were predicated on the Texas Rangers and Oakland A’s having lousy seasons. Right now the Texas Rangers lead the AL West by seven and a half games over the A’s and the Angels. The Angels just cannot win on the road, and when you cannot win on the road then you are not going to win your division.

In the AL there seems to be little doubt who the division winners will be in the AL East and the AL West. Boston is not going to win the East, and the Angels are not winning in the West. But that does not mean that the Red Sox are completely out of the MLB betting picture this season. The Red Sox trail the Tampa Bay Rays by five games in the AL Wild Card race, and the Red Sox have come back to take the Wild Card more than once in the past few seasons.

Why should the Red Sox Nation get excited about the prospects of a Wild Card berth? Because Beckett is back, and the season is not over. Josh Beckett takes the mound in this game and he brings a deceiving 1-1 record along with an inflated 6.66 ERA with him. Beckett had five strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings in his most recent start, which was his first back from his injury. He looked like the staff ace, and he looked to be ready to play.

The Angels will put Joel Pineiro on the mound for this game. The breaking ball pitcher is 10-7 this season and that includes a seven game winning streak that the Yankees broke in his last start. Pineiro has a 4.18 ERA this season, which is excellent for a breaking ball pitcher and shows that he veteran still has the control he needs to win.

The Boston Red Sox are a fast ball hitting team. They have had problems hitting breaking ball pitchers for years. However, this season the Red Sox bats seem to be able to strike at any moment, and if Pineiro leaves his breaking balls out over the plate like he did against the Yankees then he could be in for another long night.

Pick: Boston Red Sox 4-2

MLB Betting – Washington Nationals @ Cincinnati Reds

Stephen Strasburg (4-2) vs. Bronson Arroyo (10-4)

Strasburg vs. Reds Hitting

The Washington phenom continues to live up to the hype. In his last start Strasburg threw six shutout innings against the Marlins, striking out seven and allowing only four hits. It was the first time all season Strasburg didn’t give up a run in a start. The circus surrounding Strasburg seems to have slowed down, a welcome change of media pace that will only help the kid stay calm. A cap on his 2010 innings has forced Strasburg to usually only pitch six innings, meaning teams have a much better chance of winning if they’re patient for the bullpen instead of trying to beat Strasburg.

The team that must be patient this time, the Cincinnati Reds, are a surprise atop the NL Central. The offense is led by MVP-candidate Joey Votto, the all-star snub who is enjoying a career year (.307 BA, 22 HR, 60 RBI). Jay Bruce, Johnny Gomes and Brandon Phillips provide a solid backup crew. Scott Rolen has also been a beast at the plate, but will most likely miss the game against Strasburg. Rolen has been nursing a hamstring injury and hasn’t played since the break. If you’re betting, consider that good news for the Nationals.

Arroyo vs. Nationals Hitting

The veteran ace of the Reds rotation, Arroyo is enjoying a nice little year. He’s pitched exceptionally strong as of late, going 5-1 in his last six outings, allowing more than two runs in a start just once. His ERA has dropped considerably since early June, and he seems to be hitting his stride as the season goes on. Arroyo has faced the Nationals already once this year with spectacular results. The right-hander lasted eight innings and only gave up two runs while striking out five.

Like most years, the bulk of the offense on Washington has fallen to Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman. Dunn (22 HR, 59 RBI) has been the subject of many trade talks, but that hasn’t seemed to slow him down at all. As for Zimmerman (16 HR, 48 RBI), he’s just as offensively sound as anyone. Since no one on the team is batting over .300, the Nationals’ run source comes mainly from the power hitters. If Arroyo can effectively shut down the team of Dunn and Zimmerman, victory will be much easier to obtain.

Bullpen Comparison

The Nationals bullpen has some brilliant talent, and since all of them are young, there is potential to be even greater. Matt Capps has 23 saves and has a 3.10 ERA in over 40 innings pitched. Tyler Clippard leads all MLB relievers with 8 wins and has pitched an astounding 53 innings. Drew Storen is a former first round pick and has blossomed in his role as a set-up guy.

All-Star Arthur Rhodes is the best reliever in a generally O.K. Bullpen. The big lefty has revitalized his career in Cinncy, sporting a minuscule 1.46 ERA in 37 IP. No other reliever comes close to that ERA, as none sport a number under 3.75. Closer Francisco Cordero get a lot of save opportunities, and has converted 25 of them; he has blown six and has 4.01 ERA.

Outlook

It’s hard to pick against Strasburg, especially since he’s been pitching so well as of late. The Reds, although definite NL Central contenders, have been slipping as of late. I’m betting the kid gets another notch in his belt after this one.

Pick: Washington Nationals

With the NFL betting and college football just around the corner, sports enthusiasts are already looking ahead to the 2010 season, with an eye on how at least a few of the top teams in at both the school and professional levels will perform. One of the most popular conferences among online sports betting enthusiasts during the football year is the Big Ten, where hundreds of thousands of plays are made every month.

Leading the Big Ten in to the 2010 season is the Ohio State Buckeyes, which has 15 starters returning from the team that went 7-1 in conference play in 2009, and 11-2 overall. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor will once again be the key to this team’s success, as he aims to build on the 2800 total yards he gained throwing and rushing a year ago. The two-headed monster made up of Brandon Saine and Dan Herron at running back is arguably one of the best in the country, and while the Buckeyes should be able to move the ball on the ground, wide receiver Devier Posey keeps defenses honest with his big play capabilities. This season will be about more than just the returning stars however, as Ohio State brought in some of the top recruits in the country to help complete their roster. All the talent that this team has collected and developed over the past couple of years should keep them at the top of the Big Ten conference, with the real goal being the chase for a national title.

The NCAA college football betting team that the sports books have projected as having the best chance of challenging Ohio State for Big Ten seniority is the Iowa Hawkeyes, which return 14 starters of their own from a roster that went 11-2 overall, and finished just one game back of the Buckeyes in overall conference record. Quarterback Ricki Stanzi is back under center, which should keep the Hawkeyes’ offense rolling, while a strong defensive line that features defensive tackle Karl Klud and defensive end captain Adrian Clayborn will help Iowa take its game to the next level and challenge for top spot.

Penn State finished with the same record as the Hawkeyes both within the conference and overall, but their outlook heading in to 2010 is much dimmer given that the Nittany Lions lost close to half of their starting roster. True freshman Paul Jones is expected to start at quarterback when the bet on sports online games get underway, and will be tested by a deep group of defensive units at the top of the Big Ten. Rounding out the conference is Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Michigan State, each of which have odds available to win the national title, but without massive development from last season in several key areas don’t stand a chance to challenge Ohio State. Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota and Illinois will all be battling just to stay close to .500 during the regular season, and despite improvements, it could be another couple of years before any of them is ready to compete.

Before college football betting starts to warm up, let’s check out who were the stars of the first half of the MLB season, and get ready for an exciting second half.

American League

MVP – Miguel Cabrera, Detroit

Texas teammates Josh Hamilton and Vladdy Guerrero come close, but Cabrera doesn’t have another bonafide slugger in the lineup to help him out.  Cabrera leads the AL in average and RBIs, and he’s tied with Hamilton for second in homers….and he just turned 27 in April.

Cy Young – David Price, Tampa Bay

This would be the NFL football betting equivalent of Aaron Rodgers beating out Brett Favre and Peyton Manning for the MVP award, as the young Price gets the nod over New York teammates C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte.  Price is tied for the AL lead in wins with Sabathia, while leading in ERA.

Manager Of The Half-Year – Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay

Boston’s Terry Francona, as well as all the division leaders, deserve a mention, but Maddon has done a wonderful job of getting this young and insanely talented team back on track after last year’s disappointment. 

Rookie Of The Half-Year – Brennan Boesch, Detroit

The 25-year-old is fourth in the league in average, second among rookies in OBP, and first in homers, RBIs and slugging.  Boesch is quickly becoming the Robin to Cabrera’s Batman in the Motor City.

National League

MVP – Albert Pujols, St. Louis

Listen to this: 10^th in average, second in OBP, third in slugging, tied for second in homers and fourth in RBIs.  Does that sound like an “off” year to you?  Well, it is by “King” Albert’s standards, and all this means is that the gap this year has closed on him.  But he’s still the best.

Cy Young – Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado

If he keeps this up, and the Rockies make the playoffs, Jimenez may be MVP.  He leads the majors in wins, and he’s fifth in the NL in ERA.  Seriously, if he can get to 25 wins, Jimenez is in the MLB betting conversation for MVP.

Manager Of The Half-Year – Dusty Baker, Cincinnati

Atlanta’s Bobby Cox could get it, as he’s retiring and his Braves are rolling through the East, and he has four of these things already.  San Diego’s Bud Black doesn’t have one, but can he hold onto Adrian Gonzalez for the rest of the season?  Baker gets it because no one in the baseball world expected the Reds to be anywhere near first in the Central this year.

Rookie Of The Half-Year – Jason Heyward, Atlanta

Chicago’s Tyler Colvin and New York’s Ike Davis gets a mention, but Heyward is living up to all the hype in Atlanta, playing for a first-place team.  His wrist should be healthy enough to come back after the break to resume his assault, and Heyward may be the safest online betting pick in this list.

While it’s not quite World Cup betting, there’s still a huge matchup to pay attention in the baseball world on Wednesday as a pair of American League East rivals will go at it in the finale of a three-game set in Florida.   Tampa Bay will take on Boston, and their young (and newly minted) All-Star will take on a pitcher 19 years his senior.

Red Sox Rays Betting – Wednesday, July 7, 7:10 PM ET

43-year-old Tim Wakefield (3-6, 4.96) went eight strong innings in his last outing, allowing a pair of runs on seven hits to lead the Red Sox to a 3-2 win over Baltimore.  Wakefield struck out four and walked one to win his third game of the season, but he also was taken deep for the seventh straight start.  NFL betting players would compare Wakefield to Drew Bledsoe late in his career: he’s capable of giving you brilliance, but it’s more likely that it won’t end well, and that’s bound to happen when you pitch into your 40s.  Wakefield has faced the Rays 42 times in his career, starting 32 of those games, and he has a 20-5 mark with three saves and an ERA of 3.45.  However, in the last three years (since Tampa Bay has been relevant), the knuckleballer is 5-3 in 10 starts with a 5.01 ERA, and he’s 3-3 with a 4.70 ERA at Tropicana Field.

24-year-old Davis Price (11-4, 2.42) is showing everyone why he was the first pick in the 2007 draft, and NCAA football betting players could compare this to a player that had loads of promise as a freshman, but was brought along slowly and is proving himself.  He was a bit wild in a 2-1 loss in Minnesota in his last outing, giving up a pair of runs on four hits over eight innings, striking out six and walking four.  Price is still a bit wild when it comes to his command as he’s ninth in the American League in walks, but that’s something he’ll harness in the future.  Price is 1-1 in two career starts against the Red Sox, but they’re going to have a tough time beating him at Tropicana Field, where he is 5-1 in seven starts with a 1.99 ERA so far this year.

The Rays should be favored at home, and they took the first game of this series 6-5 on Monday, coming back from a 5-1 deficit.  Price would love to celebrate his All-Star berth with a victory, especially over a bitter rival that is trying to keep pace with them in the division.  Wakefield hasn’t been consistent at all this year, even moreso than usual, and it appears as though the knuckleball is losing whatever steam it had.

Online betting pick: Tampa Bay

World Cup betting is getting real serious right now as the final eight has been decided, and we’ll know who the final four will be by the end of the weekend.  Here are your sports betting picks for the big tournament.

Netherlands Brazil Betting – Friday, 10:00 AM ET

This could be the best matchup of the bunch, and Brazil is a -120 favorite over the Dutch, who have won two and drawn four of their nine meetings with the Samba Kings.  Brazil may be without playmaking midfielder Elano, who has an ankle injury, while there are rumors of dissention in the Dutch camp.  Both teams have been impressive so far, but Holland’s Arjen Robben may be the one player who decides this match. (World Cup betting pick: Netherlands +320)

Uruguay Ghana Betting – Friday, 2:30 PM ET

The Uruguayans are -105 favorites in a clash of two countries who have never met, and Ghana would have to be considered the soccer betting darkhorse in the quarterfinals.  Asamoah Gyan is sure to earn some attention from European teams for his clutch goal-scoring ability, but Uruguay has Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, who have arguably been the best strike duo in the World Cup.  (World Cup betting pick: Uruguay -105)

Argentina Germany Betting – Saturday, 10:00 AM ET

In a match of two teams that had controversial decisions go their way in the knockout round, Argentina is favored at +115 over the Germans, who would have likely beat England anyway.  Argentina has eight wins and five draws in 18 meetings with the Germans, and there’s still bad blood from the 2006 meeting at this very same stage, which the Germans won on penalties.  Germany says that Argentina doesn’t respect the referees, while Argentina responded with saying that Mexico, the team they beat in the last round, is better than Germany.  It’s revenge day in South Africa. (World Cup betting pick: Argentina +115)

Paraguay Spain Betting – Saturday, 2:30 PM ET

Spain is the biggest favorite of the quarterfinals at -210, and David Villa has been a beast for the World Cup pre-tournament favorites, who are improving with each match.  Paraguay needed penalty kicks to rid of Japan in the knockout stages, and the strikers are going to have to play better if they want any chance against Spain, who have won one and drawn two of their three meetings with the Paraguayans.  Fernando Torres looks to get another start for Spain despite not finishing a match so far in this tournament.  We’re putting our online betting money on Xavi to run the midfield for the Spanish, which will lead them into the semifinals. (World Cup betting pick: Spain -210)