Hello there iBet.pro!

I am a new contributor here at iBet.pro and I will be focusing on some of the different bets that I find to be attractive for the upcoming year in sports! It’s just about that time of year when pitchers and catchers start breaking out the leather and warming up for the upcoming season so let’s talk some baseball!

There are always a number of futures bets that you can make right now, before the dust from spring training has settled, and get some favorable odds. Often times early trades will artificially pump up or down the odds of a number of teams within the effected division and these can make some attractive bets. There are also usually some dark horse candidates to compete for a playoff spot that haven’t quite materialized in the press just yet.

Let’s examine some of the Futures to win the series in 2008.

The Mets’ acquisition of the best left hander in baseball has obviously gotten the whole baseball world buzzing with them set up as the early favorites to come out of the NL. However, as much as the Mets have improved there is one contender within their own division that has been all but overlooked. Namely the Atlanta braves. The recent upsurge in odds makers’ confidence in the Mets wining the division has pounded down the odds on the Braves by enough to make them seem attractive. They currently are sitting at 30-1 and they have historically shown that they can go deep into the playoffs even in years in which the Mets are early on considered the “class” of the division. They finished with 4 less wins then the Mets last season and their top three of Glavine, Smoltz and Hudson stacks up quite favorably against most of the National League rotations. You can pencil them in for around 90ish wins which should be enough to get them in for at least a wild card appearance. At 30-1 they could be one of the bigger money makers with a legitimate shot at winning it all.

Out of the AL the competition looks a little bit stiffer with less bargains to be had. However, the Indians out of the central seem to have the odds against them to come out of the central division. With the trades that Detroit has made odds makers have them pegged to take the central with 7-1 odds for them to win it all. Where as the Indians who have not had any major subtractions from a nucleus that knocked off the Yankees and took the eventual champion Red Sox to seven look to be just as strong this season as last. I am not enamored with the trades that Detroit has made and I don’t feel like it is going to close the sizable 8 win gap between them and Cleveland during the 2007 season. At 10-1 Cleveland looks like a bargain to compete for the 2008 title. Look for Cleveland to be on top of the division come September and make a title run in October.

Now let’s examine some of the divisional races for the upcoming 2008 season.

The NL west may be the most highly contested division in baseball with four teams that can make a legitimate claim that they will be staking claim to the division title. The odds makers have Arizona as the early favorite at 9-5 odds, with Colorado and San Diego close on their heels at 11-5 and LA rounding out the legitimate contenders at 3-1. The Rockies last year showed that they have a young team that we can expect to hit and field the ball well and a pitching staff that is more then adequate. With Los Angeles having as many pitching question marks as they do and San Diego still unable to solve the issue of a complete lack of power in the heart of their lineup, the only other remaining team in contention is Arizona. Expect Arizona to drop a few too many games that Webb and Haren aren’t pitching to catch up to Colorado down the stretch. Colorado at 9-5 looks like the prudent bet in this tough division.

Also on an if you or anyone you know enjoys bingo, have them check out this online bingo site. I was recently introduced to it by a friend and it was a fun way to kill some time playing some free bingo. Give it a whirl and see if that can help satisfy the gambling bug until the wonderful new 2008 season begins!

-Chad signing off