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With 30 teams playing 162 games each, Major League Baseball provides the player with 2,430 betting opportunities, more than any other sport. Add 2,430 run lines and throw in 2,430 'totals' and the number swells to a staggering 7,290 options, a veritable baseball betting buffet.
But wait, we're not done. Add future book offerings for the World Series, the American and National League pennant, all six division races, and an 'over/under' on regular season victories and the total number of available wagers reaches a nice round 7,300.
Surely, that's more than enough baseball betting options to satisfy even the most Gargantuan of National Pastime hungers.
Wrong again, pine tar breath.
Some sportsbooks - bless their innovative little hearts - are offering even more ways to match cash to conviction:
For starters, there's a prop on which player will smack the most home runs this season. St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, who hit 49 last year despite missing 19 games, joins Boston's David Ortiz, who led the American League with 54 round-trippers, and Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, who clubbed a Major League best 58, as co-favorites at odds of 4/1. They're the only players in single digits. San Francisco's Barry Bonds, who holds the single-season record of 73, is offered at odds of 35/1.
Speaking of Bonds, some sportsbooks have a prop on whether Bonds will get the 22 homers he needs to pass Hank Aaron as the all-time home run king this season. "Yes" is the favorite at -200 (bet $200 to win $100) while "No" is listed at +160 (bet $100 to win $160).
Some sportsbooks are offering player-to-player matchups for more base hits, home runs, RBIs, runs scored, stolen bases and pitching victories. In the hits category, for example, you lay 10 1/2 hits with Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki but get +150 against Texas' Michael Young (+10 1/2 but -180). For the record, Ichiro had 224 hits last season to 217 for Young.
On the power front, you lay 3 1/2 homers with the Phillies' Howard or take 3 1/2 with the Red Sox's Ortiz and lay -115 either way on which slugger hits more homers.
Pitchers haven't been left out of the wagering equation either. Former teammates Randy Johnson, now back with the Diamondbacks, and the Red Sox's Curt Schilling, are matched up for victories. Lay a win with the Big Unit or take one with Schilling and lay -115 on either hurler.
It's the same deal with Minnesota's Johan Santana, -1, and Houston's Roy Oswalt, +1, with either at -115 to win more games.
Santana is a 5/2 favorite to lead all Major League pitchers in total victories, although you can get the same price on any two pitchers tying for the lead. St. Louis' Chris Carpenter is 16/5 in that same category with Oswalt at 4/1 and Matsuzaka at 7/1.
The Angels' Francisco Rodriguez is a slight 3/1 favorite to lead the Major Leagues in saves but a pair of New Yorkers, the Yankees' Mariano Rivera and the Mets' Billy Wagner, are close behind at 7/2 each.
Daisuka Matsuzaka, for whom Boston paid $50 million just to win the rights to negotiate, is the subject of a couple of propositions. In one, he's matched against San Francisco's Barry Zito for more wins. Take half a victory and -115 on Matsuzaka or lay half a triumph and -115 on Zito.
You also can wager on how many games Matsuzaka wins this season:
| Games |
Odds |
Games |
Odds |
| 0-3 |
15/1 |
14-15 |
2/1 |
| 4-6 |
12/1 |
16-17 |
4/1 |
| 7-9 |
7/1 |
18-19 |
13/2 |
| 10-11 |
5/1 |
20-21 |
9/1 |
| 12-13 |
5/2 |
22 or more |
15/1 |
Many bettors may find team versus team regular season victory totals interesting, especially in cities or areas that boast more than one Major League franchise.
New Yorkers can take sides by laying 7 1/2 games and -105 with the Yankees against the Mets, +7 1/2 games and -125.
In Chicago, the White Sox are -6 1/2 games and even money to win more games than the Cubs, +6 1/2 at -130.
Los Angeles residents can opt for the Dodgers, +1 1/2 and -115 or the Angels, -1 1/2 and -115 to win more games.
In the Bay Area, the Oakland Athletics are -4 1/2 games, -120 to win more ball games than the San Francisco Giants, +4 1/2 games, -110.
The baseball betting buffet is open for business.
This article was written by Luken Karel for http://www.thegreek.com. The Greek Sportsbook & Casino is host to one of the top online sportsbooks offering sports betting on NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and all other major sports. The Greek is a must have sports betting and entertainment portal with one of the largest wagering menus available online. Article reproductions must include a link pointing to http://www.thegreek.com.
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