Baseball Betting: 2010 World Series Odds

With spring training just around the corner, bookmakers are getting ready for the 2010 Major League Baseball season. While the New York Yankees will look to repeat as World Series champions, 29 other squads have spent the winter trying to upgrade their clubs. The various trades and free agent signings could put a contender over the top by the time October rolls around. Here's a look at how some of the significant teams in the American and National League stack up entering 2010: American League As expected, the defending champs are the overall favorite to repeat at odds of 3/1. In a division that has produced the last three AL pennant winners, the AL East should be tough again in 2010. Boston is viewed as the next top contender from the AL. The Red Sox have odds of 7/1. After posting its first two winning seasons in franchise history over the last two years, the Tampa Bay Rays are in the mix again at 25/1. In the AL Central, there are no prominent World Series contenders. The Twins and White Sox head the division at 25/1 while the Tigers are at 30/1. While the Los Angeles Angels dominated the AL West in the last decade, the club should be pushed this season. The Angels and Seattle Mariners are at 14/1 while the Texas Rangers are at 20/1. The biggest long shots in the AL are the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays at 100/1. National League With two straight trips to the Fall Classic, the Philadelphia Phillies head the list of squads in the senior circuit at 6/1. In the NL East, Atlanta follows Philadelphia at odds of 22/1 while the Mets and Marlins check in at 25/1. In the NL Central, only two squads are projected to be viable World Series contenders. The Cardinals lead this division at 14/1 while the Cubs are at 20/1. The other four clubs in the NL Central have odds of 40/1 or greater. In the NL West, there are three teams that are expected to be in the chase in 2010. After winning the division the last two years, the Los Angeles Dodgers head the group at 14/1. The Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants are close behind at odds of 16/1. In the role of the biggest underdog in all of baseball entering this season, the Pittsburgh Pirates are a distant 150/1 to capture the World Series crown.