2006 Baseball Betting Odds

The New York Mets have power, speed, the deepest rotation in the National League East and closer Billy Wagner to apply the finishing touches.

That's more than enough to make the Mets, who won just 83 games last season and finished seven games behind Atlanta in the division, the 5/2 favorites to win the NL pennant. That's according to odds posted at the Palms sports book in Las Vegas.

If the 'chalk' holds up, fans in the Big Apple can get ready for another 'subway series'. The New York Yankees are 2/1 favorites to win the American League pennant at The Palms.
Mets general manager Omar Minaya has been the busiest wheeler-dealer in baseball this winter. The addition of left-handed power hitter Carlos Delgado, and proven contact-hitter Paul LoDuca, will serve the offense well.

Manager Willie Randolph is keeping his fingers crossed that ace Pedro Martinez stays healthy and that Tom Glavine duplicates the success he had after last season’s All-Star break.
Atlanta has won 14 straight NL-East titles, and there's certainly no reason to believe lightning can't strike again. The Braves wouldn't be 16/1 to win the World Series and 9/2 to win the pennant if they had a lockdown closer.

The Yankees are 2/1 choices to win the AL pennant at The Palms. New York is an aging team that didn't do much in the offseason to improve its starting rotation. But the Yankees still have one of the most potent offenses on the planet, despite Jorge Posada going downhill and Gary Sheffield being injury prone.

Skipper Joe Torre is counting on 42-year-old Randy Johnson and 37-year-old Mike Mussina to fill the two top spots in his rotation. Shawn Chacon, who looked like a different pitcher after coming to New York from Colorado, could be a solid 15-game winner at the back of the rotation if he continues to improve.

New York may be the baseball capital, but the Windy City isn't far behind. The defending champion Chicago White Sox are a close second choice to win the pennant at 5/2, while the Cubs are third choices in the NL at 4/1.

Since the Pale Hose didn't rest on their laurels in the offseason, they are in very good shape to repeat. The momentum from Chicago's 11-1 postseason run continued in the offseason when it acquired slugger Jim Thome and starter Javier Vazquez and resigned Paul Konerko.
Ever optimistic Cubs fans think this could be their year after Boston and the White Sox ended long championship droughts the past two seasons. There's no doubt Chicago can contend after last year's 79-win fourth place division finish if its starting pitchers stay healthy.
Defending NL champ Houston has so many questions still to be answered that it is listed at 8/1 to win the pennant and 22/1 to win the World Series.

The Astros still have Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt at the top of their rotation, but Roger Clemens may not be back until May 1, if ever. Houston didn't do much to improve an offense that finished near the bottom in 2005 in many offensive categories.

Boston, just one year removed from winning the title, isn't getting much respect. The Red Sox are 11/1 to win the World Series and 13/2 to capture the pennant.

The Red Sox are a team in transition and could be on the decline. Skipper Terry Francona has a good rotation on paper, but it has question marks. Josh Beckett, acquired when Florida conducted a winter fire sale, has dominant stuff and should emerge as the Red Sox' ace.

Toronto made almost as many offseason moves as the Mets and this could be the year it makes a bona fide run in the AL East. The Jays bolstered both the front of their rotation and the bullpen with the addition of A.J. Burnett and B.J Ryan.

Toronto now has a rotation topped by Roy Halladay, with Burnett, Josh Towers and lefties Ted Lilly and Gustavo Chacin that will help them compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. The Blue Jays opened at 40/1 to win the title, but that price soon dropped to 30/1.

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