MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL BETTING: FUTURE BOOK OFFERS SOME OPTIONS

"April is the cruelest month" wrote T.S. Eliot, who probably didn't have Major League baseball betting on his mind when he first put pen to paper to scribble those words. But for anyone who's endured the daily six-month grind of wagering on America's National Pastime, April can seem like little more than the start of a long and difficult journey that has no certain destination or outcome.

 

Happily, baseball betting fans can relieve some of that cruelty by getting in a few wagers prior to the first meaningful cry of "Play Ball" being heard at Major League ballparks in April.

 

Holy Abner Doubleday but future book betting already is in full swing at most bookmaking outlets.

 

First, give yourself a hearty pat on the wallet if, sensing that the Yankees would be active in the free agent market this winter, you got in an early future book wager on the Bronx Bombers. New York opened as the 9/1 fifth choice (that's right, fifth choice) to win the 2009 World Series. Then the Yanks went out and got starting pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, as well as first base slugger Mark Teixeira and, quicker than a New York minute, the Yankees now are the 4/1 favorite to capture the October Classic.

 

The Cubs, who opened as the 15/2 third choice, now are quoted as the 11/2 second choice after the Red Sox, who started out as the 13/2 second choice, slipped a bit to 15/2.

 

Confused? Remember, baseball future books respond to two factors: events on the field and betting at the windows. Safe to say, so early in the process, that these moves were based largely on player personnel additions and subtractions.

 

Other teams highly regarded by oddsmakers include the Phillies (17/2), Dodgers and Mets (each 10/1), Rays (12/1), Angels (12/1), Diamondbacks (15/1) and Cardinals (18/1). At 150/1, the Pirates are the longest shot on the board to win the 2009 World Series.

 

Of course, the World Series is not the only future book being offered by bet takers. In fact, many also have prices posted on the American League and National League pennants, all six division races, as well as a number of intriguing propositions.

 

For the most part, pennant prices are about half World Series odds, though there are some exceptions and it definitely pays to shop around. Some gamblers prefer betting future book pennant winners rather the World Series future book because if you nail the AL or NL champion, you then can bet the other side, often on the more generous money line, in the World Series. It's another way for professional baseball betting advocates to use the future book to their advantage.

 

It's easier to win a division than a pennant and those odds uniformly are stingier. For example, New York is even money over Boston (3/2) and Tampa Bay (7/2) in the AL East; Cleveland, Detroit and Minnesota are knotted at 2/1 in the AL Central; LA is a strong 4/7 favorite over Oakland (2/1) in the AL West; New York (7/5) leads World Series champion Philadelphia (9/5) in the NL East; Chicago (5/9) is a clear-cut choice over St. Louis (7/2) in the NL Central; and LA (7/5) is slightly ahead of Arizona (8/5) in the NL West.

 

For the truly ambitious (or those just looking for a better price), some books are offering futures on which players will lead the Major Leagues in batting average, hits, runs, RBIs, double, triples and, the most popular of these type of propositions, home runs.

 

Pitching categories include most wins, most losses and most saves.

 

There also are over/under totals for how many regular season games each team wins and head-to-head matchups involving both players and teams.

 

Why wait until April? Baseball betting already is in the first inning.

 

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