MLB Futures – National League Favorites

Now more than a month into the Major League Baseball betting season, a lot has changed since Opening Day.

Some teams have exceeded expectations, and some fallen well short of them. There are surprise teams in first place, and others in last.

But after a month in the National League, the two teams that we expected to be at the top remain there. Let’s look at them now, and their sportsbook odds to win the World Series, as you get set to make a Major League Baseball futures wager.

Philadelphia Phillies (+400): The Phillies are the two-time defending National League champion, and came into 2010 as a favorite of futures bettors, not only to take the NL, but the World Series as well.

What separates this Philadelphia team from years past is that they’ve got the best pitcher in baseball- Roy Halladay- at the top of their rotation. After trading for Halladay, and seeing him come from Toronto to the Phillies, no one knew quite what to expect from the 33-year-old, but so far, he has exceeded all expectations, if that’s possible.

On the season, Halladay ranks in the top five in the National League in wins (second) and ERA (fourth), and has already thrown nine more innings than any other pitcher in all of baseball. If that wasn’t staggering enough, Halladay already has four complete games in nine starts, including a heartbreaking 2-1 loss Tuesday night to Pittsburgh.

Offensively, the Phillies continue to show why there might not be a better lineup in the National League. As a team, they rank second in the senior circuit in runs scored (5.46) and have the best team batting average in the Major League’s as well at .278.

Jayson Werth leads this team with a .336 batting average, while second baseman Chase Utley is tops in home runs with nine. Even more scary is that two former MVP’s, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins, haven’t fully reached their potential yet, with Rollins just returning from injury.

There may not be a better bet on the futures board, than taking the Phillies at +400. Take advantage now!

St. Louis Cardinals (+900): Coming into the season, the Cardinals were side-by-side with the Phillies as the top contenders in the National League. Well less than a month in, they’re actually second in the NL Central, but also a great value to futures bettors.

On offense, the Cardinals are falling a little short of what were enormous expectations coming into the season. First baseman Albert Pujols has been his usual good self, with a .324 BA, 8 home runs and 29 RBI. But behind him, others like Matt Holliday have struggled. Holliday is hitting just .289 with four home runs.

Luckily, St. Louis’ offense is backed by one of the best, if not the best pitching staffs in the National League. They rank third in the majors in ERA, with a 2.81 mark, and are No. 1 in quality starts. Maybe more impressive is that a staff that used to rely solely on Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright has branched out, as it’s actually been Jamie Garcia who has been their best pitcher. He is 4-2 with a 1.42 ERA, heading into his next outing.

The Cardinals, along with the Phillies are the best futures bets you can make in Major League Baseball.

Don’t wait until tomorrow to get your wagers in, do it right now! Also, read about the American League futures favorites.