The National League West should be an interesting division this season as the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Giants could all be in the mix to take the top spot. Los Angeles garnered first last year, beating out a mostly poor group of ballclubs with an 84-78 record. 2009 NL West Betting Odds & Predictions at Sportsbook.com have the Dodgers listed as a favorite to repeat this season at +110 on the moneyline. 
The Dodgers appear to have more run producing capability than most of the other NL West squads, despite only cranking out 700 a year ago. The resigning of Manny Ramirez should go a long way toward giving LA's lineup more offensive punch. Ramirez' bat has always been productive, and his presence in the batting order only makes guys like Matt Kemp , James Loney, Rafael Furcal, and Andre Ethier more dangerous.
Joe Torre's pitching staff also has three starters that are more than capable of keeping them in games in Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, and Clayton Kershaw. However, the departure of Derek Lowe leaves some doubt about the quality of the four and five spots in the starting rotation.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are the second most favored team to win the NL West in 2009 at +140 moneyline odds. The D-Backs finished 82-80 last season after slipping significantly down the stretch, however, they still garnered second place despite their mediocre record and poor conclusion. They return largely the same lineup, with the exception of second baseman Orlando Hudson who signed with the Dodgers.
Arizona's pitching staff has two of the best one and two starters in baseball (Brandon Webb and Dan Haren), but they will need more from guys like Doug Davis if they are to win the division. Jon Garland, who was inconsistent for the Angles last year, could be a good addition to the rotation.
The wild card in the West would have to be the San Francisco Giants. They still do not have a lot of offensive firepower, but their starting rotation appears to be excellent. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Randy Johnson, Jonathan Sanchez, and Barry Zito is arguably the best one through five in the league. As a result, San Francisco is currently listed at +400 on the moneyline to take first place this year.
The Rockies and Padres, who both appear to be retooling a little bit, are viewed as longshots to win the NL West in 2009. Colorado comes in at +800 while the Padres, who are off to a 4-2 start, register in at a distant +1500.
Sportsbook.com's 2009 NL West Betting Odds & Predictions:
Los Angeles Dodgers +110
Arizona Diamondbacks +140
San Francisco Giants +400
Colorado Rockies +800
San Diego Padres +1500
