| 2009 AL West Betting Odds & Predictions |
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| Written by Matt Foust | |||||||
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Monday, 13 April 2009
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The American League West seems to have adhered to one of the following three patterns over the past several seasons: Pattern A). Angels good, Athletics good, Mariners bad, Rangers bad/mediocre, Pattern B). Angels good, Athletics bad, Mariners good, Rangers bad/mediocre, Pattern C). Angels good, Athletics bad, Mariners bad, Rangers bad/mediocre. It appears that odds makers believe that Pattern A will be the likely scenario this year as 2009 AL West Betting Odds & Predictions at BetUS.com have the finishing order, based on the moneyline, going something like this: Angels -200, Athletics +225, Rangers +850, Mariners +900. When you have won the division four out of the last five years, it is no surprise that you would be favored to do so again, especially when your competition is suspect in a number of areas. Thus, the Los Angeles Angels are projected to get the better of their AL West rivals again this year. But what did they do in the offseason to stay ahead of the A's, Mariners, and Rangers? Well, they lost their record setting closer, Francisco Rodriguez (a.k.a. K-Rod), and longtime stalwart, outfielder Garret Anderson. Not good moves for a team hoping to make another trip to the playoffs, right? Not so fast. The Angels added former Yankee Bobby Abreu to the outfield and they brought in the Rockies old closer, Brian Fuentes, who should fare even better away from Coors Field. Tit for tat — almost. The bigger question is how will their pitching staff hold up. Ace John Lackey began the season on the DL, as did Ervin Santana. Promising rookie Nick Adenhart was killed in a tragic car accident after his first start of the season. With Jon Garland now in Arizona, the Angels are a little thin on frontline pitching. It will be up to Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver to carry the load until Lackey and Santana return. Oakland always seems to find a way to compete and book makers are expecting nothing less this season, especially after the Athletics went 75-86 last year when 70 wins was viewed as a longshot. The A's had a terrible time producing runs in 2008 and they are hoping the off season acquistions of Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi go a long way toward solving that problem. The pitching staff is servicable at the moment, but it will get a boost if/when Justin Duchscherer returns from the DL. The Mariners, who also lacked offensive punch last year, are being viewed as a doormat again this season. They, however, are off to a 5-2 start and are currently +10 in scoring differential. It is still early, but maybe Griffey's return to the Northwest will have a positive effect on the offense. The pitching staff is also a huge question mark, but if Erik Bedard returns healthy, the M's will have a great one/two tandem with he and Felix Hernandez. The same can be said of the Rangers almost every season, that being: they will score a ton of runs, but they will also give up a bunch as well. They will always be somewhat competitive as a result, but they will not likely experience any great success. BetUS.com's 2009 AL West Betting Odds & Predictions: Los Angeles Angels -200 Oakland Athletics +225 Texas Rangers +850 Seattle Mariners +900                        |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 13 April 2009 ) | |||||||
