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2008 MLB
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2008 National League East Odds & Predictions
NL East looks to be one of the strongest divisions in
baseball in 2008 with the Mets, Braves, and Phillies all
poised for postseason runs. Find out how Jimmy Boyd sees
this division shaking out as he examines who has the
best odds to win the NL East.
1st Place –
Philadelphia Phillies
Oddsmakers do not agree, but then again, I have made a
living out of proving them wrong, so I’ll go with what I
think as always. The Phillies caught the Mets to win the
NL East last season, ending a long playoff drought for
this franchise. That gives this young, talented team
tons of confidence moving forward. The Phillies have
been home to the NL MVP the past two seasons and they
have three MVP candidates on their team. They don’t get
any better than Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase
Utley. All three finished in the top eight of the MVP
voting in 2007. The most improved thing on this team is
its starting pitching with ace Cole Hamels leading the
way. The Phillies have what it takes to repeat as East
champs.
Bet them at 2/1 odds.
2nd Place – New York Mets
The Mets landed Johan Santana, but it won’t be enough to
bring home the division and get the worst collapse in
MLB history off its back. Blowing a 7-game division lead
with just 17-games to play will be hanging over them all
season long and it will likely be too heavy for them to
handle. Santana gives the Mets a legit ace and likely
allows them to finish ahead of Atlanta, but the rest of
the rotation is just so-so and with Pedro Martinez
almost certainly going to spend time on the DL, there
just isn’t enough depth. If you’re a believer though,
you can
bet the Mets at 1/3 odds to take the division.
3rd Place – Atlanta Braves
The Braves will miss Jones slightly. He only recently
became a major power threat and he struck out way too
much. Mark Teixeira is a better contact hitter and will
probably be better in the clean-up spot. Chipper Jones
is still one of the best number three hitter in baseball
and one of the best switch hitters the game has seen.
With Glavine returning to the Tomahawks, I expect him to
show some life as the fans really embrace him. With John
Smoltz still getting the job done, this will be a little
walk down memory lane for Braves fans. The Braves
shouldn’t be far off the pace and could surprise if
there pitching gets hot. If you like Atlanta as your
sleeper,
bet them at 5/1 odds to win the East.
4th Place –
Washington Nationals
The Nats made it out of the basement last season and
they should again thanks to the Marlins dealing away
their stars. The Nats get to play in a new ball park
this season, which should be great for the city and its
fans, but perhaps bad for the team as pitcher-friendly
RFK helped them out on occasion. The Nats still have one
of the worst starting rotations in the bigs and the
offense has trouble putting runs on the board. The Nats
are listed at impossible
40/1 odds to win the East.
5th Place – Florida Marlins
The Marlins will start another rebuilding project after
shipping their best pitcher, Dontrelle Willis, and their
best stick, Miguel Cabrera, to the Detroit Tigers. With
injuries affecting the starting rotation, Sergio Mitre,
a four or five starter on most teams, may get the ball
on Opening Day. It looks like it will be a long season
for the Fish. Florida is listed at
40/1 odds to win the
division.
2007 MLB World Champion handicapper, Jimmy Boyd,
provides more detailed looks at each of these teams in
his individual team predictions articles. Make sure you
check them out to get an edge over your bookmaker with
your baseball betting this season.
Updated February 25th, 2008
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