It is that time of year when sportsbook makers throw out their predictions for the top pitchers of 2010 and who they feel will win the Cy Young in each league. Before you get into your online sports betting, it may help to take a few moments to check out the top three candidates from each league and see who the best pitchers of 2010 will be.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants)

It is impossible to start off a list of potential 2010 National League Cy Young winners without starting with the two-time defending Cy Young winner. Lincecum has youth on his side, enthusiasm and a breaking ball that makes hitters cry. You can add a 97 MPH fast ball to that, which makes his change up legendary, and you have one of the top pitchers in the National League.

Roy Halladay (Philadelphia Phillies)

Halladay is new to the National League, but he is hardly new to pitching in the major leagues. Halladay won the Cy Young in 2003 and is a six-time American League all-star. He has spent the last 11 seasons pitching to the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, so he should be able to adjust well to the National League. The Phillies could ride the arm of Halladay all the way to the World Series, and his arm is more than strong enough to get them there.

Adam Wainwright (St. Louis Cardinals)

In basketball betting it is a good idea to recognize the talent that other players in the league respect. Last season Adam Wainwright was voted as the National League’s Most Outstanding Pitcher by the players in the National League. That is a pretty high compliment when the guys that have to face you all season vote you the best they have seen. Wainwright also won a Golden Glove award last season for his fielding from the mound. He won 19 games last season and already has two wins this year.

Pick: Roy Halladay

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Jon Lester (Boston Red Sox)

Jon Lester is not only a great pitcher he is a hero to many because of his battle with lymphoma in 2006. When he returned he re-established himself as one of the premier pitchers in baseball. Last season he won 15 games and even though he is having a rough start to 2010, Lester remains a top candidate for the Cy Young in the American League.

CC Sabathia (New York Yankees)

When you talk about MLB betting the Yankees starting rotation inevitably comes into the conversation. The ace of the Yankee staff is CC Sabathia, and his pedigree is impressive. He has won the Warren Spahn award as the best left-handed pitcher in baseball three times, he won the 2007 American League Cy Young and was the MVP of last year’s ALCS. Sabathia is consistent and powerful, and that makes him a top Cy Young candidate in any league.

Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals)

How does a pitcher for the Royals win the Cy Young? Last season Zack Greinke answered that question with 16 wins and the best season of his career. Last season he finished with an ERA of 1.07, and so far in this young season he has picked up right where he left off with an ERA of 1.18.

Pick: Jon Lester

One week ago, Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona told the sportsbook media that he had not even thought about sitting designated hitter David Ortiz so early on in the season. Less than one week later, Francona has not only given consideration to the move, he has already made it. Ortiz will move to the bench for Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, who will send left-hander Francisco Liriano to the mound. Mike Lowell will step in to take Ortiz’s spot, after appearing in just one game so far this early season.

The Red Sox have struggled to a .500 record through eight games, and while hitting was the biggest concern heading in to the 2010 season, the line up has not been awful with the exception of Ortiz. Boston has scored the eighth most runs in the American League heading in to Thursday night’s action. With one of baseball’s deepest starting rotations, the Red Sox will be looking for a boost in their hitting order. Multiplied with last season’s early struggled, Ortiz has been put under the microscope by the MLB odds betting media attention, and this season Francona hasn’t hesitated to make a move.

Francona told the media that the decision to play Lowell was made without regard to Ortiz’s struggles at the plate, as the Red Sox manager noted that he is trying to keep his MLB betting line bench players sharp. Lowell’s only other start came last Saturday against the Kansas City Royals when he replaced Adrian Beltre at third base.

Ortiz had both a double and a walk in his last start on Wednesday, but also struck out twice to extend his streak to five games with at least two strikeouts. Ortiz leads the majors in strikeouts after eight games, and is batting just .154 with two runs batted in while failing to connect on a home run shot so far. Batting wasn’t an issue for the team in their 6-3 sports betting win over Minnesota, in which they recorded 10 hits.

The Red Sox will already be without another regular in the line up on Thursday, as outfielder Jacoby Ellisbury is scheduled to miss time with bruised ribs. The 26-year old was injured when he collided with third basemen Adrian Beltre on Sunday in Kansas City, and since he was experiencing soreness and trouble breathing in the following days, Francona made the decision to play it safe this early on in the season. Jeremy Hermida played in his fifth game of the season on Wednesday against the Twins, and exceeded expectations by hitting a three-run double to help the Red Sox to victory.

Ellisbury could return as soon as Saturday, but with Boston getting solid production from its bench players, Francona will not feel threatened to rush his starters back in to the line up.

With the another season now underway, a turn to picks for the Cy Young Award in the American League reveals heavyweight contenders, familiar faces, and some unexpected possibilities.

If you’re talking pitching in the American League – serious pitching – you’re talking about Felix Hernandez. Hernandez has been my, and just about every sportsbook capper’s top-rated AL pitcher for quite some time now. Thus far, there’s no indicator that anything will change.

The Seattle Mariners Felix Hernandez is the king. The former All-Star finished second for the AL Cy Young Award 2009, just behind Zack Greinke. Hernandez, still a very young player, will turn 24 this year, and many fans of sports betting indicated their faith in this being his year. Hernandez finished 19-5 with 217 strikeouts and a 2.49 ERA.

Jon Lester is perhaps the other most obvious pick, after having emerged from Boston as a leader of their club’s outstanding pitching staff. Lester struck out 200 batters for the first time in his career last season, and many are predicting this year will mark his first 20-win season. At just 26, he is still making improvements to his game, and could surprise many by taking the 2010 AL Cy Young Award.

Perhaps the only other player favored by some to take the crown is the previous year’s Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke. Owner of a 2.16 ERA, Greinke unfortunately does not have the solid supporting cast that other potential hopefuls do, however, the Kansas City pitcher was still tabbed in spite of a less than stellar 16-win season. Greinke cannot make up for the deficiencies of the rest of his ball club, however. Fans of online sports betting know that Kansas City’s abysmal defense means that Greinke will be fighting an uphill battle in his quest to make it two in a row. For those weary to pick Greinke because of his poor supporting cast, Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers is an alternate pick.

Verlander can match Greinke in terms of overall stats, but has a much more solid team behind him. Fans of sports betting know that Verlander has to be concerned about Detroit’s run production, however. Verlander is easily a top five pitcher in the American League, but he’ll need help from his batters. Last year, the Tigers line up cost the pitching staff dearly. With the rumor mill working overtime with regard to front office happenings and personnel changes, it will be interesting to see if Detroit makes a move to shore up that deficiency, and provide Verlander the support he needs to be in contention. Confidence will also be an issue – after the Tigers fell apart last year, will the rest of the team have the mental fortitude to backup their potential star?

Prior to the Masters betting getting under way, Major League Baseball opened up their 2010 season with MLB opening day. The first day of the season was April 4 and it featured only one game; the New York Yankees at the Boston Red Sox.

The sports book makers had the New York Yankees as the 3 to 1 favorites to repeat as world champions when the 2010 season started. That makes the Yankees the odds on favorites to win. The Red Sox were 13 to 2 favorites to win the World Series when the season started. The game was a battle of offense that the Red Sox eventually won 9-7. However the Yankees went on to take the next two games and win the opening series of the season from the Red Sox. Now the Yankees are 14 to 5 favorites and the Red Sox are 11 to 2. Obviously the sports betting experts saw something in the Red Sox they liked, even in the face of a losing series.

The next day opened up the schedule for the rest of the league, and there were very few surprises in the results.

NBA betting is sometimes based on a team’s performance for the past few seasons if that team has been together for a while. The same can be said for the Philadelphia Phillies. The current Phillies team, for the most part, has won a World Series together and they are 6 to 1 favorites to win the World Series this season. They opened up their season with their new pitching ace Roy Halladay and hammered the Washington Nationals 11-1. Good teams know how to beat the weak teams and that is what the Phillies showed on opening day.

New York Mets fans will be happy to hear that the Mets opened up the season with their pitching ace Johan Santana and promptly beat a good Florida Marlins team 7-1. The Mets lost to the Marlins in the second game of the series and exposed their weak rotation once you get past Santana. The Mets are 20 to 1 to win the World Series this season and the Marlins are 30 to 1. It is doubtful that either team will be competing for a pennant in September, but at least the Mets fans know that Santana can still toss the ball.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 150 to 1 favorites to win the World Series, but on opening day they looked like world beaters. The Pirates clobbered the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-5 on opening day in front of an ecstatic home town crowd. The Dodgers are 9 to 1 favorites in the World Series odds and it is doubtful that the Pirates will have many chances to enjoy a win over the Dodgers like the one on opening day.

One of the more intriguing results of opening day was the game between the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs that took place in Atlanta. The Braves have a lot of young talent to show off this season which dropped them to 12 to 1 favorites for the World Series. The Cubs have been advertising a turn around season, and they upgraded their talent enough to gain 14 to 1 World Series odds.

But the Braves won the first game of the series 16-5 and then took the second game 3-2. Are the Braves back in contention for the National League pennant? They probably will not challenge this season, but look for the Braves to compete in the coming years.

The Final Four odds are set and while the sports betting world waits for the games to be played, they are also looking at Major League Baseball and an NL West preview.

 An online sportsbook look back at the 2009 season will give insight into how the 2010 season will play out in the NL West. The Dodgers were the toast of MLB when the season started last year, but by the end of the season that were scraping with the Colorado Rockies for the division and barely won the regular season pennant.

Colorado Rockies (Odds to win division: 10/1)

NHL betting in the Denver, Colorado area has the Colorado Avalanche doing well in the upcoming NHL playoffs, and the city should be equally excited by their baseball team’s prospects for the coming year.

 The Rockies live by hitting home runs in the thin air of the Mile High City, and with power hitters like Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki the Rockies should have no problem putting up solid offensive numbers.

 On the mound the Rockies’ starting rotation is anchored by ace Ubaldo Jimenez and up-and-coming future ace Jorge de la Rosa. The only weak spot in the Rockies defense is their bullpen. They do not have a reliable closer and their long relievers gave up a lot of home runs last season. But if the Rockies can fix the bullpen then they should win the division.

Arizona Diamondbacks (Odds to win division: 35/1)

Why pick the Diamondbacks to finish second and possibly take the NL wild card? In the off-season the Diamondbacks strengthened their starting rotation by trading Max Scherzer to Detroit for Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennady.  Those two young starters have instantly made the Diamondbacks a stronger team and gave depth at the most important position in baseball.

 In the bullpen the Diamondbacks have veteran Chad Qualls, but the D’backs know that Qualls is not the guy for the regular season. Look for the team to hand the closing job to possibly someone like Clay Zavada by the time the season starts.

San Francisco Giants (Odds to win division: 15/1)

The Giants and the Diamondbacks will be fighting it out all season for that NL wild card, but in the end it will be the Giants lack of depth in the bullpen that will cost them. Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito and Matt Cain are more than enough of a starting rotation to win a lot of games for the Giants. But with no real middle relief the same thing will happen in 2010 that happened in 2009; the Giants starters will get tired by the end of the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers (Odds to win division: 9/2)

Do not look for a repeat of 2009 from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The problems with the Dodgers were glaring when Manny Ramirez was out last season. Without Manny the team cannot generate offense. When the team cannot generate offense their weak starting pitching comes through and the Dodgers lose games.

 The Dodgers have no money to sign better pitching, and they have no money to bring in more power to help out Manny. Their bullpen is suspect and their defense is shaky. Their fast start last year was due to some young arms that were throwing heat and Manny driving in runs. Once the rest of the league figured out the arms, and Manny was suspended or hurt, the Dodgers were vulnerable.

San Diego Padres (Odds to win division: 100/1)

The odds for the Padres to win the division might as well be 1000/1 because they are not going to get anywhere close to the top this season. They are still rebuilding their pitching staff, and have very little power to put runs on the board.

The sportsbook experts are hard at work finalizing the March madness betting as the tournament heads towards the Final Four. Major League Baseball is playing spring training games and speculation is running rampant about who will win the NL Central division. This looks to be a year for the birds in the NL Central, but there may be some bears and beer brewers that could cause problems.

St. Louis Cardinals (15 to 4 to win division)

It is almost impossible to pick against the Cardinals to win the NL Central in 2010. Even though the Cardinals lost some quality players such as Rick Ankiel and Troy Glaus, they have depth in their farm system that can help to replace those players. The Cardinals did retain power-hitter Matt Holliday who had 109 RBIs in 2009 and a .313 average. The departure of Mark DeRosa leaves a hole at third base that the Cardinals may fill by bringing back Felipe Lopez. Third base may be the only defensive area the Cardinals will have problems. It is not out of the question that the Cardinals try some prospects at third base, and they may even be open to a trade if they can avoid giving up the core of their team.

The starting pitching in St. Louis is solid with Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter offering a one-two Cy Young punch. The bullpen is a bit suspect but the Cardinals may not be done upgrading talent in the pen.

Milwaukee Brewers (22 to 1 to win division)

When the Internet super casino betters look at the NL Central there are only two choices for who will finish second behind St. Louis; the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers.

While all of the March madness betting was going on the Brewers brought in new pitching coach Rick Peterson because it was pitching that did the Brewers in last season. The Brewer’s team ERA in 2009 was second to last, and the bullpen could not hold a game throughout the entire season. New additions like Randy Wolf to the starting rotation will improve the Brewer’s pitching, and with Prince Fielder leading the third most potent offense in the National League the Brewers could make trouble for the Cardinals.

Chicago Cubs (6 to 1 to win division)

Something always goes wrong for the Cubs. Whether it is Kerry Woods’ constantly injured arm or Sammy Sosa and his corked bats, it just seems that bad luck finds the Cubs.

On the mound the Cubs still have ace starter Carlos Zambrano to lead a strong rotation but closer Carlos Marmol is unproven. Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells make a strong trio with Zambrano in the starting rotation, but the Cubs lack a consistent fourth and fifth.

The Cubs have the power and speed to score runs, but they have question marks that could derail them.

Houston Astros (30 to 1 to win division)

The Astros made a real go at the pennant with Roger Clemens and Andy Petttte a few years ago, but since those days there has been trouble on the mound and very little power at the plate to compensate for the weak arms.

Players like Roy Oswalt and Carlos Lee will keep the Astros interesting in 2010, but they are far from being a contender.

Cincinnati Reds (40 to 1 to win division)

The Reds are at least trying. They added a lot of new talent last season from their farm system and brought in pitcher Aroldis Chapman to help the starting rotation. The Cuban-born pitcher got big money for joining the Reds and he will earn it, but it will not be enough to pull the Reds into contention.

Pittsburgh Pirates (75 to 1 to win division)

The Pirates have been re-building for years, and 2010 will be another season of untried rookies and second year players like Garrett Jones who came up from the minors to have a decent season. But the Pirates never seem to address their lack of power at the plate and their weak starting rotation. This season holds as much promise as last season for Pirate fans.

As the March madness odds rages on the sports betting community is giving a casual glance at Major League Baseball and the AL preview of the pennant odds. The Phillies are a strong favorite to win the NL pennant in 2010 at +250, but the New York Yankees are an even stronger favorite to win the AL pennant at +160.

The price per head odds on the Yankees are so strong that not even the departure of Johnny Damon shifted anything. The Yankees have one of the strongest starting rotations in all of baseball anchored by C.C. Sabathia, and they have one of the best closers in the game in Mariano Rivera. You have to go a long way down the Yankee bullpen to find any weaknesses.

At the plate the Yankees’ only weakness is at DH where Nick Johnson currently sits. Look for the Yankees to pick up a big name to fill in that DH position before the season ends. Damon’s ability to get on base will not even be missed as the Yankees have a solid offensive lineup from top to bottom.

The Boston Red Sox are next up at +350 from the odds makers and some severe inconsistencies. When you look at the odds on NCAA basketball you will notice that the consistent teams are usually the favored teams. The Red Sox have a few glaring holes in their line up that will keep them from winning the AL pennant in 2010. David Ortiz is a shell of his former self and poses almost no threat at DH anymore. With Jason Bay gone there is no power in the line up to give Ortiz the chance to flex his muscles anyways.

The Sox had all kinds of problems with their pitching last year including closer Jonathan Papelbon and the oft-injured Daisuke “Dice-K” Matsuzaka. Red Sox Nation knows there are problems when a rotation that includes Josh Beckett and Jon Lester can be tagged as inconsistent. The real problem is with a bullpen that could not hold down leads and a closer that could not finish games.

Last year’s AL West champion Los Angeles Angels are +900 in the AL pennant race, and there is a good chance they will repeat in the West in 2010. But the Yankee pitching mowed down the Angel batters in the playoffs last season, and nowhere was the Angels lack of power depth more obvious than in their 10-1 loss to the Yankees in game 4 of the ALCS. The Angels will lean a lot on Torii Hunter for their power, and with John Lackey out of the starting rotation the Angels will not have enough to get past the Yankees.

The Texas Rangers are +1000 to win the AL pennant and while the Rangers will not win the pennant in 2010, they are still a team that baseball fans should keep a close eye on. The Rangers are young on the mound with a rotation that is still developing, and they have some much needed power at DH with Vlad Guerrro now on board.

Pick: New York Yankees

Now that the March madness picks are out, people can begin to think about things after the tournament, like the MLB National League East. The March madness odds are a snap to figure out compared to trying to decipher who will win the East in the National League. Each year the season starts and each year the question about when the Mets will fall apart comes up. This year should be no different.

Philadelphia Phillies (-150 – Favored to win division)

When a team wins the pennant and plays in a World Series but loses, questions begin to pop up as to how the team can push themselves over the hump and win the big series. The Phillies asked those questions, and the answer was pitcher Roy Halladay. The lack of depth in the Phillies’ starting rotation shined in the World Series against the Yankees. This season, with all of the power in the line up coming back, the Phillies are once again favored to represent the National League in the World Series.

Atlanta Braves (+250)

The Braves are still searching for answers at the plate and on the mound. Veteran Derek Lowe looks to help anchor a starting rotation that needs to find some answers to be successful. Jair Jurrjens has come on strong and has posted good numbers the past two season, but the Braves’ starting rotation is one injury away from falling apart.

Chipper Jones enters his 17^th season as an Atlanta Brave and delivers the leadership and power that the Braves need. This is the last season for manager Bobby Cox and while the team may want to help their skipper go out on a winning note, they may not have much beyond Jones to help them do it.

Florida Marlins (+600)

Lost in the March madness betting is the fact that the Florida Marlins have a very good and young baseball team. They have a solid pitching rotation headed by Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco. The other youngsters on the mound are improving and should contribute this season.

On offense the Marlins have a cast of unknowns that produced some decent numbers in 2009 and have promise for 2010. The Marlins fell six games short of taking the division in 2009, but this year they will have to try and get past an improved Atlanta team and then leap-frog a championship team that has also improved. A tall task for a young team.

New York Mets (+600)

The Mets have a habit of starting strong and then fading away. It looks like 2010 will be no different. The only proven winner the Mets have in their starting pitching rotation is ace Johan Santana. After Santana, the sportsbook reviews do not find any pitcher with a sustained winning history. The Mets are counting on their scouting staff here to put up a winning rotation. The baseball world has seen what the Mets scouting staff has done in the past.

On the hitting side the Mets should have a roster that would make any team jealous. Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo and Carlos Beltran can all hit the baseball and create offense. If the Mets are going to win in 2010 they will need to rely on offense, and their big names need to produce regularly.

Washington Nationals (+2500)

The Washington Redskins look to have a much improved 2010 season, and that is good news for Washington Nationals fans who should be pretty sick of losing baseball games by the time the NFL pre-season starts.

The month of March is one of the most exciting in the sports world with all kinds of actions, especially with college basketball betting and the March Madness tournament. Sports betting takes all sorts of forms, with picking winners, picking against the spread, and even picking individual players to succeed. As Spring Training nears and end and MLB opening day is in sights, it’s time to look at the season and hand and see which players will be tops this year.

Starting in the AL, the two names at the top of everyone’s list are two players who couldn’t appear more different.  The first is Alex Rodriguez, the polarizing third baseman of the New York Yankees that has finally embraced the spotlight as the highest paid player in baseball and media center of the country.  The other is a hometown hero who finds times to connect with locals and who enjoys being out of the spotlight.  That would be Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who grew up mere miles from the Twins new stadium, and who means more to the city than any other athlete.

A-rod looks to continue his stellar season he established last year that began, albeit a month late, with a home run on the very first pitch he faced.  Despite the loss of Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon,  the Yankees will still have strong offensive weapons, and with A-rod healthy, both physically and mentally, there is no reason he can’t duplicate the season he had last year.

Mauer faces a similar problem in that he must stay healthy. He may not have the same supporting cast that A-rod has, but he has consistently shown the ability to carry his team, both offensively and defensive.  He is a natural athlete and because of his play, the Twins are always in contention in the AL Central.

Meanwhile, as the season starts in the N.L. the race is predicated to be between two men who strangely enough have been mentioned in trade rumours.  Earlier in the week, Ryan Howard of the Phillies and Albert Pujols of the Cardinals were mentioned in a straight up trade between the two clubs. Regardless, both players have demonstrated consistent power and home run hitting ability.  Both clubs are expected to contend for a pennant, with the Phillies looking to represent the N.L. in the World series for a third straight year.

Howard struggled at times last year with average, but his power is unparalleled.  The first basemen hit 45 home runs and knocked in 141, which was tied for the N.L best.  He has a great surrounding cast, including newly acquired ace Roy Halladay.  His Cardinals counterpart hit 47 home runs last year and led the league, and had 135 RBIs.

Both men stand to put up similar numbers this season, and with both teams contending for their divisions and a spot in the NLCS, both first basemen will be getting their deserved credit for helping their teams to victory.

There is a lot of sporting action this month with hockey, basketball, college ball, and soccer underway.  Check out some betting tips to keep things organized and maximize your winnings as the month of March nears an end. And don’t forget to bet on March Madness at the NCAA tourney continues.

As March moves along, we have the NHL and NBA heading towards the playoffs, March Madness filling out, and soccer in full swing.  The sports book is wide open with events, and soon will offer more as we are only weeks away from Major League Baseball Opening Day.  There are several intriguing storylines developing as April draws near.

A couple youngsters are making waves.  Firstly, the pitching phenomena Stephen Strasburg has made his debut in Washington and the high expectations seem to have been met so far. In his first appearance, the 21 year old with the lightning fast ball pitched two scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers, with a couple of singles, and two strikeouts. Miguel Cabrera faced the rookie, and never put the ball in play, asserting what others have said in that Strasburg is for real.  While the Nationals have said he will start in the minors, he may not stay for long. Look for the rookie to get his opportunity early this season, and look for him to be dominate.

On to another rookie, the Atlanta Braves have a star in the making. Outfielder Jason Heyward is a 6’6’’ 20 year old that has been amazing players and journalists in batting practice already with his incredibly power.  He has been touted as the future of the Braves, and is definitely someone to watch out for as he makes his Major League debut.

Tough news out of Minnesota, where Twins closer Joe Nathan has torn a ligament in his elbow, and will miss the beginning of the season, and may require season ending surgery. This is a huge blow for a contending Twins team that has had Nathan as a reliable closer since 2004.  The strong right hander has been arguably the most important player on a Twins team that also features Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Last year Minnesota was able to recover despite injuries to their top sluggers.  Without a set closer, however, the Twins are in danger of losing many games late.

In Cleveland, the Indians are looking to bounce back from a very disappointing year, and one player in particular is looking to lead the way, but from a different position.  Outfielder Grady Sizemore is looking to return to the form that saw him go to three all-star games between 2005 and 2008. Sizemore is moving one spot down from the leadoff position to the two spot. Short stop Asdrubal Cabrera will lead off for the Indians, and try to get on base for Sizemore to do what he struggled with last year.  He is entering his seventh season with the Indians, and looking to stay healthy after a year struggling with injuries.  So far he has looked good, and looked comfortable in his role with Cleveland.

With baseball nearing, there is a lot of opportunity to gamble on games.  Check out sports book reviews to get comfortable and make the most winnings.  With the NHL, NBA, soccer, and now being the time to bet on March Madness, there is plenty to keep the sports enthusiast busy.