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Baseball Betting: American League Preview, Part 2

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In a matter of weeks the Major League Baseball season will be in full flow. In this second part of the seasom preview, Mike Robb looks at the American League Central Division...

This is all about the battle between the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers and picking out which of the two will come out on top is tough. The Indians were excellent last year going 99-66 and if Joe Borowski can replicate his best then the Indians can look on 2008 with even greater optimism than last year. The Indians are [9.6] to win the AL and [15.5] to go all the way and win the World Series, but are second favourites in the Central Division at [2.5].

The Indian's opposition is far tougher than last year and the Detroit Tigers are justifiably favourites in this Division at [2.0]. The biggest trade in MLB this year has seen Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera move to the Detroit side from Miami, raising a few eyebrows in the process, while they also added Edgar Renteria to bolster the infield.

The Tigers have one of the best (if not THE best) teams in the MLB on paper - if their individuals play to their capabilities then the Tigers are looking at an exciting and potentially very successful 2008. With names like Pudge Rodriguez - another member of the Marlins 2003 World Series winning team - already on the team sheet, Tigers fans must be pinching themselves in anticipation. You can back the Tigers at [5.0] to win the AL Pennant or a tempting [8.6] to win the World Series.

The Central Division should be a two-horse race with the White Sox ([5.0]), Royals ([11.0]) and Twins ([13.0]) battling it out for best-of-the-rest. There's no doubt that there is some real talent in the Twins' line-up, but while the Indians and Tigers are strengthening, the Minnesota side have lost star pitcher Johan Santana to the Mets, a loss that should not be underplayed. A third place finish would be a good result, and something I expect them to achieve.

Similarly, the White Sox have lost two starting pitchers in exchange for hot prospects, while the Kansas City Royals lost just shy of 100 games last year and they have done nothing in the off-season to inspire any confidence that 2008 will be much different.

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