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It is getting down to the wire for the Boston Red Sox, and the Red Sox are not responding well to the pressure. The Tampa Bay Rays trail the Red Sox by only two games in theALwild card race, and it was a race the Red Sox had well in hand until the Rays came to town.Bostondropped three critical games in a recent four-game series with the Rays and then lost the opening game of theBaltimoreseries. This is a scene that Red Sox fans saw last season when the Red Sox fell out of contention for a playoff spot as the season wore on. This year, the Red Sox are struggling to maintain its playoff status as it continues to lose critical games. In the second game of theBaltimoreseries, the Red Sox won 18-9. ButBostonis going to need more consistency if it wants to make the post season.

The Baltimore Orioles started the season as an AL East contender and the quickly dropped to the basement of the division. The MLB betting for the Orioles ended long before the All-Star break, and now the O’s are in the familiar spot of picking up the pieces of a terrible season. WhenBaltimore won the first game of this series, there was some surprise. WhenBaltimore was blown out in the second game, no one was shocked. ButBaltimore still has the chance to be a spoiler to the Red Sox season. If the Orioles can get to Josh Beckett, then the Red Sox could be in big trouble.

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have never been so happy to see the New York Yankees on a schedule in a long time. While the Red Sox are playing the lowly Orioles, the Rays are stuck playing the Yankees. To try and take advantage of the situation, the Red Sox send Josh Beckett to the mound. Not too long ago, the plan was to space out Beckett’s starts to prevent him from getting injured before the playoffs. But with the MLB baseball scores mounting against Boston, the Red Sox no longer have the luxury of fishing contests from the schedule for Beckett to start. TheBoston ace needs to start and he needs to come through if the team is going to make the playoffs.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles are actually 5-5 in the last 10 games. The early split in this series with the Red Sox is an indication of how the Orioles’ season has gone. Just when the team thinks it is making progress, it loses by a lot. Tommy Hunter starts this game for the Orioles, and he stands a good chance of giving Baltimoresome quality innings. Even though he has a 4-4 record, Hunter tends to go deep into games and avoid the Orioles’ middle relief issues. MLB fans inBaltimore like what they see with Hunter, and he does present a challenge to the Red Sox in this game.

The Bottom Line

Josh Beckett was on target as he pitched the only win for the Red Sox in the recent Rays series. If Beckett is truly feeling good, then this could be a long day for the Baltimore Orioles.

Pick: Boston Red Sox

Betting Overview

Both of the wild card playoff berths are creating some great late-season races. As the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays square off in a four-game series that will have a significant impact on deciding the AL wild card, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves try to decide who will win the NL wild card. The only way the Braves can make the playoffs is to hold on to the NL wild card because the Philadelphia Phillies have pretty much clinched the NL East pennant. The Cardinals only trail the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers by five and a half games and the Brewers have been losing more than it has been winning lately.

The Philadelphia Phillies were the MLB baseball betting world’s favorite to win the World Series before the season even started. With 16 games left in the season, the Phillies’ magic number to win the NL East pennant is four. While the Phillies are not in the habit of helping out the competition, if Philadelphia can take this series from the Cardinals then that would be a significant help to the Brewers and Braves. The Cardinals will be fishing contests from their schedule to try and win if they lose this series because St. Louis does not face the Braves or the Brewers for the rest of the season. The Phillies are just trying to use these last few games to get ready for a World Series run.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals send Jaime Garcia to the mound to see if he can extend his two-game winning streak in this extremely important game. His most recent start was a September 10^th win over the Atlanta Braves where he gave up three runs on eight hits in six innings pitched. The final MLB baseball scores in games that Garcia starts are traditionally left up to the middle relief and closers. The Cardinals are hoping that Garcia can hang in there until the seventh inning, something he has not done since July 23^rd, and keep the Phillies’ batting order shut down.

Philadelphia Phillies

At this point in the season, the Phillies are trying to see which pitchers can be called up in the playoffs in case of injury. So it is difficult to tell who will be starting this game on the mound for Philadelphia. It could be one of the top starters, a pitcher from the bullpen or a prospect from the farm system. The main concern for Philadelphia heading into the playoffs is run production. A lack of run scoring is what stopped the Phillies’ World Series bid last year, and the betonline reviews of the Philadelphia offense this year have not always been glowing. The Phillies may even change the batting order around and try some pinch hitters in different spots these last few games. The pitching is not an issue in Philadelphia. It is the hitting that could derail the Phillies’ World Series aspirations again.

The Bottom Line

The Cardinals desperately need to win this game. If St. Louis wants a shot winning the NL Central or the NL wild card, it is almost going to have to win out the rest of the season unless Atlanta or Milwaukee take a series turn for the worse. The Phillies want to continue winning to take momentum into the playoffs, but they also need to find that batting order which will win them the World Series this year.

Pick: St. Louis Cardinals

Online Betting Overview

As the playoffs get closer, division leaders are trying to find that combination of players that will pad their pennant leads and get them ready for the playoffs. The Boston Red Sox are engaged in the most contentious battle for a pennant in baseball as they keep going back and forth with the New York Yankees to see who will take the AL East pennant and who will get the AL wild card. With a playoff spot secured either way, the Red Sox look to firm up their starting pitching rotation which has been plagued by injuries and inconsistencies this season. The Red Sox came out of their series with the Yankees with the lead in the AL East pennant race, but the margin is slim and the Red Sox saw pitching problems from starters like Josh Beckett that may have the team scrambling a little to find middle relief that can hold up in the playoffs.

The Rangers looked like it may be overtaken by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for a little while there. But recent MLB baseball betting scores have allowed the Rangers to run up a three and a half game lead in the AL West. The Rangers are also trying to find that starting pitching combination that works as they enter this playoff tournament without a proven winner such as Cliff Lee. This Rangers team was good enough to dominate the regular season last year, but it needed Lee to get to the World Series. Without a pitcher like Lee, it could be a short playoff run for the Texas Rangers.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox have put up some of the most lopsided MLB baseball scores of the season. Fewer teams have had more double-digit runs scored in a single game than the Red Sox this season. When the Red Sox offense is on, it can beat any pitching staff in baseball. But the Red Sox starting pitching rotation has not been able to stand up so well. Injuries and inconsistencies have forced the Red Sox to rely on its offense rather than pitching to win games. As the team gets ready for the playoffs, there are still concerns about the pitching and hopes that issues can get straightened out before the playoffs begin. A good example of that search for starting pitching happens when Andrew Miller gets the start in this game in his attempt to crack the starting rotation for the playoffs.

Texas Rangers

Derek Holland takes the mound for the Rangers in this game. While Holland is 12-5 on the season, his 4.30 ERA prevents him from being an elite pitcher. The betonline.com reviews for Holland’s most recent start are very positive. On August 26^th, Holland pitched six and two-thirds and gave up one run in a win over the Angels. In his last 10 starts, Holland is 6-1 with a 3.06 ERA. He can be effective when he wants to be.

The Bottom Line

Texas is known for its bass fishing, college football and hot weather. Even after a World Series appearance, the Rangers are still not much of a headline-grabber in Texas. The Red Sox are kings in Boston, and they should be able to put more distance between themselves and the Yankees with a win here.

Pick: Boston Red Sox

Online Sports Book Overview

Things were going great for the Texas Rangers until they ran into the Boston Red Sox and lost 13-2 at the Rangers’ home field. What made that worse was that the 13-2 loss was the second in a row to Boston with the potential sweep coming Thursday. To top all of that off, the Angels are currently riding a six-game winning streak that has cut the Texas lead in the AL West pennant race to two and a half games. Needless to say, the Rangers are hitting a tough spot. At this time last year, the Rangers had pitching ace Cliff Lee to bail them out. But Lee plays for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Rangers are finding it difficult to close out games down the stretch. The Angels come into this series looking to take over the lead in the AL West pennant race for the first time in months.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been quietly consistent all season long. The Texas Rangers have led the AL West for most of the season, but the Angels never fell far out of sight. Now that the season is winding down, the Angels are picking up steam while the wheels are falling off in Texas. MLB baseball betting fans in Texas are wondering if the Rangers can defend its AL pennant without a proven winner on the mound. The only way that the Angels can make the playoffs is to win the AL West pennant. Los Angeles trails the AL wild card spot by almost eight games, and the AL wild card seems reserved for the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox. The Angels have their own fate in their hands, and that is a good sign for Angels’ fans.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers cannot do anything right lately. By the time the first inning of their Wednesday game with the Red Sox was over, the MLB highlights showed five runs scored by the Red Sox and none scored by Texas. The first game of the Boston series was an 11-5 loss that the Rangers never had a chance in as well. Now the Angels come to town and Los Angeles presents a similar challenge to the Red Sox. The Rangers pitching has been horrible lately from the starting rotation to the bullpen. If the Rangers’ pitchers allow the Angels to get off to a good start like the Red Sox did, it could be over early. Derek Holland takes the mound for Texas in this game. While Holland has been able to put up a 5-1 record in his last nine starts, his 6.09 ERA in that stretch exemplifies the problems the Rangers’ rotation has been having.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Los Angeles ace Dan Haren takes the mound for this game. He is 5-1 in his last 10 starts and he is 13-6 on the year. The last time he faced Texas was on July 20^th when he gave up seven runs on nine hits in a four and one-third inning no-decision. Given the troubles of the Rangers the past couple of weeks, this could be a very high scoring game.

The Bottom Line

The betonline reviews for this game could be mixed. The Angels have been performing well down the stretch where the Rangers have not. While the Angels may not sweep this series, they could make things very tight in the AL West by the time this series is over.

Pick: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Betting Overview

The Oakland A’s were supposed to be contenders this year, or at least give Los Angeles and Texas a run for their money in the AL West pennant race. The A’s have a starting pitching rotation that can go toe-to-toe with any team in the majors. But a shaky bullpen and lack of run support have put the A’s 16.5 games back of the AL West lead. Early in the season, Oakland was holding its own and winning a lot of ball games. But as a season wears on, if you cannot hit or close out games, then you cannot win. The A’s fell victim to the same thing that killed the Seattle Mariners’ season; a power outage at the plate.

The Toronto Blue Jays are quietly becoming a better team, but they are competing in one of the toughest divisions in baseball. MLB baseball betting fans in Toronto know that their team will have to start eclipsing the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays if it wants to start being a legitimate contender in the AL East. It is a division that has been dominated by Boston and New York for years, but Tampa showed last year that a team can challenge the two dynasties for the AL East pennant. With the pitching staff and offense that the Blue Jays are putting together up in Toronto, a few more acquisitions could have the Blues Jays causing problems in the AL East next year.

Oakland A’s

Rich Harden continues to try and find his rhythm after a long stint on the DL kept him out of action. For the season, Harden is 3-2 with a 4.50 ERA, and all of that has come in the eight starts he has had since returning. Harden is having a difficult time finding his control. In his last three starts, he has issued a total of 10 walks and given up nine runs. The MLB baseball scores need to start going Harden’s way if he wants to maintain his place in the starting line-up for 2012. One thing Harden has going for him is that he is averaging five strikeouts a game. He needs to expand that success to the rest of his game.

Toronto Blue Jays

Brett Cecil takes the mound for Toronto as he continues to try and find his form from 2010 when he want 15-7 and had an ERA of 4.22. This year, Cecil is 4-5 with an ERA of 4.38. He relies heavily on the Toronto offense to help him win games, but he has been trying to break that habit. In July, Cecil had five starts and only gave up a total of nine runs. That stretch included an impressive complete-game shutout of the Texas Rangers. Cecil has the tools to be a good MLB pitcher. Now he just needs to settle into a groove that will help him contribute to winning games as opposed to leaning on the power in the Toronto line-up.

The Bottom Line

The betonline reviews for the future of the Toronto Blue Jays are promising. The Jays are currently three games over .500 and looking to see who can help them win next year. The A’s are going to wind up going back to the drawing board when this season is over and try to find some offense to wrap around their starting rotation.

Pick: Toronto Blue Jays

Bet On Sports Overview

It did not take the Seattle Mariners long to find their winning ways after finally breaking one of the longest losing streaks in all of baseball history. The Mariners are an interesting mix of very young players and experienced veterans. But when the wheels started to come off, it looked like the Mariners lacked leadership. For the first couple months of the season, it was the Mariners’ pitching that kept them in contention for the AL West pennant. Seattle fans were hoping that the offense would come around and the team would become a contender this year. But the Seattle offense still sits at the bottom of the majors in most categories, and even Ichiro is having problems driving in runs this year.

The Boston Red Sox are caught up in one of the more ferocious pennant races in baseball. The Red Sox’ 72-44 record gives the team the second-most wins in MLB, but it only puts Boston a game and a half ahead of the 70-45 New York Yankees. It is the kind of race that baseball betting fans dream of, and both the Red Sox and Yankees have shown that they can lose to any team at any time. The Red Sox were just beaten in a series against the Minnesota Twins and now they face a Seattle team that is finding its groove again. The Yankees are toiling against the red hot Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, which makes this series the perfect chance for the Red Sox to pad their lead for the AL East pennant.

Seattle Mariners

Blake Beavan takes the mound for Seattle in this game, and if you have not heard of Beavan then you may want to keep listening because he may be mentioned a lot in the future. Beavan has a 3-2 record on the season with a 2.83 ERA. He is one of those young and talented pitchers that the Mariners seem to be loaded with. But the MLB baseball news for Beavan is not all good in this game. He faced the Boston Red Sox on July 23^rd and gave up three runs on nine hits in six and two-thirds innings. He even struck out four and walked no one, but he still lost the game. He was the victim of whatever bad luck was following the Mariners around at that point and some bad umpiring as well. If he can shake those memories, then he has a chance to get some revenge against the Red Sox in this game.

Boston Red Sox

After a really rough start to the 2011 season, and some injury problems, it looks like John Lackey is finally back on track. As he takes the mound for this game against the Mariners, Lackey is 5-0 in his last six starts. But the concern for Boston is that Lackey is relying too much on the potent Boston offense to win games. Lackey’s ERA in his last 10 starts is 5.03 and he is giving up an average of almost eight hits per game in that stretch. The Red Sox are hoping that Lackey can continue to win games and bring his stats down as Boston prepares to enter the post-season.

The Bottom Line

This should be an interesting pitcher’s duel. The betonline.com fans in Seattle are extremely impressed with Beavan, and the Red Sox need to see more consistency out of Lackey. In the end, this game will come down to who has the better offense, and that is Boston.

Pick: Boston Red Sox

Sports Betting Overview

This is the series that many baseball fans are saying could be the preview of the NLCS. The San Francisco Giants looked like they may be going into another free fall similar to the one they experienced right before the All-Star break. But in an important series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants got things back on track and took sole possession of the NL West lead again. Baseball betting fans are having a hard time figuring out the Giants because the starting pitching is so erratic. One week the Giants’ pitchers look like the best in the majors, and the next week they cannot hold a lead. One of the things that the Giants will be looking for in this series is some consistency from the pitching staff against good baseball teams.

The Philadelphia Phillies are running away with the NL East pennant. Last season, the Atlanta Braves proved to be a formidable opponent for the Phillies all the way to the end of the season. But with Philadelphia opening up an eight-game lead in the NL East, and the Braves stuck on playing .500 baseball as of late, the Phillies look like they are going to walk into the playoffs with the pennant. One thing that has come around for the Phillies is the big names on their starting pitching staff. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee looked like they may be headed for disaster in July, but both have shown that they are ready for the post-season with their performances in late July and early August.

San Francisco Giants

Jonathan Sanchez gets his first major league start since June after recovering from an injury during the month of July. World Series betting experts are looking at pitchers like Sanchez to help push the Giants into a position to defend their World Series title. Sanchez is 4-5 on the season with a 3.81 ERA, but his stats were affected by a series of nagging injuries in June that he tried to play through. Now that he has recovered and pitched well during his triple-A rehab stretch, the Giants are hoping that Sanchez can get back to his form from last year. The revamped Giants offense, with slugger Carlos Beltran, is something that Sanchez did not have prior to his injury.

Philadelphia Phillies

Who the heck is Vance Worley? That was the question being asked when the second-year pitcher was rushed into the starting rotation due to an injury to Joe Blanton. Worley answered that question with a 7-1 record and 2.33 ERA. He has shown that he is yet another powerful cog in the mighty Phillies pitching machine. Worley’s last, and only, loss of the season was on June 28^th against the New York Mets. The last time he faced the Giants was on July 26^th when he pitched a complete game allowing only two runs on three hits.

The Bottom Line

The betonline reviews of the Giants’ season have been mixed. The Giants have stretches of days where they cannot win a game which is followed by impressive winning streaks. The Phillies just keep on winning and show no signs of letting up.

Pick: Philadelphia Phillies

Sports Betting Overview

This is the opening game of what could be a very long series for the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds are already in trouble in the NL Central standings as they are five and half games out of first place and fading fast. Cincinnati has won only four of its last 10 games, and the team is currently on a three-game losing streak. The Reds have fallen to 50-54 which puts them almost out of the pennant race in the NL Central. So how does this MLB betting scenario get worse for the Reds? The Giants now have Carlos Beltran, and this will be his second game as a Giant. Beltran’s first game with the Giants was the last game of the Philadelphia series. Beltran and the Giants were still feeling each other out in that game. But by the time the Giants roll into Cincinnati, the Reds will have a completely comfortable Beltran to deal with.

The San Francisco Giants needed a bat to be able to contend in the post-season, and Beltran was the answer to their problems. The Giants other problem is the play of ace pitcher Tim Lincecum who is having one of his worst seasons as a pro. But San Francisco is hoping that Lincecum snaps out of it by playoff time, just as he did last year when he was so brilliant throughout the entire playoffs. The Giants offense is now a force to be reckoned with, and the Reds do not have the pitching to reckon with the re-vamped San Francisco offense.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds continue their downward spiral as they just got stomped by the New York Mets. Beltran was part of the Mets when New York was in Cincinnati, and now Cincinnati gets to see Beltran again as a Giant. Taking the mound for the Reds in this game will be Dontrelle Willis. Yes, that Dontrelle Willis. Willis is trying to make a comeback in his career, and he is starting to show signs of improvement. His last start was against the powerful Atlanta Braves, and the MLB highlights of that game were not bad for Willis. He allowed three runs on seven hits in six and one-third innings. He does not quite have his stuff back yet, but his enthusiasm is there.

San Francisco Giants

The surprising Ryan Vogelsong takes the mound in this game to continue what is the best season of his career. Vogelsong is 8-1 on the season with a 2.10 ERA. In his last 10 starts, he is 5-0 and has only allowed 16 earned runs in that stretch. If Vogelsong has one weakness it is his inability to make it to the seventh inning. The Giants may be trying to bring him along slowly, but Vogelsong would be a great help to the bullpen if he could just take this game right to closer Brian Wilson.

The Bottom Line

MLB fans love this time of year because this is when the pennant races get heated. If the Reds want to stay in the NL Central pennant race, then they will need to beat the Giants in this series. But that may be easier said than done.

Pick: San Francisco Giants

Sports Betting Overview

This series is one of those “good news/bad news” series for each team. The good news for the MLB baseball betting fans in Boston is that the Red Sox have a home series against the Seattle Mariners. The bad MLB baseball news for the Seattle Mariners is that they have to go to Boston to play a series against the Red Sox. The Mariners are just not playing well. After a start to the season that was bringing visions of the playoffs to the hearts and minds of Mariners’ fans, Seattle has dropped like a stone in the AL West and is quickly writing themselves out of the playoff picture.

The MLB news in Boston has been much better. The Red Sox have won eight of their last 10 games and are 28-17 at home. Boston holds a one and a half game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East pennant race, and that race is quickly becoming a two-team battle as the Tampa Bay Rays fade further and further into the distance. The Red Sox can be the second team in the majors, behind the Philadelphia Phillies, to win 60 games this season if they can beat the Mariners in this opening game of the series. Judging by the way the Mariners have been playing lately, the Red Sox should be able to hit the 60-win milestone without much problem.

Seattle Mariners

The problem for the Mariners is that they just cannot hit the baseball. The Mariners are last in all of baseball in almost every offensive category there is. They cannot make contact with the ball, they cannot score runs and they are not efficient on the base paths. Pitching in front of this offensive disaster for this game is “King” Felix Hernandez. When you have a pitcher like Hernandez who has a good 3.26 ERA for the season but an 8-8 record, you know your team cannot score runs. Hernandez can sometimes cause his own problems by allowing four and five earned runs in a game. But the Seattle ace has been victimized by a poor offense behind him, and it will haunt him again in Fenway.

Boston Red Sox

Red Sox starting pitcher for this game John Lackey simply has to start getting his game together if the Sox are going to win the World Series this year. Lackey is one of the weak links on an otherwise solid starting rotation. Lackey is 7-8 on the season with a 6.70 ERA. He has been battling injuries and has been extremely inconsistent. In his last 10 starts, Lackey is 5-5 with a 7.23 ERA. In that stretch, he has allowed five or more earned runs four times and has only made it past the fifth inning twice. Lackey is a far cry from his 19-9 season of 2007, and the Red Sox are going to have to make some tough decisions as the playoffs get closer if Lackey cannot get his control back.

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The Bottom Line

Bad Boston pitching in this game is irrelevant because the Mariners’ hitting is even worse. The Mariners will need to make wholesale changes on offense if they want to compete next season. As for this game, the Mariners have little to no chance of walking away with a win.

Pick: Boston Red Sox

Sports Betting Overview

If there was a team in MLB that would benefit from a boost after the All-Star break, it is the Chicago White Sox. MLB baseball betting fans know that the White Sox are only five games out of the AL Central lead, and the team in the lead is the Detroit Tigers. By their own admission, the White Sox have not played the best baseball this season. Manager Ozzie Guillen summed it up best when he said that the White Sox sucked. But that is not completely true. This White Sox team may not be generating the MLB baseball news headlines that the 2005 World Series team did, but this is still a pretty good baseball team. The White Sox are completely capable of making a run for the pennant in the second half of the season.

MLB fans could see it coming in the AL Central. The Cleveland Indians looked like they were going to run away with one of the weakest divisions in all of baseball. But all the Tigers had to do was stay above .500 and eventually they would catch Cleveland. Now that Detroit has taken over first place in the AL Central, they can probably play .500 baseball on into September and win the pennant. Unless, of course, the White Sox start getting hot.

Chicago White Sox

In the 10 games leading up to the All-Star break, the Chicago White Sox were 4-6. They were playing poor defense, couldn’t really pitch and had problems hitting the ball. But you should never count an Ozzie Guillen team out of it. Considering how weak the rest of the AL Central is, the White Sox are in a pretty good spot. Taking the mound for Chicago in this game is Gavin Floyd. On the season, Floyd is 6-9 with a 4.59 ERA. He is 2-6 in his last 10 starts, and a prime candidate to be the kind of pitcher that turns it around in the second half. Why? Because he has done it before.

Detroit Tigers

All-Star no-show Justin Verlander will take the mound in this game to play in front of the fans he snubbed when he did not play in the mid-summer classic. Fans tend to forgive a pitcher who is 12-4 with a 2.15 ERA at the All-Star break. In his last 10 starts, Verlander has only given up a total of 12 runs. In that stretch he has amassed a total of 76 strike outs and only 10 walks. He is also averaging nearly eight innings a game. Verlander is a machine that is ready to help the Tigers maintain their lead in the AL Central.

The Bottom Line

It is doubtful that the White Sox can beat Verlander, but Chicago can still win this series. In this game, Chicago and pitcher Gavin Floyd are overmatched. But look for Chicago to put on a solid performance as they gear up for a second-half pennant run.

Pick: Detroit Tigers