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Sports Betting Futures Odds: Familiar Faces on Top Early in Major League Baseball


by - 5/9/2018

Houston Astros Pitcher Gerrit Cole

The NBA Playoffs are in full flight, and Houston vs. Golden State is officially upon us, but-thanks mostly to the American League East-baseball is really starting to heat up. Contenders have already begun to separate themselves from pretenders early in the 162-game marathon. On the golf course, meanwhile, Tiger Woods is playing for a second straight week-this time at THE PLAYERS Championship.

All odds provided by Bovada Sportsbook .

World Series

Houston Astros (+500) - The expected beasts of the American League have wasted no time surging to the top of their respective divisions (heck, even Cleveland's 17-18 record is good enough to lead the Central). In the West, the defending World Series champions are 23-15 and loaded with a pitching staff that includes Gerrit Cole.

Boston Red Sox (+500) - Baseball's best rivalry has the Red Sox and Yankees currently tied for first place in the East. Behind the bat of Mookie Betts, Boston began the 2018 campaign with a 17-2 mark but has since gone 8-8. Although Chris Sale and Rick Porcello have been outstanding, the rest of the staff is struggling.

New York Yankees (+650) - Here come the Yankees! Whereas Boston made its run right out of the gates, New York is making its move right now. The Bronx Bombers are an amazing 16-1 in their last 17 outings, which includes a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox on Tuesday. Four different players have already hit at least eight home runs.

Chicago Cubs (+1000) - While the AL has all the intrigue right now, the National League cannot be forgotten. Chicago, which famously won it all in 2016, is a decent 18-15 so far-good for only fourth place in a crowded NL Central. The lineup has been mediocre, and Yu Darvish is off to a slow start. Arizona is also a +1000 fourth choice.

Warriors vs. Rockets

Game 1: Rockets (-2) over Warriors - The Rockets had no trouble securing home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs with a 65-17 record during the regular season. That included a 2-1 mark against Golden State (1-1 at the Toyota Center). Houston is 39-8 at home (5-1 in the playoffs)

Warriors to win the series (-180) - The Warriors, of course, will have to take at least one game at the Toyota Center at some point during this series. They are a decent 2-2 on the road during these playoffs (1-1 against both San Antonio and New Orleans) to go along with an undefeated home record.

Warriors to win the NBA title (-120) - Not unlike the case with LeBron James and the Cavaliers, Golden State's motivation and interest levels are distinctly heightened now from what they were throughout the 82-game slate. The Warriors had no trouble with the Spurs, and that was without Stephen Curry. Now Curry is back.

Rockets to win the NBA title (+220) - Houston has not even been to the NBA Finals since winning it all in 1994-95, and it got handled by Golden State in its only Western Conference Finals appearance since then (2014-15). Playoff experience is not on their side, but the Rockets are looking formidable with Chris Paul running the offense.

THE PLAYERS Championship

Rory McIlroy (+1400) - Big names won this event from 2012 through 2016 before little-known Si-Woo Kim triumphed last year. With the way the best players in the world are playing at the moment, though, order may be restored. McIlroy won at Bay Hill, finished T5 at the Masters, and is coming off a decent T16 performance at the Wells Fargo.

Justin Thomas (+1400) - Neither McIlroy nor Thomas has ever done much at THE PLAYERS, but the latter at least managed to place T3 in 2016. Thomas has been incredibly consistent of late, with 13 straight tournaments in which he has finished no worse than 22nd-a stretch that includes two victories.

Jordan Spieth (+1400) - There are four co-favorites and-unsurprisingly-Spieth is among them. The 24-year-old American's April included third-place showings in Houston and at the Masters. He finished T4 at THE PLAYERS in 2014 but has since been a disaster at this course, with three straight missed cuts.

Jason Day (+1400) - What's not to like about Day's chances this week? He won The PLAYERS in 2016 and just picked up another title last Sunday in Charlotte. Back in the top 10 of the rankings (No. 7), the Aussie played well at this event in 2017 before stumbling to a final-round 80. Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler are +1800 fifth choices.

Props

Becky Hammon to be head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks next season (+300) - Hammon became the first female NBA assistant coach when she was hired by San Antonio prior to the 2014-15 season. She is now the first female to interview for an NBA head-coaching position . Steve Clifford and David Blatt are also contenders.

Anyone in baseball getting suspended in 2018 for a physical altercation with Jose Bautista (+625) - The Braves signed Bautista, 37, last month and have now inserted him into a starting role at third base. He has a history of incidents, of course, including one last season against his current team when he was a member of the Blue Jays.

Tupac's letter to Madonna to sell for more than $250,000 (+110) - Madonna recently lost her attempt in court to block the auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll from selling some of her personal items-including a breakup letter written to her by Tupac Shakur from prison in January of 1995. Less than $250,000 is a -150 favorite.

Justify to win the Triple Crown (+140) - For a sixth consecutive year, the favorite won the Kentucky Derby. When that happens, a Triple Crown becomes a very real possibility -one that finally came to fruition with American Pharoah in 2015. Justify, also trained by Bob Baffert, is 4-0 this season after winning the derby by 2.5 lengths.

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