MLB Futures - AL West is a LOCK for the Angels

Baseball is just around the corner and the BetUS online sportsbook is starting to fire it up!

Already the sportsbook has released online betting odds on a number of MLB future bets. One of those is on the divisional winners.

When it comes to the A.L. West, all eyes will be on the Los Angeles Angels who unloaded their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, during the off season but are still the favorites in the sportsbook to win the A.L. West.

Let’s take a look at the Angels and every other team in the A.L. West.

MLB Futures: A.L. West

1. Los Angeles Angels -200 - - The Angels are huge favorites to win the A.L. West because they were awesome during the regular season in 2008. It wasn’t until the playoffs started that the Angels fell on their faces and couldn’t get into the World Series. They dominated the American League during the regular season and will look to do so again with one of the top starting rotations in baseball. John Lackey, Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders make up a formidable top three in the rotation. Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu all can hit for power and Chone Figgins knows how to get on base. These guys are going to be tough even without Francisco Rodriguez closing for them.

2. Oakland Athletics +225 - - The Athletics will win some games this year, but they might have the same problem this year that they had last year. They’re just not going to put up as many runs as the Angels. Pitcher Justin Duchsherer, their ace, was good last season when racking up a 2.54 ERA, but his overall record was 10 and 8. That means he wasn’t getting the run support needed for the Athletics to make a real run at the division title. Oakland will be tough in spots but during an entire 162 game season, they won’t be able to challenge the Angels.

3. Seattle Mariners +1000 - - The Mariners are a god awful team. They were god awful in 2008 and should be god awful in 2009 even though Felix Hernandez is a legitimate number one starter. Like Oakland, the Mairners aren’t going to be able to put up a lot of runs. Unlike Oakland, they don’t have the pitching to keep themselves in games early. Ichiro has been unhappy for a while and he’s never hit for power anyhow. Adrian Beltre could bounce back and do something while Ken Griffey Jr. will be a solid DH if he stays healthy, but that’s a lot of “ifs” and Griffey Jr. is getting old.

4. Texas Rangers +900 - - The Rangers are the exact opposite of the Oakland Athletics. They regularly put up between 8 to 10 runs in 2008 but failed miserably in the pitching department. When your top guy, Kevin Millwood, has a 5.07 ERA and the second guy in your rotation, Vicente Padilla, allows 4.74 runs a game, you’re in trouble.

Best Long Shot

There isn’t one. Forget it. Something drastic would have to happen for the Mariners, Rangers or Athletics to win the A.L. West.

And the Winner is…

Los Angeles Angels -200 - - No drama here. The Angels aren’t better than the Tampa Bay Rays, but they don’t play in the A.L. East. They play in the A.L. West where not a single one of their opponents should come close to beating them. This one is as close to a no-brainer as anything in the sportsbook right now. Devastating injuries will have to occur for the Angels to lose the A.L. West.