The Philadelphia Phillies have been the talk of the baseball gambling world ever since they swooped in and signed Cliff Lee this past off season. Lee was the prized free agent, and Philadelphia played coy through most of the winter.
At the least minute, however, Philly tugged at Lee's heart strings and got the ace left-hander to sign. Once that occurred, odds makers immediately made Philadelphia the team to beat in the National League.
Bettors were unfazed by the short odds they were given when it came to picking the Phillies to win the East and the pennant. With a pitching staff that, on paper, looked as good as any in the past twenty years, many analysts predicted Philadelphia would run away with the National league East.
Lee was added to a staff that already included Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt. World series hero Cole Hamels is the fourth member of a group that could challenge some of the all-time pitching records for a starting staff. Joe Blanton is the fifth man in the rotation that includes several Cy Young award winners.
"This staff has been put together to do one thing, and that's win a World Series," said Gaming Analyst Steve Schwartz. "Anything short of that will be considered a failure, and anything short of a World Series win could cost gamblers who paid big prices to bet on the Phillies this season."
So far, Philadelphia has lived up to the lofty expectations. The Phillies completed the seasons first month on Saturday with a 2-1 win over the New York Mets. The win was the eighteenth of April for the Phils, to go along with eight losses. The eighteen wins are the most ever for the Philadelphia franchise, and they send a message to other National League foes that this team is not resting on their laurels.
April 30, 2011
Posted By Vincent Tapoglia III
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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