We are only about a third of the way into the MLB regular season, but the standings are taking shape and World Series favourites are starting to form and alter a little bit from the beginning of the season. I checked online at a sportsbook that offers MLB futures betting odds and found that the following three teams are the current favourites to win the World Series this year.

Philadelphia Phillies 3/1
Boston Red Sox 9/2
New York Yankees 15/2

Not surprisingly the three heavy favourites (San Francisco is 4th with 14/1 odds) are also the three teams in the league with the highest payrolls (Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, respectively). This goes to show that spending money does translate into success in the MLB, at least in terms of expectations.

Now let’s look at how these favourites are doing at this point in the season:

Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are leading the National League with a 34-20 record and look poised to easily take their division.

Boston Red Sox
In the hardest division in baseball the Red Sox are 30-24, but they are second to the Yankees in the division with a .02% lower winning percentage.

New York Yankees
As mentioned earlier the Yankees are leading their division with a 29-23 record, but are second in the American League to the Cleveland Indians (the Indians have 16/1 odds to win the World Series).

Last year’s World Series Champion San Francisco Giants are sitting in a decent position, second in their division with a 29-24 record.

The MLB is so close that a few game winning streak will change everything as every team is hovering right around that .500% mark through this point in the season. Teams are still working themselves into the season and we should see more diversified standings once another third of the season has been completed.

Some long shot picks to win the World Series this season include the Toronto Blue Jays at 60/1 and the LA Angels at 28/1. The Blue Jays are hanging around the in the toughest division in baseball with a 28-26 record and if they can continue hitting as well as they have been with the odd home run sprinkled in they could hang around long enough to have a shot at the post season. The Angels are the 4th most expensive team in baseball and they are also hitting very well, tied for second in hits this season. The Angels have high priced talent on their team and in the MLB that can very easily translate into a chance in the post season. When you have to play 162 games in the regular season, but only have to win 5 or 7 game series in the playoffs the main battle is getting there. Once you make the playoffs anything can happen and anyone can win.

If you are interested in betting on baseball make sure you do your research and find an online sportsbook that offers great odds and fast payouts so you get your winnings as soon as possible!

Author Bio: If you are looking to bet on MLB baseball make sure you choose an online bookie that offers great odds and has a strong and trustworthy track record in the industry. Make sure you compare MLB odds among a variety of sportsbooks to get the best odds for each MLB game!

Category: Sports
Keywords: MLB, Baseball, World Series 2011, Favourites, Betting Odds, Futures