Wagering on division leaders to win

The Los Angeles Dodgers were picked by most experts to win the National League West and to date they have not disappointed with 10-3 start. The Toronto Blue Jays were presumed to be about as relevant as a Hummer and instead has been nearly as big a surprise as Susan Boyle in taking the lead position in the American League East, ahead of the likely clubs picked to finish ahead of them. The Dodgers and Blue Jays start new series’ and look to improve leads.

Toronto (10-4, +6.2 units) was supposed to have Roy Halladay (3-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.048 WHIP) and little else for starting pitchers, due to injuries. Instead, manager Cito Gaston has been able to piece together a pitching staff and last year’s dormant offense has exploded.

The Blue Jays are fourth in runs allowed in the American League at 4.1 per game, as opponents are hitting just .233 (second in baseball) against them. Offensively, Toronto is tearing the cover off the ball, scoring 6.2 runs per game (4th), thanks to ranking third in home runs with 22. This hasn’t been by accident either, as they lead the major leagues in total bases and are the best hitting team in the AL at .290.

This all makes Halladay’s job easier, as he has been sharp to start the year with 17 strikeouts and only three walks in 21 innings. The Jays are 87-39 (+27.7 Units) against the money line in home games when he takes the ball and Bookmaker.com acknowledges this making Toronto a -215 ML favorite with total Un8.5 against Texas (5-7, -2.9 units).

The Rangers were expected to score runs and they have and the pitching staff was believed to be a problem and it is. Texas leads the majors in scoring and home runs and its bullpen has ERA of 7.45 (gulp), with not many places to turn. As one might expect, the Rangers are 9-2-1 OVER to start 2009 and 13-2 OVER in road games with a struggling bullpen whose WHIP is over 1.750 the last 10 games. Amazingly, Texas is 13-2 (+16.1 Units) when the total is 8 to 8.5 and Brandon McCarthy (1-0, 4.91, 1.455) will try to trade pitches with Halladay.

As impressive as Toronto has been, the Dodgers (+7 units) have been even more so. Los Angeles leads baseball with a .302 batting average and is the top scoring club in the senior circuit at 6.3 RPG. This offensive outburst hasn’t been about Manny Ramirez, more about how others have watched him prepare.

Andre Either was named the NL player of the week after hitting .391 with four homers and 12 RBIs in his last six games, while 2B Orlando Hudson is 13-for-24 (.542) with five RBIs during the same span. For good measure, centerfielder Matt Kemp has hit safely in all 13 games, batting .383 with three homers and 14 RBIs.

While many concerns have been raised about Dodgers starting pitchers being too young to possibly survive a whole season, they have plenty of strength in the early going with team ERA of 3.16 (4th) and opposing hitters right at the Mendoza line at .200.

Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 1.50, 0.667) is off borderline historic performance in his last start, when he struck out 13 Giants in seven innings. The 13 punchouts by the 21-year old lefty is the most by a young Dodger pitcher since a 19-year named Sandy Koufax did the same almost 54 years ago.

The Dodgers make their first trip out of the Pacific Time Zone to Houston (4-9, -5.6). The Astros have a number of veteran players who aren’t hitting, as three runs per game and .250 BA proves. L.A. is 30-14 against the money line vs. an NL team with a team batting average of .250 or worse and is a -161 favorite with total at 9.5.

Houston might be 10-0 UNDER off a one run loss versus a division rival over the last two seasons, however they haven’t started Russ Ortiz (0-0 6.23, 1.839) in next game, who missed all of last year with arm injury and hasn’t been effective big league pitcher in years.

About the only bad thing you can come up with on the Dodgers is the law of averages catching up to them. They have won eight straight and manager Joe Torre is 11-16 after eight or more consecutive wins in all games he has managed since 1997.