Sports Betting Overview

People who bet on MLB baseball have seen this movie before. The Baltimore Orioles get off to a great start and then, right around the time that Kentucky Derby betting starts, the Orioles fall apart. In 2009, the Orioles started out 6-2 before the wheels flew completely off and they dropped eight out of their next 10. This season will probably be another repeat of last season seeing as how the Orioles did not make many significant changes to their lineup over the winter. That means that Orioles fans can probably enjoy the remainder of this Detroit series before things get back to normal.

The Detroit Tigers have some promising players in their lineup. After the 2009 season, the Tigers started trading away some of their veterans and picked up some good, young players to build on. Austin Jackson and Phil Coke have potential that could start to come out this season. Then the Tigers brought in new veterans like catcher Victor Martinez, who will probably be the DH and clubhouse coach. The Tigers could be a contender in 2011 for the AL Central title, and it will not be long before the MLB scores start falling the Tigers’ way.

Detroit Tigers

Brad Penny takes the mound for his second start of the season for the Tigers. In his season opener in the new Yankee Stadium, Penny got through 4 1/3 innings before his eight runs on seven hits got him yanked. The Orioles do not pose the same threat as the Yankees did, and with a stadium full of Baltimore fans that are expecting the other shoe to fall for the Orioles, the crowd won’t be a problem either. Even though the Tigers allowed marquee players such as Dontrelle Willis and Johnny Damon go, they managed to craft a very formidable hitting lineup. The Tigers’ defense has improved and the bullpen is much better than it was last year. The Tigers could be the perfect storm that Baltimore fans have been fearing.

Baltimore Orioles

One of the bright spots in the Orioles starting rotation takes the mound for this game. Chris Tillman is a 22-year-old youngster that took the Tampa Bay Rays six innings of no-hit ball before he had to be pulled. The problem that Tillman may have is that the Tigers possess the same kind of hitting lineup that the Rays have, and the Rays gave Tillman all kinds of problems. By the middle of the sixth inning against Tampa, the Rays had pushed Tillman to 101 pitches. That is a lot of foul balls and inaccurate pitches. But Tillman is young, and he will improve as the season wears on. The rest of the Orioles may not be so lucky.

The Bottom Line

The Tigers will eventually start winning games in bunches and, unfortunately for Baltimore, that is probably going to be soon. Orioles fans will want to get out to the ballpark to see their undefeated team before the Detroit Tigers bring the Baltimore party crashing to the ground.

Pick: Detroit Tigers