Sport books will have odds posted on the Philadelphia Phillies as they get set to defend their World Series title. The Phillies won the National League East again this season and will be a serious contender at the Internet sportsbook in the playoffs which begin next week.
Sports books have the Phillies and Cardinals as the two sports betting favorites in the National League with the Dodgers and Rockies the underdogs. The Phillies won the National League East this season as they led the division since May. It was not always easy this season for the Phillies but they won the division again. “I think we’ve had a lot more decisions than last year, more injuries than last year,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “This year seems like it’s gone by quick.”
The Phillies were actually a better team at sport books during the regular season than a year ago. They will have won more games at the Internet sportsbook than a year ago. Their online sports betting prices at sport books have also been reasonable since they really didn’t have a dominating starting pitcher this season. Cole Hamels was simply not as good this season for the Phillies so his prices were not as high as the sport books.
The Phillies will open the postseason against either the Rockies or the Dodgers and would be favored in sports betting over either team in Internet sportsbook odds. “If we play like we can, we can beat any of them. I look at those three teams and it don’t make any difference who we play,” Manuel said, “I think we’ve got the best team in the league.” Sometimes this sport books season that has been the case but lately the team to beat has been the Cardinals. The good thing for Philadelphia is that they will not meet St. Louis in sport books odds until the NLCS if both teams get that far.
One thing that is different for the Phillies this Internet sportsbook season is the bullpen where Brad Lidge has been a disaster. Who closes is the main sport books question for Philadelphia in the playoffs. The Phillies have blown 22 saves as a team with Lidge the main culprit most of the time. “Hell, we should have won 100 games easy,” Manuel said. “Just give me half of those [blown saves], and we’d have won 100 games.”