2010 Home Run Derby Odds: Who Will Win The Home Run Derby? July 13th 2010

MLB betting fans get the next three days off from games on the diamond, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to boost your bankroll on! The Home Run Derby tees off on Monday night in Los Angeles, as eight sluggers shoot for the title of the home run champ. Here at BetUS, we are looking at the MLB betting lines and seeing whether an AL or NL slugger will win it all.
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2010 Home Run Derby Odds: American League -240 vs. National League +180

American League: David Ortiz, Miguel Cabrera, Nick Swisher, Vernon Wells
National League: Chris Young, Corey Hart, Hanley Ramirez, Matt Holliday

The only man with any experience in the Home Run Derby on the National League side of things is Matt Holliday. The St. Louis Cardinals slugger is in fine form at the moment, having hit home runs in four of his L/6 games, totaling five in that stretch. He has just 16 home runs on the season. However, three years ago, Holliday knocked 13 home runs in the Home Run Derby to finish third.

Corey Hart makes for a nice addition to this tournament from the Milwaukee Brewers. No, Hart doesn’t have the look of his teammates Ryan Braun or Prince Fielder, but he is a big man at 6’6″ and can blast balls a mile. Hart has 21 home runs on the season and could be a huge factor in the Home Run Derby.

However, we aren’t much for putting either Hanley Ramirez or Chris Young on this team for the National League. Both guys are leadoff type hitters that are better served hitting ground balls and line drives than big flies. That’s not to say both aren’t capable of hitting 30 homers in a year and hitting 20 in this tournament, but odds have it, it won’t happen tonight for either one.

That leaves the American League sluggers. Three of the four have Home Run Derby experience. David Ortiz is rightfully the favorite to capture his first Home Run Derby crown in his fourth entry into this event. With 17 homers, Big Papi will surpass Ken Griffey Jr. for the most homers in the Derby in his career.

Don’t discount Miguel Cabrera either. Cabrera has been swinging a hot bat, and he plays in a very similar ballpark at Comerica Park on a regular basis. The Tigers slugger has a big stick and will surely be a contender late on in this competition as he was in 2006 when he hit 15 big flies.

Vernon Wells and Nick Swisher both have solid slugging stats this season, but neither one is probably going to find himself as a major contender. Swisher might really be a fish out of water, as a lot of his home runs come courtesy of the short porches of Yankee Stadium.

In the end, don’t be shocked if this comes down to Ortiz and Cabrera. They are the sluggers that really have the best chances of winning this competition. You may want to take a flier on either Hart or Holliday by themselves, but as a whole, the American League is the way to go on this prop.

My Home Run Derby Predictions: American League -240
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

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