My Official 5 Best Bets for Over/Unders in 2011 MLB

Although I am not a big gambling guy, I am not above placing a wager every now and then just for the thrill of it.  Nobody likes to lose and whether its a horse race at some dinky little track in Texas, a dog race in New England or the Super Bowl, there's nothing like winning a few bucks while enjoying a live sporting event.

Almost every team in baseball has at least one major question mark going into the 2011 season.  Are the Yankees aging?  Will the mighty Red Sox and their ferocious lineup run away with the AL East?  Will the Madoff Mess sink the Mets?  Is this the year the Pirates put a winning team on the field? Will Don Mattingly have a better year than Mike Scioscia in SoCal?

With an assist from the website, Bodog, I present to you my Top 5 inaugural predictions.

Word to the wise, don't bet the rent money on anyone of this, but if you do take my advice and win, feel free to get back to me in about 6 months and share your story of good fortune.  And if you lose, remember, the House always wins!

New York Mets: Over/Under 77 Wins

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PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 24: David Wright # 5 of the New York Mets poses for a portrait during the New York Mets Photo Day on February 24, 2011 at Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

This almost seems too easy.

Way too much has to go right for the Mets to win more than 77 wins in 2011.

The division is more competitive and I don't just mean the Phillies Big Four of Halladay, Hammels, Lee and Oswalt.  The Braves are coming off of a wild card berth and the Marlins have a nice crop of young players.

For the Mets, I believe Jose Reyes, in his walk year, will put up big numbers.  Problem is, he'll be doing it for someone else by mid-Summer.  Johan Santana won't be back until early Summer and will he be Johan Santana or more like Carlos Santana?   Is Angel Pagan the real deal in CF?  Does Carlos Beltran have anything left in his creaky knees?

Most of all, will the Madoff mess hurt this team even more?  Sandy Alderson added some pieces to the team by getting some guys like Chris Young and Chris Capuano on the cheap.  New York City is not a small market and Mets fans will not support a Pittsburgh Pirates/KC Royals type team.

Well, at least you'll be able to buy cheap tickets on StubHub this summer.

Take the under, with lots of confidence.

Philadelphia Phillies: Over/Under 96.5 Wins

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What does it say when your second baseman is Chase Utley and your team picks up Luis Castillo and signs him to a minor league contract right after he's released by the Mets?

Unlike the Mets, way too much has to go right for this team to hit 97 or more wins.

Yes, we know all about their starting pitching, but what about their lineup?  Jayson Werth is now residing down I-95 in DC.   It seems like eons ago that Jimmy Rollins was an MVP candidate.  Chase Utley is hurt and isn't Raul Ibanez, like, 50 years old?

Take the under with lots of confidence.

Tampa Bay Rays Over/Under 84.5 Wins

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FT. MYERS, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Manny Ramirez #24 of the Tampa Bay Rays poses for a portrait during the Tampa Bay Rays Photo Day on February 22, 2011 at the Charlotte Sports Complex in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

This is a team that will take a step back in 2011, but probably not for too long.

I love Evan Longoria and David Price. Joe Madden, too. Unfortunately losing guys like Carlos Pena, Carl Crawford, Matt Garza, Rafael Soriano and Joaquin Benoit is a lot of talent going elsewhere.

Picking up Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon is really like putting a band-aid on something that needs stitches.   Although they'll both produce, its not 2004 anymore.

Did this team really pick up Kyle Farnsworth for their bullpen?  Did anyone see how awful he's been?  I think Armando Benitez is available on the cheap, too!

Seriously, the Sox and Orioles are going to be better this year and the Yankees are still the Yankees until proven otherwise.

Take the under, with lots of confidence

LA Angels of Anaheim Over/Under 83 Wins

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TEMPE, AZ - FEBRUARY 21: Mike Scioscia manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim poses during their photo day at Tempe Diablo Stadium on February 21, 2011 in Tempe,Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)

I've always liked the Angels and Mike Scioscia.  He constantly gets the most of out his players and doesn't have an All-Star at every position unlike others in the American League.

The rotation of Joel Pinero, Jerrod Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana is definitely formidable.

I have reservations about their offense.  What will Kendry Morales be like when the games count?  Will we see the Vernon Wells of 2010 or 2009?  Will Bobby Abreu thrive as a full-time DH?  Is Torii Hunter, who turns 36 this summer aging quickly?

Partly because of the division and partly on a hunch, take the over, but don't bet the farm on it!

Pittsburgh Pirates Over/Under 67.5 Wins

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BRADENTON, FL - FEBRUARY 20: Outfielder Andrew McCutchen #22 of the Pittsburgh Pirates poses for a photo during photo day at Pirate City on February 20, 2011 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

PNC Park is a great place to see a game.  I was there in 2009 and loved it. Clean, affordable, great site lines and the food wasn't outrageously priced.  I even liked that you can walk from the Hilton right to the ballpark.

Unfortunately, the last time the Pirates had a winning season, Mike LaValliere was the starting catcher.  And he's now 50 years old!

They suck.  They will still suck in 2011, just not as badly. 

Take the under, with a Philly cheese-steak to go.  After all, if you want to see real baseball in PA, you've got to head about 300 miles east to Citizens Bank Park.