Generally you can count of some late season jockeying and division shakeups to keep you on your toes until the final day of the season in the battle for one of the eight spots in the MLB playoff action.
Not this year. In fact, this year has been a major dud. With the season reaching its inevitable conclusion there are really only two races in the baseball odds that are still of any interest to most fans.
The NL West is still up for grabs and has been the one thrilling bit of competition left in the 2010 baseball lines action. The San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres have been see-sawing back and forth atop the standings for the past few weeks and at present the Giants (88-68) hold a slim .5 game over the Fathers (87-68).
The only other race that really has any real implications on the post season action is the NL Wild Card. Right now San Diego has a miniscule .5 game lead over the NL East’s Atlanta (87-69) Braves for the last playoff spot in the NL.
On Tuesday night the Braves will play host to the Florida Marlins in a game that will be of monumental importance for the Braves and departing manager Bobby Cox.
The Braves are a very good home team and have a record of 52-23 in Fulton County, the best in the baseball lines action.
But Atlanta will have to overcome the lousy pitching of Mike Minor if it wants to get the baseball odds victory. The little used starting pitcher is 3-2 but sports and bloated 6.18 ERA. He’s lost his last two starts and given up 7 earned and failed to make it past the 5th inning in either game.
The Marlins will start pitcher Anibel Sanchez (12-11, 3.60 ERA) who is inconsistent but brilliant when he’s one.
The Braves have much more on the line and will be playing more of their regular starters than the Marlins but because of the pitching matchup you have to like Florida’s chances in this baseball lines contest.