Hey, World Series odds followers. I’m hoping my flashy headline distracted you from my laziness. Did it work? Well, I’m doing sportsbook quick picks again despite promising more in-depth coverage. What can I say? Life is busy.

Phillies over Dodgers in six. The Dodgers’ sweep of the Cards was a nice story, but let’s get serious. That series was 1-1 without Matt Holliday’s gift. Then, even if the Dodgers went up 2-1, they would’ve faced Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Sorry, Matt, but your drop may have cost your team the whole series. The reality is that the Dodgers are a very good team, with a great bullpen and clutch hitting, but one that lacks pitching depth. I think that lack of depth gets exposed in a longer series against the Phillies, whose fifth starter is Pedro and whose fourth leading home-run hitter still topped 30 jacks this season.

Yankees over Angels in seven. This’ll be a tight one; the Yanks’ hitting lineup is unbelievable and their top-end starting pitching rocks. Can the Angels overcome the Yanks thanks to a much deeper staff? Gotta admit, Scott Kazmir is an excellent No. 4. I think the Angels push the Yanks to the brink as baseball picks but come up just short.

OK — now you can run off and get your sportsbook software to draw you up charts and graphs as to why the Dodgers and Angels will win. But you have my two cents now!

Just like the Titans’ NFL odds owe their fans an apology, I should apologize to you for not posting a playoff preview sooner. Since I may or may not be tired and/or hungry, I shall make these initial picks quick. But I’ll make it up to you later! Try these sportsbook diddies on for size.

Yankees over whoever they play in four: Justin Verlander or Scott Baker could steal a game from the Bronx Bombers depending on who wins the Play-In, but the Yanks will roll.

Red Sox over Angels in five: Should be tight but Beckett and Lester should give them an early edge in a short series.

Cardinals over Dodgers in four: The Dodgers don’t have the pitching to stay around long in the playoffs.

Phillies over Rockies in five: The Phillies stumbled into the playoffs but they’re the NL’s deepest team. I still like their World Series odds.

There you go, folks — four picks that will top any betting software out there. Until next time!

Yes, folks, Joe Mauer was…drumroll…TIPPING PITCHES.

Also known as stealing signs. Surely, we must burn him at the stake, as no human being in the history of the universe has ever attempted to boost his team’s MLB odds in this manner.

Gimme a break, folks.

Why is everyone so worked up about Joe Mauer stealing signs? Every team does it; the Toronto Blue Jays are pretty famous for it. It’s something that just…happens. But does it really have that much of an impact on the game? In the Mauer example, the catcher (Is it Laird or Inge in this case?) appears to “call an audible” and change his signs anyway. Whatever information Mauer relays to Jason Kubel isn’t perfect, as Kubel still struggles to handle Justin Verlander’s curveball.

The baseball cheating police — the Ken Starr baseball brigade, if you will — need a new hobby. How about making NFL predictions? Or…inventing a cool new sports betting system?

Sigh.

Here’s a guy we online sports betting fans haven’t discussed for a while: Ichiro. Probably because Seattle’s MLB playoff odds never come into play, he’s faded into obscurity for the past several years. Earlier this month when he got his 2,000th hit, however, I started wondering…if he retired today, would he warrant a spot in the Hall of Fame?

Let’s crunch some numbers. Here’s a guy who got to 2,000 faster than any player not named Al Simmons. He debuted at age 28 after already compiling 1,278 hits in Japan. There’s little doubt in my mind that he’ll hit 3,000 before he retires as long as he wants to keep playing baseball. he’s the type of ball player who is a true athlete, fit enough to play into his mid 40s if he wants to. He also has, of course, the single-season record for hits (272), a .333 average and at least 200 hits in all nine of his Major-League seasons. All that while playing gold-glove-caliber defense.

If only we could’ve included Ichiro in our MLB picks when he was a true rookie in his early 20s, he’d challenge Pete Rose for the all-time career hits lead.

Whatever happens, Ichiro…if you retired today, you’d get my vote for Cooperstown. Thankfully, betting software projects that you’ll reach the 3,000-hit benchmark and make the Hall, my man!

Time to eat some MLB betting crow.

For a while, I’ve been chirping the Los Angeles Dodgers. I rode them hard for not addressing their pitching woes several weeks ago but they’re making me look kind of dumb now. By picking at the veteran pitcher scrap heap like buzzards, the Dodgers have successfully patched up their rotation. Check out the numbers from these imports, who have been more surprising than the Denver win in NFL betting last week:

Vicente Padilla: 3-0, 2.01 ERA

Jon Garland: 2-0, 3.32 ERA

I would’ve been the first to write those two innings eaters off, but here they are pitching meaningful baseball in September for the Dodgers. They won’t win any World Series MVPs any time soon, but they can go deepish into games and will take the pressure of L.A.’s top three of Kershaw, Billingsley and Wolf.

I was wr-wr-wr-WRONG, OK? Sorry, L.A. I still don’t think you’ll beat the Phillies but you certainly have improved World Series odds, especially with Andre Ethier smacking walkoffs like Papi in his heyday.

Honorable mention to Brad Penny and John Smoltz for rising from the dead to help their new NL clubs, two. I’m betting management is getting way more than it expected out of those two Boston castoffs.

NFL week 1 odds are up and that’s a clear sign that October baseball is just around the corner. While the playoffs are an exciting thought, I took a look at the standings today, saw “Lost 8″ beside Tampa Bay in the “streak” column, and suddenly felt glum.

This season was supposedly about parity — namely, financial parity, as the Marlins, Blue Jays, Rangers, Rays, Twins, and Rockies all contended at one point or another this season.

If the MLB playoffs started today, however, we’d see six of the top nine payrolls in baseball make the playoffs: the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Tigers, Angels and Dodgers. While the Rockies and Cardinals show that lacking money is no excuse for not being competitive — sorry, Blue Jay fans — it’s still concerning to see so much big money at the top. If you’re online betting next season, wouldn’t you project the same result?

Baseball has flirted with parity and it’s sort of nice to see so many big, classic markets ready to duke it out for the World Series odds, but we can’t mistake what baseball has for parity. Parity is the Miami Dolphins going 1-15 in 2007 and 11-5 the next season. Parity is the Dallas Stars going from top Stanley Cup contender to missing the playoffs in one season. Parity is a salary cap, folks. Until we get one, baseball will be the one sport that doesn’t require betting software to predict.

See you in late October, Yankees.

The Broncos’ week 1 NFL odds, not to mention their entire season NFL odds, are a hilarious joke right now. But they were almost — almost – overshadowed by Mr. David Wright yesterday.

I love David Wright. If you (mom) are a loyal reader of this blog, you’ll know he’s my favorite player. I’m even sympathetic to his concussion as someone who has suffered many of them myself. But really — that helmet? You’re telling me Rawlings, in this era of HGH, Big Bertha Hawkeyes and hyperbaric chambers, couldn’t pack better head protection into normal-sized lid? Just ridiculous.

Well, I guess it’s appropriate. It’s a fitting symbol of how laughable the Mets have been as baseball picks this season. If their actual play doesn’t justify the price per head fans pay at Citi Field, why not try a novelty like Wright’s helmet?

NFL betting fans in the New York/New Jersey area were spoiled with the Giants in 2007…could it be the Yankees’ turn to become the toast of the Big Apple again?

Well, yeah — they’re 82-48, the best team in baseball by a wide margin, so I ain’t saying much there. But let me be more specific. It seems to me that the Yankees aren’t just making a literal comeback, but a spiritual comeback. People like them again. I even almost like…ugh…parts of them. Gross. Here are a few reasons why.

JOE GIRARDI IS COOL.

He’s young — young enough that you can probably still play as him in a relatively recent MLB video game (MVP Baseball 2004, maybe)  — and hit weak grounders.  He’s a player’s coach type and he’s media-friendly. The anti-Ozzie Guillen (though I guess Guilen isn’t unfriendly — just crass).

FUTURE HALL-OF-FAMERS

Derek Jeter is chasing down Lou Gehrig to become the Yankees’ all-time hits leader; Mo Rivera may retire as the greatest closer in major-league history. These guys are sources of the type of pride you usually only see in college football betting fans.

ROBINSON CANO

The guy has the sweetest swing in the American League, bar none.

THEY ACTUALLY LIKE EACH OTHER

These guys get along — they laugh, joke, pump each other up, smack each other’s butts, and so on. They even rallied around A-Rod at “The Press Conference.”

THE NEWBIES ARE HITS

I can’t remember a Yankee offseason when so many of their mercenary acquisitions paid off. Nick Swisher hits bombs and seems like the first guy any fan would pick to party with; A.J. Burnett has maintained his Toronto level of production; C.C. Sabathia is an ace; Mark Teixeira is uber-competitve and smashing homers like crazy.

More than just good baseball picks for bettors, the Yankees are back. I’m betting management from the less financially privileged teams can’t stand it, but dare I say it’s good for the sport?

I almost wrote about the NFL odds of a Lions Super Bowl being great as my header, but I figure the current one can still get your attention well enough. It’s not a joke; I’m legitimately wondering if Cliff Lee warrants consideration as a National League Cy Young candidate.

It may seem ludicrous to even consider Lee since he’s started just five games for the Phillies after coming over in a trade-deadline deal. But the award goes to the league’s best pitcher and, even his limited duty so far, he’s been the best pitcher in the NL. Check out these numbers; hopefully you’ve gone with the Phillies in your online betting of late:

- Five starts, Five wins (5-0)

- 40 innings pitched, three earned runs

- 0.68 ERA

- 0.75 WHIP

- One complete-game shutout

- One 11-strikout game

- Zero homers allowed

- 39 strikeouts

- six walks

.175 opponent’s average

I’m betting management in Philly likes the return it got on the deal so far? Uh, yeah. It sounds crazy, but Lee is singlehandedly helping the Phillies clinch the division. Just as C.C. Sabathia was crucial to Milwaukee’s success last season, Lee is having the same impact.

He won’t win the award — there would be an outrage — but I think voters should think outside the box with their baseball picks if Lee keeps up this amazing effort.

As exciting as the NFL betting action was over the weekend, something from the baseball universe really caught my attention: John Smoltz’s dominant start against the San Diego Padres.

After the Smoltz experiment failed miserably in Boston, the St. Louis Cardinals grabbed him off the scrap heap. In his first start back in the National League, he struck out nine guys over five scoreless innings. Not too shabby.

It really does make you wonder if the NL is really just an inferior league. Don’t you think, online betting fans?

Smoltz got rocked in the AL and the most interesting part about it is that he wasn’t even erratic. His walk rate was normal; the hitters were simply catching up to his stuff and hitting it hard. In the NL, you have a pitcher hitting in the DH spot and teams like the Nationals, Pirates and, yes, the Padres to bring down your ERA.

I don’t want to totally take anything way from Smoltz, but it was pretty interesting to see him mow down the Padres as easily as he did. I’m betting management in St. Louis knew Smoltz would give them a boost. After all, it’s the NL. I’m sure I could have a sub-4.00 ERA there.

I won’t be afraid to include St. Louis in my sports picks with Smoltz on the hill for the next little while.