The cry of "Play ball" won't be heard around MLB ballparks for a while but Major League Baseball betting enthusiasts need not wait until opening day, April 4, to get some action on the upcoming season.

Most sportsbooks already have numerous future book and wagering propositions available to their clientele, including one on the ultimate prize, which team will win the 2010 World Series. Not surprisingly, the defending champion Yankees are the favorite in that category at odds of 7/2 and the team they beat in the World Series, the Phillies, are the second choice at odds of 6/1. The Red Sox, who picked up former Angel John Lackey in the off-season to solidify the best starting rotation in baseball, are close behind at odds of 7/1.

It's double digits on every other team with the Cardinals, Dodgers, Angels and Rockies all around 15/1 with escalating prices after that. If you turn World Series futures upside down you'll see the Nationals and Pirates as high as 250/1 each and the Orioles, Blue Jays, Padres, Royals, Astros and Indians all offered at odds of 100/1 or more.

New York, Philadelphia and Boston are judged so superior to other teams in MLB that there are props involving all three against the field. For example, you can take 7/2 that the Yankees win the World Series or opt for 1/5 that any of the other 29 teams in the League wins the October classic. You lay 4/9 that either the Yanks or Phillies win it all or take 2/1 that one of MLB's other 28 teams accomplishes the task. Finally, you get odds of 2/1 that either the Yankees or Red Sox win the World Series or lay 2/5 that it's a different team.

In addition to World Series futures, sportsbooks also are offering odds on each pennant and the League's six divisions. The Yankees and Red Sox dominate the American League pennant future book race at respective odds of 3/2 and 7/2 while the Phillies are a 3/1 favorite to win the National League flag ahead of St. Louis (11/2), Los Angeles (13/2) and Colorado (8/1).

As for division future books, it's New York (11/13) and Boston (9/4) vying for top honors in the American League East. Minnesota (7/5) is in a tight race with Chicago (12/5) and Detroit (9/2) in the AL Central Division while Los Angeles (9/5) holds the future book betting edge over Texas (5/2), Seattle (3/1) and Oakland (8/1) in the competitive AL West Division.

At odds of 1/2, Philadelphia is expected to dominate the NL East, with Atlanta (4/1) and New York (6/1) hoping to spring an upset. St. Louis (4/7) is being chased by Chicago (7/2), Cincinnati (7/1) and Milwaukee (9/1) in the NL Central while four teams, LA (2/1), Colorado (5/2), San Francisco (4/1) and Arizona (5/1) seemingly have a legitimate chance in the contentious NL West Division.

No sport is as steeped in numbers as baseball, and sportsbooks have taken advantage of this penchant for record-keeping by offering a series of betting propositions based on statistical achievement.

In fact, there are over/under totals for nearly every category. For instance, lay -115 (bet $115 to win $100) either way that Major League Baseball's home run king hits more or fewer than 46 1/2 round trippers this season. The total for most base hits is 220 1/2 but you have to lay -135 on the under or take +105 (bet $100 to win $105) on the over. Lay -175 that no one will hit over .355 or take +135 that someone will.

You also can lay -115 either way on any team losing more than 101 1/2 games or get the same odds on the strikeout leader notching over or under 258 1/2 whiffs. It's also -115 either way that a pitcher loses over 16 1/2 games but you'll have lay -125 on a pitcher winning more than 20 1/2 games (or take -105) the other way. There are similar total bets offered on steals (64 1/2), RBI (144 1/2) and saves 47 1/2). Pick your poison.

The start of Major League Baseball may still be a bit in the distance but Major League Baseball betting already is underway.

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