Hilton odds favor Boston; wagerers get behind Cubs
Once the baseball media moves past the tales of Alex Rodriguez, Madonna and Josh Hamilton -- if that ever happens -- the focus should shift to the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs and Los Angeles Angels share baseball's best record (57-38) at the All-Star break. But neither team is favored to win the World Series, at least according to odds at the Las Vegas Hilton.
The Boston Red Sox are 5-2 favorites to repeat as champions.
Still, Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said his book has written more tickets on the Cubs to win the World Series than on the Red Sox, Angels and New York Yankees combined.
"There's a lot of money on the Cubs that is bet more from the heart than from the head," Kornegay said.
The Cubs annually draw a lot of interest on the futures board, mostly for sentimental reasons. This season, however, they were considered contenders from the outset, so Las Vegas books will not get crushed if the Cubs overcome history to win it all.
The Cubs' odds are 4-1 at the Hilton, which offers about the fairest price available. Most books are posting odds of 2-1 or 5-2 on the Cubs.
"I still think there are at least three teams -- the Phillies, Mets and Brewers -- that could easily knock out the Cubs," Kornegay said.
Philadelphia and the New York Mets are both at 12-1 odds. Milwaukee, which traded for left-handed ace CC Sabathia, is at 15-1.
The Cubs improved their chances of winning the National League by trading with Oakland for right-hander Rich Harden last week.
In the American League, there appears to be some value with the Angels (6-1) and Yankees (15-1). Tampa Bay is down to 8-1 odds, after the Hilton took wagers on the Rays at 200-1 before the season.
The AL is a minus-145 favorite, and the total is 10, in today's All-Star Game at New York.
The Hilton has posted 18 proposition bets on the game, including:
• Will the Texas Rangers' Hamilton strike out at least once? (No minus-200; Yes plus-170).
• Will the Yankees' Rodriguez hit a home run? (No minus-600; Yes plus-400).
• Total home runs by both teams: 21/2 (Over minus-150).
