SPORTS BETTING

• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. New York Yankees Game 1 7:55 ET

  Posted on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT by North Shore Sports, INC

  
  

  The American League Championship Series kicks off tonight from the Bronx, where two of the best money teams in baseball get it on for the right to go to the Fall Classic. The American League West champions, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (100-65, +$2,500) will look to unseat the American League East champions, the New York Yankees (106-59, +$1,478).
   
  The Yankees have been made -170 favorites on Friday night, while the over/under has been set at 8.5 over -115. Bookmaker.com will have all of the action covered in this critical Game 1 of the ALCS under the first pitch is thrown around 7:55 ET.
   
  The Halos advanced to this stage of the playoffs by bouncing the Boston Red Sox in a clean sweep last week. They proved that there isn't anything that they can't do in their quest for another World Series crown.
   
  The starting pitching only had one poor outing, when LHP Scott Kazmir gave up five runs in six frames at Fenway Park in Game 3. The bullpen stood toe-to-toe with a very deep set of Boston relievers. The bats hummed out an average of 5.33 runs per game. But when the marbles were really on the line, Anaheim pulled off its most impressive feat: scoring three runs off of a man that was virtually unhittable in his postseason career. The Angels clinched their birth in the ALCS when they got three runs on four hits and two walks against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.
   
  It should come as no surprise that the Halos aren't going to change a thing from the beginning of the Boston series. They're throwing RHP John Lackey tonight. Including the playoffs, Lackey is 12-8 with a 3.68 ERA in his 28 starts on the season. He pitched exceptionally well in Game 1 of the ALDS, throwing 7.1 scoreless innings and outdueling LHP Jon Lester in Anaheim's 5-0 victory.
   
  Finally, after years of paying the big bucks to the biggest names on the market, it appears as though this year's spending spree is paying off for the Yankees. In what amounted to be a fairly easy three-game sweep of the Twins in the ALDS, all of the biggest names in pinstripes came up big at some point in the series.
   
  LHP CC Sabathia, who will be making the start tonight against Lackey, pitched 6.2 innings of strong ball in Game 1, allowing just one earned run while striking out eight. His fellow starter, RHP AJ Burnett, who also signed a huge offseason contract with the Yanks, was nearly as unhittable in Game 2, as he only allowed one earned run in six innings of work. That same game, 1B Mark Teixeira blasted his first career walk-off homer in extra innings.
   
  However, even though all of the new names made their mark, Yankees bettors wouldn't have done nearly as well in the ALDS without the left side of their infield. SS Derek Jeter batted .400 for the series and played exceptional defense, while 3B Alex Rodriguez exorcized the demons of postseasons past by hitting .455 with two homers and six ribbies against the Twins.
   
  The MLB betting playoffs only happen once a year, so sign in to your Bookmaker Sportsbook account right now and start cashing in!