NL East Betting Preview: Braves, Mets, Phillies All In Contention

This spring, analysts took turns gawking over the Philadelphia Phillies. The team picked up Roy Halladay in the off season in a move that was intended to further distance themselves from the rest of the National League East.

With almost three months of the season complete, however, it is the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets that find themselves in the top two spots in the division. Philadelphia is third, 3.5 games behind the Braves and three games behind the Mets.

The Phillies have failed to find any type of consistency, and surprisingly, it has been their offense that has been struggling the most. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have not performed at their expected All-Star level, and Jimmy Rollins has been in and out of the lineup due to injury.

Atlanta, meanwhile, has climbed to the top on the strength of their pitching staff and some timely hitting from veterans such as Troy Glaus and Eric Hinske. Martin Prado is having an All-Star caliber season at second base for the Braves, and Billy Wagner has been almost unhittable in the ninth inning.

The Mets are perhaps the biggest surprise of the division so far this year. New York had collapsed in two straight September's before last season, when injuries kept them near the bottom of the standings all year. This season, not much was expected of the Mets.

The Mets have been led by a pitching staff that appeared more suited for Triple A then the major leagues. Jonathan Niese and R.A. Dickey have been strong, and Mike Pelfrey has quietly become an equal to Johan Santana at the top of the rotation.

With three months still remaining, anything can happen in a division where the top three teams are separated by less than four games. All three teams are expected to make moves before the trade deadline, and those moves may be the difference between the winner and the other two teams at the end.

June 24, 2010
Posted By Vincent Tapoglia III
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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