If you bet on MLB odds, you've likely never seen the likes of Stephen Strasburg's debut, after which many are anointing him the favorite to win the Cy Young. While it may be too early for that kind of talk just yet, Strasburg was worth the hype and more against Pittsburgh, and now it's Cleveland's turn to see what all the fuss is about.

Strasburg lit up the Pirates over seven electrifying innings in a 4-2 win on Tuesday at home, striking out 14 to set a franchise record, and it was just one behind the record for most strikeouts in a debut. Strasburg threw 94 pitches, didn't walk a single batter, and 36 of his pitches were 98 mph or above, touching 101 on a couple of occasions. He also struck out seven straight batters to conclude his debut, earning a curtain call, his first major-league win, and a whole bunch of shaving cream in the face, courtesy of his new teammates. His only mistake: giving up a two-run homer to Delwyn Young in the fourth inning, but he locked it down after that.

Now, Strasburg will face Cleveland on the road on Sunday, and the Indians aren't much better than Pittsburgh. The Indians are in last place in the American League Central, and they're 11^th in batting average, 12^th in runs, and 13^th in homers. It's good to build up Strasburg's confidence and give him some easier teams to start it off, and he shouldn't have much problem with the Indians, even on the road. Look for Washington to be a rare road online betting favorite on Sunday.

Over the weekend MLB betting fans were treated to a piece of history. Philadelphia Phillies staff ace Roy Halladay, furthered his point for why he should be known as the greatest pitcher of our time, as Halladay, became just the 20 ^th pitcher in MLB history to record a perfect game. Long time Halladay fans frequently betting on his games, might remember that Halladay almost made history 12 years ago as a rookie with the northbet pick Blue Jays, as in a game against the Detroit Tigers Halladay flirted with perfection. In that game Halladay was an inning away from perfection, when one of the Tigers hitters connected on a solo home run.

Throughout his career, Halladay had been known as a workhorse, as he has led the league in most complete games for the last decade. Further Halladay has one CY Young honour and has been a runner-up many times. However the two honors which had eluded Halladay for the majority of his career were a perfect game and a World Series ring. With the perfect game out of the way, and now playing on a stacked Phillies team, it is only a matter of time before Halladay accomplishes the latter feat. Many believe that if Halladay had perhaps been less loyal to the Blue Jays organization and gone to a better team earlier, he would have already won a World Series.

Regardless of whether he wins a World Series ring or not, Blue Jays fans and now the rest of the league, can all agree that Halladay will go into the hall of fame as perhaps the best pitcher of the modern era. The only question is will he go into the hall of fame as a Toronto Blue Jay or a Philadelphia Philly?

With hockey, basketball, and golf all going on, there is plenty of opportunity to bet on sports. What's more, 2010 World Cup betting as the globe's biggest sporting event nears. Baseball too is in full swing, however in a long season it is important to keep track of the ups and downs in the league.

One of the hottest teams in the majors right now is the Los Angeles Dodgers. They have won eight straight, including a series swept over division rival San Diego. They have moved up the standings are now are only two games back in the West, trailing the Padres and the San Francisco Giants. The recent streak has been built on great team pitching; they have allowed only six runs in their past four games, ad no more than three in any of the games in their eight victories.

However, despite their recent successes, the Dodgers suffered a big blow over the weekend. They have lost their best player to injury, as Andre Ethier fractured his pinky finger during batting practice on Saturday. He will be out for an unknown amount of time as the team decides whether to place him on the 15-day DL.

Ethier is far and away their best hitter of the season, and irreplaceable in the middle of the lineup. He leads the NL in batting average and RBIs, and has hit 11 home runs, tying him for the league lead. If they are to continue their winning ways, Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and James Loney will have to step up at the plate. Ramirez in fact may be the key, with his carefree attitude and ability to summon power out of nowhere and remain unaffected by his surroundings.

The NL West is incredibly tight, with Colorado in fourth place only two games back of the Dodgers. The schedule does not get any easier for the Dodgers while Ethier is out: the Padres, Tigers, Cubs, and Rockies are on the slate in the next 10 days.

MLB betting players thought that John Lackey would affect Boston's pitching staff in a positive way, but he's still getting used to his surroundings. Lackey will go up against his former teammates, the Los Angeles Angels, on Wednesday.

Angels vs Red Sox odds - Wednesday, May 5, 7:10 PM ET

Joel Pineiro (2-3, 5.76) has lost his last two starts, allowing 16 runs on 21 hits in 9.1 innings of work, and Detroit nailed him for three homers in his previous outing. He's 3-5 with a 6.24 ERA in his 10 career starts against the Red Sox, but he is familiar with Fenway Park as he spent part of 2007 with the Red Sox. It isn't all positive though, as the 31-year-old righty is 1-3 in 20 appearances (five starts, but not with Boston) with a 5.36 ERA.

Lackey (2-1, 4.50) threw a season-high 120 pitches in a no-decision in Baltimore, but he still doesn't have his stuff working 100%. So far, he's 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA in three starts this year, and Lackey has never fared well at Fenway Park, which the Red Sox must have known before they signed him.

The Red Sox should be favored in this game, and they won the first of this four-game set by a score of 17-8 on Monday. This won't be as high-scoring, but neither pitcher has inspired confidence this year after switching teams, so hitters should have a good night. It'll be interesting to see how Lackey handles his former teammates, and Boston gets the online betting edge in this contest due to his knowledge of the Angels' lineup.