Fans in Washington have been desperate for a winner for years, and after watching a couple of online sports betting teams with a ton of potential fall short again in the Redskins and Capitals respectively in their previous seasons, there is some optimism that can be taken from the Nationals’ recent run. Wednesday night was the perfect example with a 36-year old Livan Hernandez bouncing back for the complete-game shutout, something that nobody could have projected against a Cardinals’ team that has really struggled in recent weeks. Hernandez got the job done though and it is symbolic of a pitching staff that has been very good so far this season. Washington ranks in the top-10 in terms of both ERA and WHIP, with Jason Marquis leading the way at 7-2 so far in 2011. The addition of Strasburg and another potential free agent arm could elevate this unit from good to great, and it will be interesting to see how management handles that side of the ball going forward.

The biggest problem so far this season has been on offense, where a lack of run support has really cost the Nationals. The addition of Michael Morse has been a real bright spot as he has now homered five times in his past 10 games, and his average is .312 on the season. Free agent addition Jayson Werth hasn’t panned out the way MLB betting fans had hoped that it would, but there is still time for him to turn things around. With Ryan Zimmerman and Laynce Nix hitting for average there is room for both to see more playing time, although it is unlikely that they will want to give up on their starters just yet. As is the case with the addition of Strasburg to their pitching staff, the Nationals are waiting on young phenom Bryce Harper to make his impact at the highest level, and it will be interesting to see if they call on him as soon as next season with the news that he is ready to contribute.

Washington has made the MLB news for the moves it has made to establish it self as a contender over the years, but it is now about focusing on the future and how soon it may arrive. The Nationals have shown they have a ton of potential, and now it is about putting together the pieces and living up to those expectations in the next couple of seasons.

Not that Johnson was ever really out of contention from the No. 2 spot, but with the current points system awarding a point for every position at the end of the race it would be difficult for the defending champion to close a gap of more than 40 points. Edwards had finished in the top-10, ten times heading into this past Sunday’s race at the Pocono Raceway, and it seemed unlikely that he would falter given how focused and determined he was. That is what five years of coming up just short will do to a driver. In fact, that is what it will do to an entire field that just wants to see someone knock off the five-time winner. But last week something special happened once again for HMS, as Johnson managed to clinch another top-five finish by climbing all the way from 14^th to start and making his move to the front of the pack. The No. 48 car even led a lap at Pocono, which added a bonus point to the 41 that he was awarded for finishing in fourth. Even more importantly, Edwards finished the race in 37^th after opening it in sixth, his worst outcome of the racing season. Considering that the No. 99 car had finished in eight of its past nine starts it was a huge surprise to see Edwards falter at Pocono, but the fact that he picked up just seven points helped Johnson close the gap to just six in a WWE style battle.

All eyes will be on the top two drivers heading into this weekend’s race at the Michigan International Speedway, with Johnson earning the chance to close the gap and re-take top spot while Edwards battles to hold on after his worst run of the season. There is also the fact that fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also within 10 points of closing the gap and pulling into first place, something that will have fans excited about what could happen at this weekend’s race to take some attention off of the MLB betting.

The Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees could both use a hug after their last stretch of games. While the 2011 Belmont Stakes betting was going on, the Yankees got knocked out of first place in the AL East by the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox seem to have the Yankees’ number in the new Yankee Stadium, and there does not seem to be much the Yankees can do about it. The sports betting bonus for the Yankees in this home series is that it is not the Boston Red Sox they are facing.

The Cleveland Indians looked to be running away with the AL Central pennant, even at the very early stages of the season. But a downward spiral that has seen the Indians lose seven of their last 10 games has diminished the Cleveland lead to just one and half games over the Detroit Tigers. The recent MLB scores have been bad news for the Indians as they were swept in a four-game series by the Texas Rangers and then lost two out of three to the Minnesota Twins to start the month of June. The Yankees have had a rough stretch the past couple of weeks, but it is nothing like the beating the Cleveland Indians have taken.

New York Yankees

Every pitching plan the Yankees had for the Boston Red Sox went horribly wrong for New York. A.J. Burnett, who was brought to New York from Toronto specifically because of his success against the Red Sox, was hammered for eight runs in the game he pitched in the recent series against the Red Sox. Nothing the Yankees did seemed to work against Boston, but it should be successful against the Indians.

The Yankees will put Ivan Nova on the mound to start this opening game of the series. Nova has a 4-4 record and a 4.50 ERA. Nova has been struggling and he may want to take advantage of the chance to pitch against a weakened Cleveland team. Nova has a reputation for giving up a lot of hits and a lot of runs, but that may not matter against a Cleveland team that cannot seem to make contact with the ball.

Cleveland Indians

To make matters worse for the Indians, Fausto Carmona will take the hill to start this game. Carmona has a 3-7 record and a 5.33 ERA. Carmona’s performance this season is every bit as bad as his record indicates, especially on the road where he is 1-4 this season. Put Carmona out in front of an Indians’ batting order that is having problems hitting the ball and you have a long night for Cleveland Indians fans.

The Bottom Line

The Yankees seem to have no problem against any team in MLB that is not the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees will have to find a way to exorcise those Red Sox demons when the playoffs arrive. But, for now, the Yankees can get back on track by beating up a Cleveland team that is finally playing down to expectations.

Pick: New York Yankees

Edwards has to be considered among the favorites to win this weekend’s race, especially considering how this track demands that its drivers have the patience and confidence to not become overaggressive. The No. 99 car has been consistent since the end of last season, and his record at Pocono speaks for itself with six top-10 finishes in 12 career starts even despite the fact that he has started a race in the top-10 at this track only twice before in his sports betting bonus career.

The biggest challenge for Edwards will come in the form of Denny Hamlin, who has dominated Pocono to this point in his career. Hamlin won here a year ago, and has won four times on this track in ten career starts, including stealing both races here in his rookie season. The No. 11 car has finished in the top-10 in eight of those ten starts, and he should be in good position to finish high again here and begin to turn around what has been a tough start to the season.

The driver with perhaps the most pressure on him is Johnson, who finds himself in a formidable hole despite the fact that it is still early in the sports betting season. The defending champion will face the biggest test to his run of championships already 40 points back of Edwards and with the current leader showing little sign of weakness, and there may not be a better track for him to make some ground than Pocono, where he has placed in the top-10 in 12 of 18 starts, including six of his last seven. While Johnson will need to run with a sense of urgency, fans will be cheering for his teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. once again. Earnhardt Jr. is just a point behind Johnson for second place in the standings after nearly ending his winless streak once again last week, and with 103 straight races without a trip to victory lane Dale will press to end that streak of futility. It will be difficult to make ground on Edwards until he falters, but with names like Hamlin, Johnson, and Earnhardt Jr. on his tail it could spell trouble for the current points leader.

At this point Animal Kingdom has to be considered the best in horse racing so far this season even despite losing out in the Preakness Stakes. The Kentucky Derby winner emerged out of nowhere to win at Churchill Downs, and followed that up with an impressive performance down the stretch at Pimlico race track by closing with a late rally through the final turn to nearly squeeze out another improbable win down the stretch before just falling short. Animal Kingdom is the best suited for the long distance, and has looked good all season, which makes it an obvious online sports betting favorite to win it all.

But Animal Kingdom isn’t alone at the top in terms of the betting odds for the race ahead of the post-position draw, with Shackleford and Nehro also listed at 3-1 this pay per head week. The jury is out on Shackleford after it barely edged out Animal Kingdom in the Preakness, and it will be interesting to see how it fares in the final leg. The probable better choice to upset Animal Kingdom is Nehro, which ran second at the Kentucky Derby and has had over a month off to rest and prepare after its owners made the decision to hold it out of the Preakness. The fresh legs should help at the longest length of the three Triple Crown races, and that should make Nehro a lock to at least show.

Lost in the mix among the favorites is another solid sports betting bonus choice that deserves to be considered to show in Mucho Macho Man. Although it didn’t run well in the Preakness Mucho Macho Man did finish third at the Kentucky Derby and the long distance suits it. A tough run could have been an aberration, and there is no reason to think that it can’t show.

There isn’t much strength in the remainder of the field, especially after Stay Thirsty finished 12^th at the Preakness, leaving things wide open at the top. Animal Kingdom has to be the favorite to take the Belmont, and after Shackleford barely held on at the Preakness, Nehro might have the fresher legs to finish second. Mucho Macho Man is the best horse that nobody is talking about, and it may be strong enough to edge out Shackleford for third.

That is the highest Earnhardt Jr. has been ahead of the Belmont Stakes betting race over the past couple of years, and with the chance for a berth in the Chase still a very realistic possibility he and crew chief Steve LeTarte aren’t taking anything for granted. The No. 88 car has been an also-ran and a letdown to fans over the past couple of years, but after a strong start the team now feels that there is someone to ride alongside five-time defending SCS champion Jimmie Johnson at the front of the NASCAR pack this season. That is something that Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Mark Martin haven’t been able to do over the past couple of years, but with both challenging for a spot in top 12 in 2011 Hendrick Motor Sports has plenty of reason for sports betting bonus optimism.

The only problem that could begin to weigh in on the minds of drivers such as Johnson is the fact that there is no a 36-point gap between he and leader Carl Edwards after the No. 48 car finished 28^th at Charlotte. Not that Edwards finished much better by crossing the line 16^th at Charlotte, but under the new points system that represents a critical 12-point difference in points lost out between them. It is projected that it will be harder tha never to catch up to the SCS leader when the Chase gets going under the new points system, and that is one more pay per head reason why Johnson and his team will need to find a way to get going at Kansas this weekend. It was Kurt Busch that won here at Kansas a year ago, and it will be interesting to see if the HMS stable can get the job done in 2011.

Betting Online Overview

The 2011 season is not starting off like the 2010 season did for either the Cincinnati Reds or the Atlanta Braves. When the online Belmont betting started up last year, both teams were fighting for first place in their respective divisions. This year’s horse betting schedule shows the two teams in the hunt but still out of the top of their divisions. But there is no need to panic for either team, and neither team is playing with any elevated sense of urgency. It is early in the season, and the general consensus in Cincinnati and Atlanta last season is that both teams peaked too early and then faded away. This year, slow and steady could win the race.

For the Braves, the task is much more difficult. Atlanta is chasing the powerful Philadelphia Phillies and the surprising Florida Marlins in the NL East. But the relief for Atlanta is that they do not have to worry about the Mets or Nationals sneaking up on them in the standings from below. The Reds are involved in one of the more interesting divisions in all of baseball. It was supposed to be a two-horse race in the NL Central between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. But the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates decided to crash the party, and now every win is critical to both the Reds and the Braves.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds are continuing to tinker with their starting pitching rotation, and that gives Mike Leake another shot at a start in this game. Leake is 3-2 this season in the majors with a 5.70 ERA. He is 0-2 in his last three starts and has not looked impressive coming out of the bullpen either. But manager Dusty Baker loves to give minor league projects a chance. Some experts have said that Baker’s penchant for using minor league players is what cost him his job in Chicago. Either way, the Reds have been not getting much help from their pitching lately. Cincinnati pitching gave up a total of 22 runs in two games earlier this week in a games against the Indians and Phillies. The Reds really need to get their pitching up to speed, and trying out minor leaguers may not be the way to do it.

Atlanta Braves

Tommy Hanson takes the mound for the Braves, and he has been having an impressive season. In a total of 10 starts this season, Hanson has only given up five home runs. He has a 5-3 record this year with a 2.72 ERA. He is 4-0 in his last six starts and has had mostly one and two-run games with the exception of a four-run outing he allowed in his last start against the Los Angeles Angels. Hanson is all about control, and the Braves have been able to put offense in front of him. He has only lasted into the seventh inning four times this season, so he does rely on middle and short relief from the bullpen a lot. But the Braves have been able to hang on to his games for him, and Hanson usually leaves a game with Atlanta in a position to win.

The Bottom Line

The Reds just cannot seem to find an answer on the mound. They keep cycling the same players from the bullpen to the starting rotation, and it is starting to have an effect on the way the team plays. Dusty Baker needs to settle on a starting rotation or this could be a long season for the Reds.

Pick: Atlanta Braves

That is where Johnson ranks after placing ninth in the last SCS race back at Dover, a tough result considering that he opened the race on the pole position. Johnson hasn’t finished in the top-five since clinching his first victory of the season at Talladega over a month ago, and if he can’t find his way up there over the next couple of weeks his title chances could disappear in a hurry. Unlike under the old points system every spot represents a point in the standings, and with Edwards driving as consistently as he has all year Johnson will need to drive with a greater pay per head sense of urgency.

The same can’t be said about Kyle Busch, which ranks third in the points standings, although he has some problems of his own heading into this weekend. After placing second in the All Star race, Busch was booked for driving nearly three times the legal speed limit in a North Carolina area earlier this week, and was charged with careless and wreckless driving in addition to speeding. Busch was pulled over after going 128 mph in a 45-mph zone, and after admitting to getting carried away behind a new sports car he will need to get his sports betting bonus focus back on track as he returns to the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. is reportedly on the verge of signing a new multi-year contract with Hendrick Motor Sports, but after helping his teammate Johnson win at Talladega it may be time to start thinking about his self. Earnhardt Jr. has finished outside of the top-10 in each of his last four SCS races before finishing sixth at the All Star race, and will need to rebound in a hurry before falling any further behind. The same can be said about Kevin Harvick only two points back of Earnhardt Jr., who finished 10^th at Dover after consecutive weeks on the outside looking in. There is still plenty of time ahead of the 2011 Belmont Stakes betting race, but with the current points system the drivers in the top-five will need to avoid losing any ground. Edwards has looked like a champion all season long, and now it is on the rest of the field to step up and put some pressure on him.

Animal Kingdom is one of two horses that will enter the race with the momentum of a pay per head win behind them, with a hometown favorite the second. Concealed Identity has worked out in Maryland for its entire career, and is coming off of an impressive win earlier this year. The only real obstacle that now stands in its way is the fact that it will be working out of the No. 13 post-position, and on the outside it could make things difficult. At the least, Concealed Identity will benefit from not having to start on the inside rail, where both Astrology and Norman Asbjornson will have a tough time if they can’t get a solid break. Animal Kingdom will benefit from opening in the No. 11 spot, but there are a couple of key contenders that also drew solid post-position.

Two spots to the inside will be the horse that many are considering will be the biggest challenge for Animal Kingdom in Mucho Macho Man, which finished third at the Kentucky Derby just behind Nehro. Mucho Macho Man is listed at 6-1 odds, and the consistency that the horse has shown over the past few weeks leading up the 2011 Preakness Stakes betting race lends every reason for optimism. Another horse to keep an eye on will be Dialed In, which will look to rebound from a devastating eighth place finish at a Kentucky race in which it was the favorite. Some feel as though Dialed In shouldn’t have been entered into this race after its collapse, but it could have been an aberration.

None of what happened in Wednesday’s draw will do anything to change the fact that Animal Kingdom remains and should remain the sports betting bonus favorite to win this upcoming race. No horse has completed the Triple Crown sweep since Affirmed did it in 1978, but several horses have completed the first two legs at the top and that will happen again in 2011 with Animal Kingdom joining the ranks.

The No. 99 car seems like the obvious online sports betting choice to finish ahead of Johnson this year, not only because of his current No. 1 ranking but because of the way that he has climbed up to that spot. Edwards has been in all of the 11 races he has started, finishing in the top-10 nine times. Although on paper his 24 points lead doesn’t seem to be that insurmountable, under a new points system that rewards a single point for every spot on the list that gap may be bigger than it looks on paper. Edwards finished last year stronger than any other driver including Johnson, and has followed that up with an incredible start to 2011.

Tailgating Johnson from third spot is Busch, who has shown the talent and intelligence to be a champion over the past couple of years but has failed to put it all together with enough consistency to actually win big. The M&M’s car has already won two races and is right there should the defending champion slip, but there may need to be a greater emphasis on not running every single Nationwide race in order to put more focus on the pay per head chase.

Both Edwards and Busch have proven that they have what it takes to push Johnson for a title, but now it comes down to the sports betting bonus consistencies of getting the job done on a weekly basis. Johnson has shown vulnerability in the past years but has always managed to escape because the top contenders have failed when it mattered most. The new points system and a more determined effort from the top drivers have made things different in 2011, and that should make things interesting as the NASCAR season progresses even closer to this year’s Chase.