Via Beerleaguer, an odds update:
- A Phillies and Yankees rematch was the call of Las Vegas oddsmakers at the start of the season. Since then, the Phils have taken over as favorites. Swayed by the power of the Big Three, oddsmakers for Bodog.com have the Phillies as 5/2 favorites to bring home the bacon, with the Yanks running runner-up at a 3/1, just ahead of the Rays.
The Phillies have two things going for them:
One, they have exactly zero serious questions heading into the big tournament. What's more, most of their answers are either good or excellent. Lately, even Raul Ibanez has been earning his keep. Among all the playoff teams, only the Phillies have no real weakness.
And two, they've got the easiest path to the World Series. The Yankees and the Rays might eventually have to contend with each other, and one of them will certainly have to face the Twins. I believe that all three of those clubs are roughly as good as the Phillies (or very close). But that won't do any of them a lick of good unless they actually meet the Phillies.
If that happens, we can reevaluate. Right now, if you have to choose one team to win the World Series, the Phillies are the easy and obvious choice.