Bodog Beat

The 2009 MLB season is sure to be one of the most interesting we've had in a while. (AP Images)

Sharp handicappers already know that baseball is the most profitable of the major American sports, but you need to have your attention engaged in order to get the most from your research. That shouldn't be a problem this year.

The golden rule of handicapping a baseball game is to make the two starting pitchers the primary focus. These are the two men whose performances have the largest impact on the final score. The New York Yankees figured that out and signed aces CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett; they combined for 13.75 units of profit in 2008 after Sabathia was traded from Cleveland to Milwaukee.

A savvy value-based betting approach will also pay extra attention to relief pitching and defense – two important areas in which the betting public has relatively little interest.

Betting on MLB Baseball? Head over to Bodog's online sportsbook.