Preseason action is underway, which means it’s time for online betting players to start thinking about their MLB odds. An intriguing option among MLB odds are the Cy Young props, and this year’s American League winner should emerge from the powerful East division.

C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees

The AL winner in 2007, Sabathia left Cleveland for Milwaukee in July 2008, where he went 11-2 with a microscopic 1.65 ERA and seven complete games to carry the Brewers to the playoffs. Sure enough, the Yankees made Sabathia the highest-paid pitcher of all time, and now he’s the ace of a retooled staff designed to win the World Series. The only worry that sportsbook players should have about Sabathia is whether or not all of his work over the last couple of seasons have worn him down as he led the majors in total innings, but his large frame appears to be handling the workload just fine. Look for him to be a favorite all season long.

Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays

“Doc” racked his second 20-win season in 2008 with a 20-11 mark, and he’d probably have at least two to three more if the anemic Toronto offense had done their job. Halladay led the AL in innings last year, including nine complete games, while finishing third in both strikeouts and ERA. The 2003 Cy young winner finished second to Cleveland’s Cliff Lee in last year’s voting, and he’ll get every opportunity to win another trophy as the Blue Jays will depend heavily on the 31-year-old. Halladay will be a strong Cy Young candidate in this year’s MLB odds.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox

“Dice-K” led the league in walks and didn’t throw a single complete-game all season, but he was still an outstanding 18-3 and was second in the AL in ERA at 2.90. People have to remember that this is only Matsuzaka’s third full year in the majors, so he should be full adjusted to MLB hitters. Matsuzaka has looked phenomenal in the World Baseball Classic so far for Japan, but one has to wonder if this will affect him later in the season as the Red Sox will surely be playing for a postseason spot. Still, don’t shy away from “Dice-K” in this year’s MLB odds.

Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians

By default, Lee will be among the top sportsbook favorites this year as he is the defending Cy Young winner, and he’ll be under pressure to replicate his 2008 success. Lee was a sterling 22-3 and led the AL in ERA at 2.54, and he’ll need to be just as good for the Indians if Fausto Carmona has the problems he did in 2007. Lee also needs to show he can follow up a good season: in 2005, he was 18-5, then fell to 14-11 the following year before spiraling to the minors in 2007.

Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox

Lester could be an excellent value pick for online betting players, but he did just sign a big contract, which is always a worrying point. The 25-year-old southpaw was well-deserving of his raise, going 16-6 and finishing fourth in the league with a 3.21 ERA. He’s also seemed to take over for Josh Beckett on the Boston staff as the big-game pitcher, and he owned the East last year, going 9-2 against the Red Sox’s division rivals. Lester could be a solid darkhorse in this year’s MLB odds for the American Cy Young.