Baseball betting players love a good rivalry, and there is no shortage of them in the majors, starting in the American League East, where a pair of perennial sportsbook favorites will always draw a crowd.

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

Even the casual fan knows of the bitter Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. The Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees back in 1920, and the Boston faithful didn’t see a World Series win until 2004. The Yankees won 26 World Series during that time. Last year, Tampa Bay won the AL East, and Toronto is off to a good start this season, but baseball betting players know that the road in the East goes through Boston or New York.

Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals

These two are the frontrunners in the National League Central, and their proximity to each other is also a major factor. They’ve combined to win (at least a share) the last nine division titles. The rivalry took on a different persona in 1998, when St. Louis’ Mark McGwire and Chicago’s Sammy Sosa dueled it out for the home-run title. McGwire finished with 70 homers and the Cardinals went to the playoffs, while Sosa had 66 dingers and won the MVP award.

New York Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies

This has taken over for the Mets-Braves rivalry in the National League East, as the Phillies have replaced the Braves and won the World Series last year. There have been some verbal salvos fired, mostly by Philadelphia’s Jimmie Rollins, who has taken great delight in the Mets’ recent late-season collapses. As the baseball betting favorites in the NL East once again, expect 2008 to add another exciting chapter to this rivalry.

New York Yankees vs New York Mets

The Yankees are the biggest show in the Big Apple, which leaves the Mets feeling neglected, but that’s what happens when your crosstown rivals have won 26 World Series, and you’ve won two. The two took the “Subway Series” to the World Series in 2000, in which the Yankees won 4-1. Both have great MLB odds to reach the World Series this year, and if it happens, New York would almost implode.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants

This is actually the longest-running rivalry in the majors, and it started on the other side of the country when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn and the Giants played in Manhattan. It began in 1883, and in that time, the two have never met in the playoffs. The Dodgers are the sportsbook favorites to take the National League West this season, but the Giants have one of the best rotations in all of baseball, so their meetings will be a great test for baseball betting players.