The Detroit Tigers are up 2-0 on the New York Yankees following two victories in the Bronx over the weekend. Their series will now shift to Detroit for games three and four with game five, if needed, also coming from Comerica Park. Both the Tigers' lead in the series and the fact that Detroit's wins in the ALCS have come on the road have prompted sportsbooks to shorten the odds on the Tigers in the futures markets for the 2012 postseason.
Currently Ladbrokes has the Tigers at -600 (1/6) to beat the Yanks in the ALCS, odds that might be too short for most bettors to bother touching. The Tigers, heading home for at least a couple, went 50-31 from home on the regular season and they also won games one and two of their divisional series against Oakland in Detroit. With Derek Jeter and all of his experience out of the lineup for the rest of the year, the Yankees look like a write-off for further success and Betfair now have them priced as longshots at +840 (42/5) to win the Fall Classic.
The same sportsbook has priced the Tigers at +110 (11/10) to win the 2012 World Series. However Detroit backers should be aware that the winning team out of the National League will probably be considered the favorite following the conclusion of the 2012 NLCS. Right now Detroit's status as favorite to win it all is partly reflective of the fact that they look so strong to make the Fall Classic with such a commanding lead in the ALCS. Conversely, you can't really put much between San Francisco and St. Louis at the moment since the NLCS is still young. But whoever claims the NL will not only have home field advantage in the 2012 World Series but that team will also have the confidence of experience on their side.
The Cardinals are the defending World Series champions while the Giants won their most recent title in 2010. Both teams have key players in their lineups from those World Series titles although only San Francisco have the same manager in place. Detroit has a manager that has also won a World Series in Jim Leyland (1997) but as a franchise the Tigers have not claimed the Fall Classic since 1984.
The Tigers still have work ahead of them before they can punch their ticket to the 2012 World Series. But winning the ALCS with concision could be important and for certain Leyland and all will want to end the ALCS in Detroit without having to go back to the Bronx. But the only way I can see the Tigers as favorites to win the World Series is if they eliminate the Yanks in five games or less and the NLCS goes six or seven. Detroit would still be facing a road series in the Fall Classic but at least they'd have their rotation set up against a team with relatively fatigued pitchers.
At present I think the Tigers are overrated in the futures market for the 2012 World Series. They are definitely hot but this is a .543 club on the regular season that went just 38-43 on the road: this is a team that could be coming back down to Earth soon. If the Tigers close out the Yanks and end up in a road series against the Giants, I don't think the 2012 World Series will be all that competitive although a World Series against a Cardinals team coming off of a tiring NLCS might be.