Just a few days left in the MLB regular season, and we still don’t quite know which eight teams will make the playoffs. The American League foursome is set (presumably with New York in the Wild Card), but the leaders in the National League are all limping to the finish line.

The top favorites are the Yankees at 2-1, followed by the Boston Red Sox at 3-1. Now that the Yanks are in, they’re arguably the team to beat; Boston’s pitching is better, but that advantage shrinks considerably once the Yanks shorten their starting rotation.

The Phillies (10-1) might have the best shot in the NL. They’ve scored the most runs in the senior circuit, they’ve won 10 of their last 13 as of press time, and you can do worse than a three-man rotation of Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick and Kyle Lohse. Somehow, I don’t see that intimidating the Yanks or Sox.

The MLB playoffs start in a week, swelling the betting market in the process. The more big-market teams there are, the more money there will be for the taking – especially if the Cubs are in the postseason.

Traditionally minded baseball fans see the tiny 2-1 scores that predominate in the playoffs, and they immediately think “small ball” is the answer to winning the World Series. That mentality got a boost in recent years when the “Moneyball” A’s kept losing, while the Chicago White Sox won the 2005 World Series. But Chicago’s victory was really a product of their pitching. Look at the White Sox now.

With three- and four-man rotations, the quality of starting pitching goes way up in the playoffs. That creates tighter scores, which in turn puts a lot more pressure on middle and short relief. This is where you make your money; the betting public is less savvy when it comes to valuing relievers.