The Giants came out of nowhere last season to end the Phillies two year reign as the National League's best squad. San Francisco did not stop with Philadelphia, though, as it rode a wave of playoff momentum all the way to its sixth World Series championship. Despite last year's postseason exploits, the Giants are not the favorite to win the 2011 NL Pennant. That distinction would go to the aforementioned Phillies, who at -120 moneyline odds, are far and away the prevailing choice to represent the National League in the 2011 Fall Classic.
Philadelphia Phillies (-120): The pairing of 
Roy Halladay with Cliff Lee gives the Phillies a one-two starting punch that is unrivaled in all of baseball. The three, four, and five spots are not bad either with Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton completing the rotation. Philadelphia also has plenty of offensive weapons in Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Shane Victorino.
San Francisco Giants (+800): San Francisco's rotation may not match the Phillies, but it comes close. While the Giants may not equal Philadelphia in starting depth, they possess the far superior bullpen. The Phillies are getting a lot of run, and rightfully so, but San Francisco appears to have all the pieces to make another strong October push.
St. Louis Cardinals (+800): St. Louis' title hopes were dealt a serious blow earlier this week with the loss of 2010 Cy Young runner-up Adam Wainwright to an elbow injury. Wainwright will miss the entire 2011 season, leaving a major hole in the Cardinals formidable starting rotation. St. Louis still has the tools to compete, though; however, they will need someone to step up in big way if they hope to usurp either San Francisco or Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Phillies -120
San Francisco Giants +800
St. Louis Cardinals +800
Atlanta Braves +1000
Milwaukee Brewers +1000
Colorado Rockies +1200
Chicago Cubs +1500
Los Angeles Dodgers +1500
Cincinnati Reds +1500
Florida Marlins +1800
New York Mets +3000
Pittsburgh Pirates +5000
San Diego Padres +5000
Houston Astros +5000
Arizona Diamondbacks +5000
Washington Nationals +5000
