The first couple weeks of the Major League Baseball season seem to always bring quite a few surprises, and this year is no different. Playing underdogs all through the month of April is generally a winning strategy when betting on baseball. The NBA is still getting a lot of attention from the oddsmakers, and I believe there are still some soft lines available right now. Which teams are being underrated by the oddsmakers?

Five MLB Teams Being Underrated by Oddsmakers

1. St. Louis- The Cardinals seemed to be counted out by many before the season since Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols are both gone. Take a look at this team and you’ll see there is tons of talent still here. The middle of the order is very good with Beltran, Berkman, and Holliday. David Freese and Jon Jay continue to develop. If Adam Wainwright can get back to his old self, they’ll make noise again this year.

2. Arizona Diamondbacks– Arizona was the huge surprise story of the year in 2011, but it seems the oddsmakers don’t expect much from them this year. They are already out there proving people wrong once again. This isn’t an amazing team, but they play in a very weak NL West. The Diamondbacks are going to score runs, and they have a very nice Ace at the top of the rotation.

3. Baltimore Orioles– Baltimore isn’t nearly as good as the two teams listed above them on this list, but they are better than most believe. The Orioles have a pretty tough lineup, especially now that Matt Wieters seems to be realizing his full potential. The bullpen is a major question mark, but Baltimore can hit the ball.

4. Texas Rangers– The Rangers lost C.J. Wilson to the Angels, but they still have the most balanced lineup in all of baseball. In addition, Neftali Feliz appears to be ready to make a major impact as a starter for this team. The Angels are very good this year, but the Rangers won’t be easy to knock off in the AL West.

5. New York Mets– I’m not a huge believer in the New York Mets this season, but some of the odds being thrown out on their games right now are silly. Don’t expect the Mets to hang around in the race all year, but while they are playing good baseball take advantage of the value in their games. As the season moves along the oddsmakers will adjust, but April is a good time to jump on undervalued teams.

Written by Kyle Hunter of VegasTopDogs.com