There is much discussion about how much the All-Star Game means to some of these players. It seems that the game my have gone the way of the NBA, where the sideshow (the Home Run Derby), has eclipsed the game itself in terms of anticipation and excitement.

A long time ago, there was genuine rivalry between the leagues, but that was before interleague play, which took some of the edge off it. The NL went through a period where they won 19 out of 20.

As of now, the AL has won 20 of the lest 24 "Classics," and that includes a tie.

MLB All-Star Game -- Here are the numbers....

In the odds posted on this game at BetOnline, the "senior circuit" is the favored side:

National League -112
American League +102

Over 7.5 Runs +100
Under 7.5 Runs -120

MLB All-Star Game -- The phenom

There was much in the way of great surprises in the Home Run Derby on Monday night. And obviously we'll see those guys in the All-Star Game.

One of those players BetOnline customers can zero in on is Julio Rodriguez, who has exploded onto the scene for the Seattle Mariners this season.

Rodriguez, a rookie, made it all the way to the finals before losing to Juan Soto. But that's n exhibition. What he's done in the regular schedule has been pivotal to establishing the Mariners as bona fide contenders for a wild card spot.

This guy is the next big thing. He's got 16 homers, and they have been backloaded after a slow start. He's also got 21 steals, which makes him a rare 30-30 threat.

Success was by no means completely unexpected, as he hit .347 last year in the minor leagues, and he made a big jump, having spent part of the 2021 campaign at the Single-A level. But that's what happens with phenoms.

What you'd have to worry about here is whether he just kind of wore himself out after all those swings in the Derby. The same can be said for Soto and the other top competitors there.

Rodriguez is +1800 to win the game's MVP award at BetOnline. Here is a list of the favorites: 

Shohei Ohtani +550
Aaron Judge +575
Mookie Betts +750
Clayton Kershaw +1000
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. +1000
Juan Soto +1400
Paul Goldschmidt +1600
Julio Rodriguez +1800
Manny Machado +1800
Rafael Devers +1800
Ronald Acuna Jr. +1800
Giancarlo Stanton +2000

At 1500-1 on that list is Miami Marlins DH Garrett Cooper. He has been nothing but consistent throughout his brief career; his batting averages going back four seasons are .281. .283, .284 and .283. He was .320 on July 1, but since then he's had four hits in 43 at bats. Ugh. So we wouldn't be expecting him to delivber the key blo won Tuesday night. 

MLB All-Star Game -- The starters

The starting pitchers in this game are incredibly stingy. Shane McClanahan of Tampa Bay not only leads all of Major League Baseball with a 1.71 ERA, he also has held opponents to just 5.61 hits per nine innings.

On the other side, it's obviously a big deal to these fans at Dodger Stadium that Clayton Kershaw gets the call here. The 34-year-old future Hall of Famer is sporting a 2.13 ERA, which is his lowest since 2016, and his 0.97 WHIP is one of the best around. His ratio of strikeouts to walks is 6.25, and he is ninth all-time in that category.

MLB All-Star Game -- The effect of relief

One of the interesting things about this year's All-Star Game is the fact that there are fewer relief pitchers involved - six in each league. It is nice to see that a non-closer like Joe Mantiply was named to the NL squad as the Arizona Diamondbacks' representative.

As a reliever, you want to keep people off base, and not give anything away very cheap. Mantiply has walked just two batters with only three homers in 36-2/3 innings. That is a stark contrast to last season, when he allowed 17 free passes in 39-2/3 innings.

There is a different mindset involved with coming into a game in relief, where you are stepping into a game in progress and expected to have a lot of stuff for one inning. For starting pitchers, it's not as easy an adjustment.

And we're looking at fewer relievers here. So a greater chance that a starter may have to come in and throw fire for an inning.

We have seen some low-scoring ASG's. But nine of the last 18 have gone over the total that is posted for tonight's contest. We know that these guys are swinging for the fences. And if you believe the idea that they have used a livelier ball for Sunday night's televised games, you know what you're going to see here.

So an even money play on the "over" may not be a half-bad idea.

BetOnline hs plenty of prop betting options for the All-Star Game through Prop Builder, and remember that this is a good time to look at MLB futures moving forward....... Open an account with a credit card, or Bitcoin, which is fast and easy with their automated system, and NEVER incurs a transaction fee!