(NewsUSA) - May is here and baseball season is in full swing. Of course, the regular season offers any number of opportunities to beat the sportsbooks, as long as you keep a close eye on the MLB odds and MLB lines for the best value.

But what every sports fan might not know is that now is the time to find some of the best odds to bet your favorite teams to win this year's World Series. We're talking about betting futures, and they offer some of the best chances of scoring a big payday this baseball season.

The first step is finding the best value for your money, so you need to choose teams that play good baseball but still have odds that offer you, the sports bettor, a decent return should they go all the way this year. For example, there is plenty of risk but not much reward in betting the 5.5-to-1 odds on the Los Angeles Dodgers to become this year's World Series champs, according to Barry Barger, a senior betting analyst at BetUS.com, an online sportsbook that is a favorite for baseball bettors across the country. The NL West team is loaded, but also is in a division which every team is playing solid baseball.

One team that gave the Dodgers a run for their money in 2021 is the San Francisco Giants. And you can get both San Francisco and the San Diego Padres at 17-1 odds on the World Series futures market at BetUS.

The current World Series champions - the Atlanta Braves - surprised last year, yet are currently offered at generous 15-to-1 odds to do it again this year because of a sluggish start and the strong play of the New York Mets. "Remember, this is a 162-game season plus the grind of the playoffs, so intriguing betting opportunities will abound," Barger says.

Another team on the West Coast is also offering attractive odds. Currently, the Los Angeles Angels carry 21-1 odds to win the World Series at BetUS. And along with the Angels comes Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Anthony Rendon and a ton of talent. "If the Angels stay healthy, it could make their fans a lot of money this year," according to Barger.

Meanwhile, The Tampa Bay Rays sit at 17-1 and they are off to a more than solid start. This club has had so much success in recent years, it figures to somehow, someway earn the World Series trophy for the first time.

A touch below the Rays are the Milwaukee Brewers, another squad that wins a lot of games but just not at the right time. They look enticing at 15-1.

Not far behind the Brewers in the NL Central,, but trailing them significantly on the Futures market are the St. Louis Cardinals, who are 34-1. That is a franchise with great success in the postseason and is never a surprise when it succeeds.

Another team offering potentially more excitement and bang for your betting dollar are the Minnesota Twins. The Twins are showing plenty of spark and life - and BetUS currently offers them at 34-1 to win the World Series this year.

Before placing their bets, fans should review all the current odds to win the 2022 World Series because odds often change as the season progresses.

(NewsUSA) - Golfers who combine their love of the sport with their love of travel account for the growing travel niche of golf tourism.

Golf tourism is travel just to play golf or when golf is secondary -- when a beach vacationer decides to play a round or two. Every year, of the 56 million golfers worldwide, about six million take a trip to play golf.

Europe is the largest golf tourism market, with a 44% share, while North America accounts for 30%. Of 32,000 golf courses in 140 countries, Europe has 6,000.

Tapping into the growing demand for European golf tourism, Costa Cruises is offering a "Cruise & Golf" program on Mediterranean cruises through summer 2022.

"As an occasional 'duffer' myself, I can't think of a better vacation than a Costa Mediterranean cruise combined with a few rounds of golf," says Scott Knutson, vice president of sales and marketing for Costa. "Playing these top European courses will give you bragging rights for years."

Starting in May on Costa Smeralda's seven-day cruises, this offer gives guests a choice of 15 of the most prestigious golf courses in Italy, France and Spain. Rome has five available courses (including the Marco Simone in Rome, where Italy's first Ryder Cup will be played in 2023); Savona, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca each have two; and Marseille offers four.

An avid golfer could take back-to-back cruises and not play the same course twice!

The "Birdie" package offers three courses, and the "Eagle" four. Both packages include priority access on and off the ship, equipment storage and insurance, welcome kit, snack basket, private transfers, golf balls, lanyard with card holder, golf bag tag and branded cap. Additional perks include early breakfast times, flexible dinner times and reserved restaurant seating.

A Birdie package starts at $1,322 for one guest or $992 each for two. Cruise fares start at $849 per person, plus taxes, fees and port charges of around $70.

If you want to "shoot for the green" on the finest courses in Europe while enjoying the finest in Italian cuisine, culture and entertainment on a Costa cruise, contact a travel agent, visit costacruises.com or call Costa Cruises at 1-800-462-6782.