SELECT SCORE:
Major League Baseball will be here sooner or later but when the Boys of Summer do return, we want to make sure that we have enough information on all of the teams to make sharp decisions on our MLB future props – including division winners!
Odds to Win AL East
- Toronto Blue Jays (+174)
- New York Yankees (+181)
- Tampa Bay Rays (+218)
- Boston Red Sox (+500)
- Baltimore Orioles (+12,000)
The oddsmakers believe this to be a three-horse race but we feel the Red Sox are not only part of the conversation but as good a team as there is in the division. But the best part is that the top sportsbooks are giving us sensational value on Boston at 5-1 odds.
Read More: How to Maximize Your Profits with OddsTrader’s MLB Power Rankings
Last year the Sox tied the Yankees for second place and beat the Bombers in the Wild Card game before taking out the Rays in four games. Boston would ultimately bow to the Astros in the ALCS but now they’re back and this year they are likely to have a healthy Chris Sale all season long. What’s not to like?
Free MLB Pick: Red Sox (+500) at Caesars Sportsbook
Odds to Win AL Central
- Chicago White Sox (-245)
- Detroit Tigers (+550)
- Cleveland Guardians (+730)
- Minnesota Twins (+750)
- Kansas City Royals (+840)
The White Sox won the Central by 13 games last season and it would take an act of God for them to do anything but cruise to another division title this year. They get to beat up on subpar competition several times a year due to their great fortune of residing in the least competitive division in baseball.
Read More: Biggest Challenges for Modern MLB Bettors
The White Sox are a true power and legitimate World Series contender and it is unlikely that any of their division rivals will post a better than .500 record. Although the MLB odds show the White Sox north of -200, it looks like easy money to us so lay it and like it!
Free MLB Pick: White Sox (-245) at Caesars Sportsbook
Odds to Win AL West
- Houston Astros ((-160)
- Los Angeles Angels (+320)
- Seattle Mariners (+510)
- Oakland Athletics (+620)
- Texas Rangers (+1850)
The Astros have won the West four out of the last five seasons and the oddsmakers are making them heavy favorites to do it all over again. There’s every reason to suspect that they will take home the hardware again this season but laying vig instead of getting it on a team that has pretty decent talent within its division gets us a little queasy.
Read More: Why You Need to Handicap the Weather When Betting on MLB
A better value bet would be the Oakland Athletics, a team whose odds are higher than they should be because manager Bob Melvin has fled the scene to take the same job with the Padres. The A’s have hired from within and filled the void with third base coach, Mark Kotsay.
Oakland has some big bats that could very well see them as the dark horse no one saw coming…. except us!
Free MLB Pick: Athletics (+620) at Caesars Sportsbook
Odds to Win NL East
- New York Mets (+120)
- Atlanta Braves (+125)
- Philadelphia Phillies (+470)
- Miami Marlins (+940)
- Washington Nationals (+2700)
The Braves have won the NL East the last four years and added a World Series title to their resume last season. Yes, the Mets are loaded but guess what? They’re still the Mets! Although we’re not getting much of a return on the Braves, it is still plus money for the privilege of betting the best team in baseball, so why not take it?
Free MLB Pick: Braves (+125) at Bet365
Odds to Win NL Central
- Milwaukee Brewers (-131)
- St. Louis Cardinals (+161)
- Cincinnati Reds (+580)
- Chicago Cubs (+1050)
- Pittsburgh Pirates (+3900)
Oliver Marmol is the new sheriff in town and the Cardinals will be a better team because of it. As some of you may recall, St. Louis went white-hot near the end of the season and entered the playoffs having cobbled together a 17-game winning streak.
Read More: The Importance of Line Shopping and Reasons to Bet on MLB With More Than One Sportsbook
Although the postseason parade was short-lived after the Redbirds dropped a 3-1 decision to the Dodgers in the Wild Card round, we should note that St. Louis has all the pieces of the puzzle to dethrone the Brewers and win the Central this season.
Free MLB Pick: Cardinals (+161) at BetRivers
Odds to Win NL West
- Los Angeles Dodgers (-163)
- San Diego Padres (+182)
- San Francisco Giants (+380)
- Colorado Rockies (+6800)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (+9500)
The Dodgers have too much talent to ignore and certainly won’t be intimidated by the likes of the Padres who are supremely overvalued and should be more like +350 and not +182.
Read More: Making Baseball Pythagorean Expectation Work Against the Betting Odds
LA stumbled out of the gates last season yet they still nearly overtook the Giants but came up a game short with 106 regular-season wins. As impressive as San Francisco was last year, that won’t happen again so lay the lumber and bet Big Blue.
Free MLB Pick: Dodgers (-163) at SugarHouse
And remember to check back for more betting strategy at the OddsTrader blog. Happy betting!
