The final two months of the 2019 Major League Baseball Season is here! Will the Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers continue their dominance? Who projects to grab the wildcards in the National League and the American League? Check out the MLB betting predictions for the regular season’s final couple of months!
2019 MLB Betting Predictions For The Last 2 Months Of The Regular Season
Minnesota will hold off Cleveland and win the AL Central
As of August 5, the Cleveland Guardians are only 4 games behind the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central Division. Cleveland has the fourth best starting rotation in baseball based on the 3.71 team ERA. The Tribe’s bullpen ERA is an MLB best 3.29.
But, the Indians are a woeful hitting team, batting .250. That’s well below Minnesota’s .270 batting average. While Cleveland is slightly better on the mound, the Twins are much better at the plate. They will win the AL Central.
The A’s and Indians will grab the wild cards in the American League
That doesn’t mean the Tribe gets shut out of the postseason. Cleveland will make the postseason as a wildcard. The team that will join them are the Oakland Athletics.
The other two wildcard contenders, Boston and Tampa, have some issues. The Red Sox just haven’t had it this season. They’re 14.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. The starters have struggled and the bullpen hasn’t picked things up. The Rays have come back down to earth in the second half of the season. The rotation now ranks second behind the Dodgers in team ERA while the bullpen’s team ERA has dropped to fifth in MLB.
St. Louis will overtake the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central
Oh, the Cubs! St. Louis isn’t a great team by any stretch of the imagination. Although Chicago has the makings of being a great team, they aren’t, either. Why? The middle relief has struggled recently. Not only that, but the NL Central is deep, meaning the Cubs must not only contend with the rival Cardinals, but also the Brewers and the Reds.
As of August 5, Chicago has a 2.5 lead over St. Louis. That lead could shrink to zero this weekend because the Cubbies take on the Reds in Cincinnati and St. Louis hosts the Pirates. The Cards are looking solid to win the NL Central.
The Cubs and Phillies will make the playoffs as wild cards in the National League
Like Cleveland in the AL, even though they won’t win the division, Chicago should make the playoffs as a wildcard. So, should the Philadelphia Phillies. Washington and Philadelphia have the same 59-53 record heading into their August 6 games.
Philly gets the nod over Washington due to the Nats lack (still!) of a solid bullpen. Chicago should hold off Milwaukee for the other wildcard. The Cubs’ starting rotation is much better than the Brew Crew’s.
The Houston Astros will finish with the best record in baseball
Houston acquired Zack Greinke last week at the MLB Trade Deadline. Greinke is the reason Houston’s World Series odds have dropped to +180 in the sportsbook. The Astros now have a starting rotation of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Zack Greinke, and Wade Miley.
The Astros rank second in hitting with a .271 BA and a .826 OPS. The bullpen ranks third in Major League Baseball. Houston should dominate from here on out.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will win first seed in the NL Playoffs
The Dodgers failed to grab a setup man for closer Kenley Jansen. No worries in the National League where L.A. has been the class team since April. The Dodgers should grab the top seed in the postseason based on the fact that Atlanta, the Cubs, or Cardinals would have to sprout wings to catch them.
So, pencil in the Dodgers for the top seed in the National League Playoffs.
