2024 MLB Betting Sleeper Teams that Could Steal Their Division Title

Previous Betting News

On March 30, Major League Baseball begins what promises to be another exciting season. In 2023, MLB will have a pitch clock, which means pitchers will have a set amount of time to throw the ball. The new rule should speed up the game and force some pitchers to change their routines. Will that affect which teams win division titles?

See below for MLB odds, analysis, and free picks for a sleeper pick to win each division.

MLB Betting Sleepers Could Steal Their Division Title

2023 MLB Regular Season: When: Mar. 30 – Oct. 1

Tampa Bay Rays Division Odds

Affiliation:
American League
AL East
Division Title Odds: Rays +350
Bet AL East Today

Tyler Glasnow is going to miss 6 to 8 weeks, which means he won’t step to the mound until probably May due to an oblique strain. No worries.

The rest of the rotation is solid with Shane McLanahan and Jeffrey Springs. Also, the Yankees and Blue Jays have gotten so much attention that the Rays offer overlay odds to take the AL East. 

AL East Odds: Rays +350 | Bet MLB Division Odds Today MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Minnesota Twins Division Odds

Affiliation:
American League
AL Central
Division Title Odds: Twins +250
Bet AL Central Today

The Twins, Guardians, and White Sox should battle from the very first pitch to the final for the division title. If that’s the case, why not go with the team offering the best odds?

Not only do the Twins offer better odds than their peers, but Minnesota signed Carlos Correa, ace starter Pablo Lopez, and Christian Vazquez to play catcher.

AL Central Odds: Twins +250 | Bet MLB Division Odds Today MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Texas Rangers Division Odds

Affiliation:
American League
AL West
Division Title Odds: Rangers +1000
Bet AL West Today

Four words and two names. Jacob DeGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. In a single winter break, the Rangers signed two ace pitchers to turn around a less than stellar rotation.

DeGrom and Eovaldi will ensure the Rangers win many more games this season than last. The bats should be there, making the Rangers the top under the radar play to upset the Astros and win the West.

AL West Odds: Rangers +1000 | Bet MLB Division Odds Today MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Philadelphia Phillies Division Odds

Affiliation:
National League
NL East
Division Title Odds: Phillies +300
Bet NL East Today

The 2022 NL Pennant winners are getting zero love compared to their top two rivals in the division: the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves.

Once Bryce Harper returns, and he should report to the Phillies next week some time, the defending champs will be set for the repeat effort. The rotation and lineup are good enough. So it’s a question of becoming a consistent contender ala the Stros in the AL.

NL East Odds: Phillies +300 | Bet MLB Division Odds Today MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Chicago Cubs Division Odds

Affiliation:
National League
NL Central
Division Title Odds: Cubs +600
Bet NL Central Today

On paper, the Cubs shouldn’t beat the Cardinals or Brewers and win the NL Central. However, Milwaukee will take a backward step from last season’s team.

So if St. Louis stumbles, Chicago should be there to leap to first place in the division. Chicago has some talent. Marcus Stroman is a solid starter. If Cody Bellinger returns to his best form, the lineup will score enough runs to win games.

NL Central Odds: Cubs +600 | Bet MLB Division Odds Today MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

San Francisco Giants Division Odds

Affiliation:
National League
NL West
Division Title Odds: Giants +1200
Bet NL West Today

The rotation is solid. Logan Webb is a legit ace. Sean Manaea in the third slot on the rotation speaks of how much the Giants think of second listed starter Alex Cobb.

San Francisco must put everything together and become a cohesive lineup. Also, the Dodgers and Padres must take backward steps, but if those two things happen, the G-Men will be right there in September to take the division title.  

NL West Odds: Giants +1200 | Bet MLB Division Odds Today MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Previous Betting News

The 2017 MLB betting season took on a completely different look following the annual trade deadline than it previously had. Some of the trades, new acquisitions and other movements also had a direct impact on the existing MLB World Series odds and the divisional lines for several teams that recently improved their chances of making it to the post season.

Now, a handful of sleeper teams look like they could be poised to overtake their favored rivals to steal the division title. Thanks to this expert MLB betting look at the handful of teams that fall into that ‘could steal’ category, you’re going to have a great idea where you place some potential sleeper betting bucks that could cash in big.

MLB Betting Sleepers That Could Steal Their Division Title

AL East

The race for the AL east has been up and down all season. The Red Sox are still -140 favorites to win the AL East, but the New York Yankees are close enough to spoil their postseason plans. The Yankees are at a valuable +125, closed the gap considerably by acquiring gifted starter Sonny Gray from Oakland as well as veteran Jamie Garcia. Not to mention a pair of earlier trades that brought them relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle. Right now, the Yankees are (57-50) and just three games behind Boston (60-49). That makes me believe that the AFC East division race will come down to the very wire, making the Yankees a great sleeper pick.

AL East Division Champion Odds: Baltimore Orioles: +6600
Boston: -140
NY Yankees: +125
Tampa Bay Rays: +1000
Toronto Blue Jays: +6600

AL Central

The Cleveland Indians (58-48) may have won the AL Central division crown last season and they’re favored to do so again as a -400 pick this year. However, I’m really high on the second place Kansas City Royals (56-51), especially how they’re just 2.5 game behind the reigning division champs. As a +300 pick, the Royals are ranked a modest 13th in team ERA (4.19) and an uninspiring 23rd in scoring (4.3 rpg). Still, Kansas City just seems to be hanging around and that leads me to believe they could somehow, someway, overtake the Indians even if it does take a series of unfortunate events for the Tribe.

AL Central Division Champion Odds: Chicago White Sox: +15000
Cleveland Indians: -400
Detroit Tigers: +5000
Kansas City Royals: +300
Minnesota Twins: +1200

NL Central

The reigning World Series champion Chicago Chicago Cubs (57-50) have heated up nicely in recent weeks. The Cubs had a super disappointing season start. But their recent resurgence make the Cubs look really solid right now as a -450 pick to win the NL Central. However, I’m here to say that the Brewers aren’t just a cute surprise team anymore. They are offering bettors a great value as a +600 pick to steal the division title. The Brewers rank a stellar fourth in home runs this season (159) and respectable 15^th in scoring (4.6 rpg). They are also ranking ninth in team ERA (4.15) and 11th in strikeouts. More importantly, the Brewers now have some really solid young talent on the brink of breaking out and could pull off the sleeper upset!

NL Central Division Champion Odds: Chicago Cubs: -450
Cincinnati Reds: +20000
Milwaukee Brewers: +600
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1000
St. Louis Cardinals: +1000

Previous Betting News

Good news for the Tampa Bay Rays as they try to stay in the wild-card hunt. Their ace, Chris Archer, recently left a game on Saturday with forearm tightness. But Archer has no structural damage. Though the baseball betting odds for Thursday’s games aren’t out yet, you can always start gearing up before it goes off the board. Here are two MLB betting predictions for Thursday.

MLB Betting Picks & Predictions for Thursday – September 7th

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates

When: 7:05 PM ET
Where: PNC Park
TV: MLBN (out-of-market only) / CSN-C (Chicago) / ATT SportsNet-PIT (Pittsburgh)
Stream: MLB.tv
Radio: 670 The Score (Chicago) / KDKA-FM 93.7 (Pittsburgh)
MLB Betting Odds: TBA

It’s the series finale between these two. Back in the spring, one of the Mybookie.ag favorites to be the first MLB manager fired in 2017 was Pittsburgh’s Clint Hurdle. Well, not only did that not happen but Hurdle and GM Neal Huntington both got extensions through the 2021 season on Tuesday. Both Hurdle and Huntington, who was named the GM in 2007, are in the final guaranteed year of their current contracts. Since taking over the team in 2011, the 60-year- old Hurdle has led the Pirates to three playoff appearances, but none since 2015.

The Cubs are awaiting word on an MRI of Jake Arrieta, who has been one of MLB’s best pitchers in the second half. If he’s seriously hurt, Chicago’s chances to repeat as World Series champion is in trouble. Arrieta left Monday’s start against the Pirates with a right hamstring injury. The issue was downplayed after the game, but the Cubs just want to be thorough before deciding on the next step.

Who Will Start Off for Chicago on Thursday?

It’s lefty Jon Lester here for the Cubs. Lester (9-7, 4.46) allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out four batters through five innings during Saturday’s win over Atlanta.

As a matter of fact, Lester had some problems with command in his first start off the disabled list but was sharpest in his last inning, and that’s something to build off. The left-hander has been limited by a 65.8 percent strand rate this year, so his 4.46 ERA is likely to regress down the stretch.

Pittsburgh goes with young right-hander Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.50). Taillon took a no-decision after allowing three hits and one walk with four strikeouts over six innings Saturday vs. the Reds. Taillon is back to doing what he does best: inducing ground-ball outs (nine) and limiting free passes (one). He has been hampered by a .353 BABIP this season despite a 30.4 percent hard contact rate allowed. Taillon is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA over 12 innings in two starts against the Cubs this season.

MLB Betting Sleepers That Could Steal Their Division Title

Colorado Rockies at LA Dodgers

When: 10:10 PM ET
Where: Dodger Stadium
TV: MLBN (out-of-market only) / ATT SportsNet-RM (Colorado) / SportsNet LA (LA)
Stream: MLB.tv
Radio: 570 LA Sports (Colorado) / 570 LA Sports (LA)
MLB Betting Odds: TBA

It’s a series opener between these NL West rivals and the latest-starting game on the schedule. The Dodgers are targeting this weekend's series versus the Rockies for Corey Seager’s (elbow) return to the lineup. Seager began a throwing program at 70 feet on Monday and will continue to progress his throwing the next few days as he works his way back from inflammation in his right elbow. Seager indicated Monday that he could have surgery over the offseason to repair the problem.

Could Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon make history this year? All 33 of his homers this season have come from the leadoff spot. No one has ever hit 40 homers from the leadoff spot in a season, but Blackmon has a chance. Alfonso Soriano has the record, hitting 39 of his 46 homers in 2006 as a leadoff man. Soriano is also second on that list, with 38 in 2002, and tied for third with 35 in 2003 (the others with 35 were Bobby Bonds in 1973 and Brady Anderson in 1996).

Who Will Take the Mound for Los Angeles?

The Dodgers start ace lefty Clayton Kershaw (16-2, 1.95). Kershaw allowed just two hits over six shutout innings and struck out seven to earn the win Friday night against the Padres. In his first game back since a back injury took him out of action July 23, Kershaw was in midseason form. Despite facing a 75-pitch limit, Kershaw easily completed six innings, as he tossed 53 strikes in his 70 pitches and didn’t allow a ball to reach the outfield. His ERA is once again below 2.00 as he now has a legitimate chance to post sub-2.00 ERAs in two consecutive years, just as he did in 2013 and 2014.

Colorado’s Jon Gray lost on Saturday after allowing three runs on five hits (one homer) and three walks with six strikeouts in five innings against Arizona. Gray (6-4, 4.26 ERA) has now pitched eight consecutive games with three or fewer earned runs allowed. The 25-year- old surrendered a 449-foot homer to J.D. Martinez in the first inning, which was the 11th barrel he’s given up on the season. Gray has a 3.47 FIP in 80 1/3 innings this year.

Expert MLB Betting Predictions for Thursday

I recommend the under in the Cubs-Pirates games, and you always bet on Clayton Kershaw for the Dodgers – especially at home.

Previous Betting News

If you’re fired up about the 2017 MLB regular season as it steamrolls toward the end of the regular season and what promises to be a thrilling postseason, then you need to know all about the best matchups on tap for this coming week. Can the incendiary Boston Red Sox slow down the streaking St. Louis cardinals in their quick, Interleague MLB series early this week? If you’ve got questions about which MLB series look like they’re going to be the most entertaining this coming week and their respective betting odds for the baseball week, then I’ve got answers.

Can the reeling Houston Astros find their mojo in time to right a ship that has gone horribly off course the last few weeks? Can the streaking Minnesota twins boost their hopes of overtaking Cleveland in the AL Central and what’s going to go down when the Red Sox and Yankees meet up for another one of their competitive AL East division clashes?

Analyzing the MLB Series You Shouldn’t Miss This Week – August 15th

St. Louis Cardinals at Boston Red Sox

Let’s get started with the incendiary AL East-leading Boston Red Sox (67-50) hosting the streaking St. Louis Cardinals (61-57). Boston is 9-1 in their last 10 games while St. Louis has gone 8-2 over their last 10 to pull within one game of the NL Central-leading Cubs and one game ahead of the feisty Milwaukee Brewers. The BoSox and Cards will square off in a two-game Interleague MLB series beginning on Tuesday.

“We’re a better team than when we started,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “I believe we’re going to be better as we move along, too. [We’ve] just got to continue to work to figure out the holes we’ve got to continue to fix. I see this as a level of expectation of how we should play every game as we go forward, as long as they let us play.”

MLB Betting Sleepers That Could Steal Their Division Title

Arizona Diamondbacks at Houston Astros

The struggling Houston Astros (72-45) are just 3-7 in their last 10 games but still lead the NL West by a dozen games. The Arizona Diamondbacks (66-52) have gone 4-6 over their last 10 to fall a whopping 18 games behind the incendiary Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Both of these teams need wins, but particularly Houston.

Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins

The red-hot Minnesota Twins (59-57) have gone 8-2 over their last 10 to narrow the gap on the AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians (63-52) and they’ll host their division rivals in a three-game set beginning on Tuesday night looking to narrow the gap on their 4.5-game deficit even more.

“It’s amazing the difference a year makes,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “We’re still looking at 46 games to go. I think we all know what happened last year as far as having to endure that. But we’re obviously in a much better position.”

LA Angels at Washington Nationals

The Halos (61-58) have won six straight and seven of their last 10 to move within a dozen games of slumping Houston. Mike trout is finally healthy, Albert Pujols is swinging the bat well and the Angels have confidence that they can at least secure a wild card spot in the American League.

Still, they’ll have their hands full with a Washington Nationals (70-46) ballclub that has won seven of their last 10 and has shown no signs of slowing down whatsoever this season.

NY Yankees at Boston Red Sox

Beginning on Friday night, the AL East-leading Red Sox (67-50) will host the second place New York Yankees (61-55) in a three-game set. Every time the Yankees seemingly closing the gap on the BoSox, Boston pulls away just a little bit more.

Cleveland Indians at Kansas City Royals

Last but not least, the Cleveland Indians (63-52) will close out their week against another AL Central division challenger when they visit the third place Kansas City Royals (59-58). While Kansas City has dropped seven of its last 10 at the time of this writing, the Royals are just five games behind the Tribe and should have plenty of legitimate hope when this MLB series gets underway on Friday.