Biggest 2024 MLB Rivalry Matches to Bet On for the Upcoming Season

Previous Betting News

The Houston Astros won the 2022 World Series but more good teams reside in the National League. To explain how deep the NL is, all we must do is realize that Philadelphia, the 2022 pennant winner, is the third choice to win their division. With that in mind, check out the top two rivalries in the NL East, Central, and West heading into the 2023 MLB Season.

2023 NL Calendar Rivalry Games to Look Out For | MLB Betting Analysis

2023 MLB Regular Season

When: March 30 – October 1

NL East

New York Mets vs Atlanta Braves

Last offseason, the Mets landed Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer. This offseason, the Mets grabbed the great Justin Verlander.

Boasting a pair of first-ballot hall of fame pitchers in your starting rotation is rare. But that’s what the Mets have done. Both Max and Justin have a lot left in the tank.

Following Verlander and Scherzer in the rotation is three-time Nippon Professional Baseball all-star Kodai Senga. The Verlander, Scherzer, and Senga triumvirate will be tough to beat but 2021 World Series winning Atlanta Braves have won 5 straight NL East titles by making few changes.

The ATL knows that the key to winning rivalry series, division titles, and ultimately a World Series is more about how your starters set up your bullpen and how your bullpen sets up your closer. In that sense, we shouldn’t automatically jump on the Mets to win this season’s rivalry.

New York Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia is going to have a say as to who wins the NL East. While the Mets went with pitching, the Phillies signed former Dodger Trea Turner.

Turner is one of the best short stops in the league. So when it comes to their rivalry with the Mets, the Phils are betting their lineup can upset NYM’s hall of fame starting rotation. 

NL Central 

St. Louis Cardinals vs Milwaukee Brewers

St. Louis won the division. But the Cardinals will find it difficult to repeat. 

Milwaukee should have a chance to take back the division crown. The Brewers are deeper if Corbin Burnes dominates like he did in 2021. If not, the Cards grabs the series.  

Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals

Cubs versus Cardinals might be the second most historic rivalry in MLB after Yankees versus Red Sox. Chicago got better after signing James Tallion.

Will adding Tallion to the rotation be enough to overtake the Cardinals? Probably not, but when it comes to the rivalry series, the Cubs could beat St. Louis. 

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres

The rivalry between the Dodgers and Padres should favor San Diego this season. LAD continues to boast a strong rotation, but without Walker Buehler, the Dodgers will struggle to keep the Padres from scoring runs.

San Diego star Fernando Tatis Jr. is set to join a lineup that includes Xander Bogaerts, who comes over from Boston, Manny Machado, and Juan Soto. This will be a good rivalry, but if Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish are just okay against the Dodgers, the Friars should take the rivalry series. 

San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers

The Giants and Dodgers believe they’re good enough to at least grab a wild card, which means the most heated, not most historic, but most fiery rivalry in baseball will have new meaning this season.

Which team has the edge? Based on the rosters, the Dodgers. SF has never backed down from LAD, though. Give every game between the Giants and Dodgers this season the careful consideration it deserves before laying money down on either. 

Previous Betting News

Major League Baseball rivalries are as historic as it gets. The Yankees and Red Sox have been rivals since before 1900. Even more modern rivalries like Houston versus the Angels causes emotions to rise. With that in mind, check out the two best rivalries in each AL Division for the upcoming 2023 season so you can plan your bets against the MLB Odds. 

2023 AL Calendar Rivalry Games to Look Out For | MLB Betting Analysis

2023 MLB Regular Season

When: March 30 – October 1

AL East

New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays

Most expect both the Yankees and Blue Jays to make it to the postseason. The Yankees are the early favorite to win the World Series. The Blue Jays are a top five choice.

Right now, the Yankees have the edge in the season series. The reason? NYY added Carlos Rodon to their rotation. The Yankees boast Gerrit Cole, Rodon, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino, and Frankie Montas. 

The Blue Jays’ rotation is decent, Kevin Gausman can deal, but it doesn’t have the depth that the Yankees rotation has. 

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

On paper, the Yankees’ roster is much better than Boston’s. But the Red Sox have a way of playing above their talent level any time they face their brothers in pinstripes.

Boston won’t come close to challenging the Yankees for the AL East title. The Red Sox could, though, play spoiler and open the door for the Jays to win the division.

AL Central 

Cleveland Guardians vs Chicago White Sox

The entire AL Central is mediocre. The Guardians have the best chance of winning the division and making a splash in the playoffs.

Cleveland beat Chicago by 11 games last season even though the White Sox entered 2022 one of the favorites to win the American League. If Tristan McKenzie takes the next step and becomes a second ace to top dog Shane Bieber, Cleveland’s rotation will succeed.

But if McKenzie doesn’t, expect the Chi-Sox to get it done. Lucas Giolito can’t be as bad as his 4.90 ERA suggests. Dylan Cease should have a decent season, Lance Lynn is a steady starter, and the lineup is the best in the division. 

Chicago White Sox vs Minnesota Twins

The Twins are scrambling. Minnesota handed Carlos Correa a 12-year deal. Correa is a great player. 

He doesn’t throw fastballs, though, and Minnesota requires an ace to head up their rotation. No doubt, Sonny Gray is good, but he’s 33. So unless the Twins find that lockdown dude, they will have to outscore the White Sox in almost every game.   

AL West

Houston Astros vs Seattle Mariners

Justin Verlander jumped to the National League to play for the Mets, but it may not matter to the Houston Astros. The Stros still have one of the best starting rotations in baseball.

Framber Valdez, Christian Javier, and Luis Garcia are as good of a top three as it gets. The bats remain solid as well.

If there is a team that will challenge the Stros in the AL West, it’s the Seattle Mariners. Seattle ace Luis Castillo brought his ERA to lower than 3.00 last season. 

Castillo is solid. So is Logan Gilbert. The real key for the Mariners will be keeping pace at the plate. If Seattle can score with Houston, they can win the rivalry.   

Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels

The Halos made what could end up one of the smartest moves during the MLB offseason. LAA landed Tyler Anderson from the rival Dodgers.

Anderson went 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA. He takes pressure off ace Shohei Ohtani. Any pressure the Halos can take off Ohtani on the mound means Shohei will be more effective at the plate.

One starting pitcher may not be enough for the Angels to beat Houston in the season series. But it could rough up the Stros enough for the Mariners to grab the division. 

Previous Betting News

On March 10, Major League Baseball and their player’s association signed a new collective bargaining agreement. The season starts on April 7 and runs through October 2. MLB hasn’t said whether they will make up games or not. Even if they can’t, the season was supposed to start on March 31. So the league and players didn’t miss too much action. In any case, we had better put on our baseball handicapping hats. Check out a list of the top rivalries heading into the 2022 Season so you can plan your bets against the MLB Odds.

Biggest Rivalry Series For the 2022 Regular Season | MLB Betting

2022 MLB Regular Season

When: Thursday, April 7 – Sunday, Oct. 2

Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays in the AL East 

Once again, the AL East should be the deepest division in baseball. It’s so deep that the Toronto Blue Jays, who didn’t make the playoffs last season, is the chalk to win the division.

The New York Yankees are second choice. The Boston Red Sox are fourth choice. Both the Red Sox and Yankees won the wildcard.

The Tampa Bay Rays won the AL East. The Rays get Tyler Glasnow back from an injury. If Glasnow returns to his best form, watch out, Tampa can take the division. 

Outside of Baltimore, every team in the AL East can make the playoffs. So watch AL East division games unless the Orioles are involved because every contest between the Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, or Jays is a rivalry matchup.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants

Last season, the Dodgers had a 106-56 record and lost the division by a single game. The Giants finished last season with a 107-55 record.

Every season, Giants versus Dodgers is a huge rivalry. This season, it’s more of a rivalry because the Dodgers and Giants should send two of the top teams in MLB to the diamond. 

The team that wins the NL West will have the inside track to home field throughout the playoffs. The loser will either play in the wildcard or miss out on the postseason. 

Milwaukee Brewers vs St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals ended the 2021 regular season winning 21-of-25. During the incredible stretch, St. Louis beat Milwaukee in 6-of-7. 

But the Brewers had built such a huge lead that the Brew Crew took the NL Central and the Cardinals had to play in the wildcard game. St. Louis wants to turn the tables on their rivals this season. 

Because both the Reds and the Cubs are in rebuild mode, the Cardinals and Brewers should battle it out all season long for the right to represent the NL Central in the postseason. 

Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies 

The defending World Series Champions Atlanta Braves have a big shot to be the first team to repeat since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 through 2000. The ATL has the bats and the starting rotation to again win it all.

But the Philadelphia Phillies could throw a wrench into the Braves’ plans to take the NL East. If Didi Gregorious can return to hitting close to .300, the Phillies will score runs as they please because Bryce Harper and JT Realmuto are already dominating at the plate.

Expect Philly to make a move to the division title. The ATL will find it difficult to beat the Phillies, making this a rivalry worth watching.