MLB Betting Lines: NL Pennant Odds After Week 2

Given that we are in Week 3 of the MLB season, it’s tough to imagine what the World Series might look like when it finally rolls around

MyBookie MLB Who will Win the National League After Week 2? | MLB Daily Lines

Still, for those of us that like to wager on such things, it’s never too early to start looking ahead and making some predictions, keeping in mind that we are probably going to miss the mark with many of our projections. For me, the National League is a bit easier to predict than the American League, as there appears to be a couple of favorites that are well ahead of the pack. For the purposes of this piece, we are going to mostly focus on those two, as well as one more that might be in the conversation. For those of you looking for a deeper dive into the current state of things in the National League, we will have a more in-depth discussion about that later in the week. For now, let’s take a brief look at the current state of affairs in the National League and who might represent it in the World Series.

LA Dodgers +170

When you look at the amount of money the Dodgers have spent on acquiring the best players in the league, you would expect that they would be a dynasty by this point. Yes, they have dominated in the regular season, but that has not carried over into the playoffs, where things tend to be a good deal tougher. They are once again leading the West, but we are seeing the gap at the top begin to close. The Dodgers are 11-8 at the moment, but they have also lost 2 in a row and are just 4-6 in their last 10 games. I would suspect that this is nothing more than a minor dip in form and one that they will snap out of sooner rather than later. As we have said in the past, the cream finds a way to rise to the top, and this team is the cream of the NL.

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Major League Baseball Odds | Week 3

Atlanta Braves +240

While the Dodgers made all the headlines in the offseason due to them winning the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, the Braves once again look like the most gifted team, top to bottom, in the league. Much like the Dodgers, though, they have found the postseason to be a grind, going out in the opening round in each of the last 2 seasons after winning the World Series in 2021. That is a conversation for a later date, as we fully expect this team to win the East without breaking too much of a sweat. They are 10-5 at the moment and have a 2-game lead at the top.

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Major League Baseball Odds | Week 3

Philadelphia Phillies +700

As we just mentioned, the Atlanta Braves have gone out of the playoffs in each of the last 2 seasons, with the Philadelphia Phillies the team that ousted them both times. This is a team that went all the way to the World Series in 2022 before losing to the Houston Astros, and they look like the only team in the East capable of giving Atlanta a run for their money. The Phillies have been a little up and down in the early going and are 9-8. They will need to be more consistent if they are to seriously challenge for the division and make the postseason.

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Major League Baseball Odds | Week 3

The other Team’s Odds in the NL

Chicago Cubs +1100
St. Louis Cardinals +1300
Arizona Diamondbacks +1700
Cincinnati Reds +2500
San Francisco Giants +3000
San Diego Padres +3500
Milwaukee Brewers +6000
New York Mets +20000
Pittsburgh Pirate +20000
Miami Marlins +12500
Washington Nationals +15000
Colorado Rockies +25000

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2020 National League MVP Odds

We haven’t seen a player repeat as the National League MVP Award winner since future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols won his third overall award in 2009. But it could happen this year as Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is the favorite on betting lines at MyBookie.ag. Let’s break down the favorites.

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Harper, Washington Nationals (+400)

Harper was named the NL Player of the Month for April. Harper hit .286 with a .406 on-base percentage and a .714 slugging percentage (best in MLB) in 23 April games. During that that period, he drove in an MLB-best 24 runs, hit nine home runs (third in MLB), stole five bases and struck out just 13 times in 96 plate appearances. Six of those 24 RBI gave the Nationals a lead, and three of the 24 won the game for Washington. Harper’s best moment cameApril 14, when he hit his 100th career home run, a grand slam off Braves right-hander Julio Teheran in the third inning at Nationals Park. Harper became the eighth-youngest player in Major League history to reach 100 home runs. Harper has slowed down a bit since April, however. In May, the opposition took a much different approach against him in May after his scorching April performance, and it showed in his numbers. His batting average dropped more than 80 points and his slugging percentage was nearly cut in half — yet his on-base percentage actually increased thanks to his league-leading 31 walks. He is now hitting .249 with 13 homers and 34 RBI.

Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies (+400)

Arenado tops the National League and is tied for second in the Majors with 18 homers. He has hit 10 at Coors Field, eight on the road and five in NL West ballparks. Arenado is first in the NL and tied for second in the Majors with 48 RBI. He also leads the NL with 43 runs scored and ranks third in the NL with a .599 slugging percentage. Since the start of ‘15, Arenado’s 178 RBI lead all MLB players by 16, and he has 33 more RBI than anyone in the NL that span. His 60 home run since the beginning of ‘15 are the most in MLB. His 118 extra-base hits and 484 total bases also lead the Majors since the start of ‘15. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers (+800 on betting lines): Braun won the 2011 NL MVP but he was on steroids then. This year, he is among the National League leaders in batting average (2nd, .337), OPS (3rd, .959), SLG (9th, .552) and OBP (9th, .406). Braun has reached base safely in 42 of his 46 games this season, including a career-high 29 consecutive games from 4/18-5/27. “I’ve seen every Ryan Braun season,” said manager Craig Counsell, “and this is as good as any of them.” The Brewers are actually trying to trade Braun because they are in full rebuild mode. But his huge salary and some injury concerns this year will make that tough. Braun is 32 with a history of back and neck injuries, not to mention the dark shadow of being one of the most prominent players in any sport directly linked to performance-enhancing drugs.

Expert Betting Prediction

I think Arenado will finish with better numbers than Harper, but he likely won’t beat him out for NL MVP votes because the Rockies aren’t very good and the Nationals might win the NL East. So I’d lean Harper for now but also consider Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw on betting lines.