NL Pennant Current Odds: A Look at the National League Race

 

If you ask the average baseball fan who they think will represent the National League in the World Series this year, you are more than likely going to hear two teams mentioned a whole lot more than the rest

MyBookie MLB Who will Win the National League in the Week 3? | MLB Daily Lines

For the most part, it is the LA Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves getting the majority of the love, which is not entirely surprising when you look at the squads of both teams and compare it with the rest of the teams in the National League. As we have seen, though, the amount of money spent on salaries rarely has any bearing on who wins in the playoffs and goes to the World Series. In truth, how many of you had the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks going all the way last season? There may well be a diamond in the rough that you can get at amazing odds right now, so with that in mind, let’s do an in-depth look at the NL Pennant odds to win the National League.

 

LA Dodgers +170

You have to give credit to the LA Dodgers ownership for spending a ton of money to get the players they want, but the results have not necessarily matched the investment. The Dodgers would probably have been the favorite to win the NL this season without getting their hands on Shohei Ohtani, but as soon as they landed him, those odds shortened dramatically. After the first couple of weeks of the season, the Dodgers are once again on top of the West Division, but they have not been as dominant as expected, going 12-8 to start the season. Over the last 10 games, they have been playing .500 ball, with their lead at the top down to just a single game. I still believe the Dodgers will win the West in comfortable fashion, but they will need to be better than they have been of late.

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Atlanta Braves +240

As good as the Dodgers lineup is, you could argue that the Braves are actually just a little bit better. Atlanta, though, has the same issue as the Dodgers in that they have not been great in the postseason over the last couple of years. After winning the World Series in 2021, the Braves went out in the opening round of the playoffs in each of the following seasons. That aside, this is a team that has been dominant in the East for a few years, with things looking as though they will be the same again this season. The Braves are 11-5 to start the year, which has them 2 games up at the top of the division. They have won 3 in a row and 7 of their last 10 games, plus they also have the best run differential in the National League.

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Philadelphia Phillies +700

If the Atlanta Braves once again win the East Division as expected, then the Phillies are going to need to battle it out for a Wild Card spot. That is the path that they have taken over the past 2 seasons before eventually meeting the Braves in the opening round of the playoffs, pulling the upset both times. There are some who believe that Philly could actually give the Braves a run for their money in the division this season, and right now, they are somewhat holding their own. They have won 2 in a row to get to 10-8 this season, which leaves them a couple of games back of Atlanta. They have, though, surrendered more runs than they have scored, which could prove to be a problem.

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Arizona Diamondbacks +2000

I think the improbability of the Diamondbacks going to the World Series is carrying over a little into this season, with the bookies believing that it’s doubtful Arizona will be able to match those exploits. They are off to a bit of a rollercoaster start to the season, going 9-9 to get things started. If there is one thing that you can say about this team it’s that they are fun to watch, as they are 1 of only 4 teams in the NL to have crossed the 100-run barrier to this point in the season. That said, they are also surrendering a lot of runs, which they will need to get in check if they are to be a factor in the divisional race this season. They will also need to improve in road games, where they are 2-4 through their first 6 trips.

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Chicago Cubs +2000

We are very much drifting into dark horse territory at this point, but as Arizona proves last season, this might be the place to be. While it is certainly much too early to be talking about playoff spots and the Wild Card, if the season were to end today, the Cubs would be holding the final NL Wild Card spot, sitting with a 10-7 record. The Cubs, though, will feel as though they have a shot at winning what looks to be a very tight Central Division. They are down in 3rd at the moment, but they are also just a half game out of the top spot. 11 of the 17 games they have played right now have been on the road, but the Cubs are 5-1 at home, so they will have a chance to get on a positive run if they can maintain their home field dominance.

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St. Louis Cardinals +2500

The Cardinals finished last season at the bottom of the Central Division, but they were also one of the most active teams in the offseason. The changes they made led many to believe that they might be a bit of a dark horse in 2024. After 2 full weeks of the season, the Cardinals are still last in the division, but there has been progress. They are 9-9 overall, which means they are also just 2 games out of the top spot. The big issue for the Cardinals in the early part of the season has been their offense. They are not surrendering a lot, but they are struggling to get runs home. If they are to compete and make a run, that has to change.

 

 

When you look back at the recent history of the MLB, you find that things tend to be cyclical. By that, I mean that no one league dominates the proceedings for very long.

NL Pennant Odds | MLB Expert Analysis on Top Teams to Win the National League

Right now, we have seen an American League team end the season as champion for each of the last 2 years, but prior to that, it was the NL winning 2 in a row. We also haven’t had a repeat champion since the year 200, so might it be time for the National League to have another champion? Only time will tell, but there are certainly a few teams in the NL who look more than good enough to make a deep run. Let’s take a quick look at a few of the NL teams Odds that the bookies like this season.

L.A. Dodgers

We all know that the Dodgers have money to burn and that they are not afraid to throw that cash around to get the players they want. They did it again this offseason, landing Shohei Ohtani, who might just have been the biggest free agent in the history of the game. This is all well and good, but the money they have spent has not translated into championships. The Dodgers have won the West in 10 of the last 11 seasons, but they only have 1 championship to show for it. Can this talented group turn that around?

Atlanta Braves

The Braves come into the new season looking to win the East for the 7th straight year, but they will have some tough competition along the way. This team is stacked with talent, though, and should be good enough to continue their streak, barring any major injuries, of course. Last season was a little disappointing in terms of the playoffs, with the Braves second straight 100-win season overshadowed by going out to the Phillies in the NLDS for the second year in a row. The Braves are more than capable of winning it all, with many believing it will be them and the Dodgers battling for the pennant.

Philadelphia Phillies

As wen mentioned when talking about the Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies may have played second fiddle in the division over the past couple of seasons, but they have had the number of the Braves in the playoffs in back-to-back years. Two years ago, they made it all the way to the World Series before losing to the Astros, so they certainly have what it takes to make a deep run again this time around, but they are once again likely to be required to go the long road of they cannot get past the Braves in the NL East Division race.

St. Louis Cardinals

After 4 straight seasons of making it the playoff, the Cardinals experienced a down year in 2023, going 71-91, which saw then go from first to worst in the division in a single year. The Cardinals front office appears to have taken that down season to heart, going out and strengthening their pitching staff in the offseason the general consensus seems to be that they have done enough to have a bounce back season and that the playoffs look like a good bet. Whether that is as a division winner or a wild car remains to be seen.

 

 

2022 MLB NL Betting Odds and Predictions for the Upcoming Season

The 2022 Major League Baseball Season is rapidly approaching, it’s time we take another look at the National League divisions so you can keep planning your bets against the MLB NL Division Betting Odds.

NL East

Atlanta Braves (+135)

The defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves come into the season as the favorites to win the NL East, but they aren’t without their faults. The biggest concern on the minds of Braves’ fans is whether the club will re-sign star first baseman, Freddie Freeman. What was initially seen as a foregone conclusion has all of the sudden turned into doubt. While a deal could still get done after the lockout, that would obviously have a huge ripple effect on the rest of the roster. Still, the team is loaded with talent like Ronald Acuna Jr, Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley, and their pitching staff may be one of the best in the big leagues. In fact, last season, the Braves ranked sixth in earned run average at 3.82. While they will definitely have competition within the division, the Braves should once again compete for an NL East crown.  

New York Mets (+140) Arguably the biggest competition in the East for the Braves will be the rival New York Mets. Owner Steve Cohen has already proven he has deep pockets and the Mets are better for it. Before the lockout, the Mets brought in a haul for their roster. First, they brought in one of the best starters in the game in Max Scherzer to pair with an already elite starter in Jacob deGrom. Furthermore, they brought in Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar to help solidify an offense that ranked 27th in scoring last season at 3.93 runs per game. If they weren’t busy enough, it wouldn’t be shocking if the Mets remained active in improving their roster leading up to the start of the season. The rest: Philadelphia Phillies (+600) Miami Marlins (+1100) Washington Nationals (+5000)  

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers (-125)

It is a tale of two sides of the ball for the Brewers. In terms of their pitching, they are elite. In fact, behind Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta, they led the Brewers to the third-best ERA in the majors at 3.48. Offensively, they are far more inconsistent averaging just 4.48 runs per game (good for 15th overall). The offense would get a huge boost if Christian Yelich could return to form after hitting just .248/.362/.373 with nine home runs last season.  

St Louis Cardinals (+210)

The biggest competition for the Brewers will be the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals are led by some future Hall-of-Famers including Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright. Not far off the trail are players like third baseman Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. It will be interesting to see how Tyler O’Neill performs this season after hitting a career-high 34 home runs, 80 runs batted in, 89 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases last season. If he can maintain that production, the Cardinals’ offense is very deep. On the mound, Adam Wainwright was spectacular last year, but he is also 40-years-old. If the combination of Wainwright, Jack Flaherty, and Steven Matz can lead the rotation, the Cardinals should have a chance of overtaking the Brewers. The rest: Cincinnati Reds (+700) Chicago Cubs (+1200) Pittsburgh Pirates (+5000)  

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers (-150)

Not only are the Dodgers the favorite to win the division, but they are the favorites to win the World Series (+600) this season. The offseason has been tough thus far as they have lost both Max Scherzer and Corey Seager, and there is a good possibility they could lose Clayton Kershaw as well. Still, this offense will be electric behind Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Will Smith, Max Muncy, and more. If Cody Bellinger could return to form after hitting just .165 with 10 home runs, they could be really lethal. The starting pitching lacks some depth right now, but they do have two of the best young starters at the top. Walker Buehler and Julio Urias will be the one-two combo, followed by Tony Gonsolin, Andrew Heaney, and David Price. Of course, it also wouldn’t be shocking if the Dodgers made some more moves to bolster their rotation after the lockout.  

San Diego Padres (+200)

The Padres may have the single most exciting player in baseball in shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Last season, Tatis hit .282/.364/.611 with 42 home runs, 97 runs batted in, 99 runs scored, and 25 stolen bases in just 478 at bats. In addition to Tatis, the Padres also have Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, Trent Grisham, and others to help lead the offense. Their pitching staff isn’t too bad, either. The trio of Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Joe Musgrove will lead the staff while Mike Clevinger would be a huge addition if he can come back healthy. The rest: San Francisco Giants (+600) Colorado Rockies (+10000) Arizona Diamondbacks (+10000)