At the beginning of the season was a Yankee juggernaut. New York looked like a team that would run away and hide with the baseball betting odds. But the Yankees were winning at an unsustainable pace. And, sure enough, a serious market correction took place. The Toronto Blue Jays are chasing down the Bronx Bombers in the American League East. Now it is the Astros that have earned the favor of gamblers. Houston has owned the American League West all season. Most important of all, the Astros are providing reliable gambling value. The Yankees are not.
2022 American League Pennant Race and Futures
| Date: | The MLB Playoffs begin on Friday, October 7, 2022 |
|---|
AL Pennant SBG Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Houston Astros | +160 |
| New York Yankees | +210 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +600 |
| Seattle Mariners | +900 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +1200 |
| Cleveland Guardians | +1600 |
| Chicago White Sox | +3500 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +8000 |
| All Other Teams | +12500 or higher |
The two division champions will get a bye to the divisional series this year. And then, the other division winner and three additional wild card teams will comprise the wild card round. The wild card round has been expanded to a best of three series. Also, the higher seed will host all three games in the wild card round.
A Bronx Bombing
Of great concern is what happened to the Yankees. New York was bossing the sportsbook payout window for four months. Now it is drowning gamblers in red ink. Still, the Yankees are a formidable American League pennant contender. Consider that the Bronx Bombers rank 2nd for run production and 3rd for earned run average. The Yankees rank 1st for home runs.
And Aaron Judge is chasing the sacred memories of Yankee icons Roger Maris and Babe Ruth. To illuminate, Judge has 57 home runs. Maris had 61 in 1961 to break Ruth’s record of 60. Also in New York’s favor is a bullpen that ranks 2nd in MLB. Thus, the Yankees remain a capable threat.
Houston, We Do NOT Have a Problem
First, the Astros have the best record in the American League. Houston has become one of the most profitable teams on the board. Houston is 95-51 and ranks 8th for run production and 2nd for earned run average. The Astros ranks first in baseball for quality starts. In like manner, Houston has the best bullpen in MLB. Yordan Alvarez has powere3d to 37 home runs and 89 runs batted in. Alvarez has a 1.035 OPS and .628 slugging percentage. Finally, Houston has a dominant starting foursome of Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy, and Luis Garcia.
Blue Jays Take Flight
Toronto was lying in the weeds for most of the season. But the Blue Jays have broken out at the right time. At the beginning of the week, Toronto was the top-ranked AL wild card team. Inconsistent pitching remains a worry.
Guardians Quietly Take Command of AL Central
One of the biggest surprises of the 2022 season is the Cleveland Guardians. Instead of the favored White Sox, Cleveland is in command of the AL Central. Pitching is the strength of the Guardians. Cleveland ranks 8th for staff earned run average. Of major concern is a rank of 21st for run production.
American League Pennant SBG Free Pick
Despite their second-half struggles, the Yankees remain the class of the American League with the MLB odds.
SBG Best Bet: New York Yankees.