Betting The MLB Playoffs: AL And NL Pennant Odds

• The Tampa Bay Rays are the (+200) favorite to represent the American League in the World Series.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers have (+175) betting odds to win the National League.

LAS VEGAS – The MLB Playoffs are set to begin on Tuesday with the Wild Card round. Betting odds for which teams will make it to the World Series are available.

American League Pennant Race: Rays Favored

The American League may not have had the teams with the best records in the league this year but they are the deeper of the two leagues. Multiple 90+ win teams didn’t qualify for the postseason in the American League. Of the teams who did make it, regulated sports betting sites have set a few teams with better chances than the others.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will take place in the Wild Card matchup which is the reasoning behind the two having such long odds in comparison to the field. Anyone interested in betting on either New York or Boston should do so before their game, as the winner’s odds will likely see significant movement.

The Tampa Bay Rays are deserving of their short odds as the only American League team to win 100 games this season. The Rays allowed the fewest runs in the American League and saw the best-run differential as well.

The Houston Astros may be worth a shot at (+220) as they were the best offensive team in the MLB this season, ranking first in BA (.267), OBP (.339), and wRC+ (116) while finishing second in SLG (.444) and wOBA (.336).

National League Pennant Race: Giants Counted Out?

The National League was home to the two teams with the best record in the MLB, the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The interesting part is that MLB betting sites are giving the Giants the third-shortest odds despite being baseball’s best team outright.

The Dodgers were better than the Giants in practically everything other than winning games, which is ultimately the only thing that matters. Los Angeles scored more runs and allowed fewer runs so it’s not too bold to say they are the better team, but the odds are not worth betting on.

The Dodgers have to play in the Wild Card game and could see their season end in just one matchup. Labeling them as the favorites is not worth the risk. Even if the Dodgers make it out of the Wild Card round, they’d have to face San Francisco, who they have a losing record against this season.

News tags: Atlanta Braves | Boston Red Sox | Chicago White Sox | Houston Astros | Los Angeles Dodgers | Milwaukee Brewers | MLB | MLB Wild Card | New York Yankees | San Francisco Giants | St. Louis Cardinals | Tampa Bay Rays | World Series