After the first half of the season, it’s time to revisit futures bets in the MLB.
The Seattle Mariners have won 14 straight games heading into the second half of the season, but can the Mariners actually be a World Series Contender? Meanwhile, the Yankees have 64 wins on the season, but they might start to fatigue as the season progresses.
Let’s look for the most valuable MLB futures odds heading into the second half of the season.
The Obvious Selections
If you’re not looking for a longshot bet in the MLB, there are plenty of MLB teams that are near-locks to make the postseason. They’re not near-locks to win the World Series, but at least you’ll have a fighting chance in September, instead of tearing up your ticket once the season concludes.
Those teams include:
- New York Yankees (+300)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (+350)
- Houston Astros (+450)
- New York Mets (+700)
- Atlanta Braves (+900)
You can come back here when the regular season concludes. These five teams will have a postseason spot and will be fighting for the World Series.
New York Yankees
The Yankees will probably have a difficult time mirroring the first half of the season, but with a 13-game lead in the American League East, the Yankees should have no problem holding onto the division.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are in the same boat but in the National League East. Los Angeles has a 10-game lead in the National League East and should have no problem closing it out before the season concludes.
Houston Astros
Of course, the Astros also have a 9-game lead in the American League Central over the Mariners. Seattle has won 14 straight games and is still nine games away from the Astros. Houston should be fine.
New York Mets and Atlanta Braves
Lastly, the National League East battle will be exciting between the Mets and Braves. The Mets have a 2.5-game lead against the Braves but both teams already have at least 56 wins on the season.
The loser of the division will still make the Wild Card and have a chance at winning the World Series by playing in the postseason.
The Probable Wild Card Teams
National League
The teams that are potential Wild Card teams will be in this list. The Wild Card will have three teams on both sides, fighting for a chance at the World Series. We already mentioned the Mets and Braves. One of those teams will be in from the National League.
Next on the list in the National League:
- Milwaukee Brewers (+2500)
- San Diego Padres (+3000)
- Philadelphia Phillies (+4000)
- St. Louis Cardinals (+4000)
- San Francisco Giants (+6000)
In the National League, the NL Central will be a dog fight between the Brewers and Cardinals. One of those teams will win the division and the other will be fighting for a Wild Card spot. Both of these teams could end up making the playoffs, but there will likely be two teams with a winning record that could end up missing the playoffs.
The MLB only allows six teams to make the postseason from each division but there are eight teams with a winning record.
- Toronto Blue Jays (+2000)
- Seattle Mariners (+3500)
- Tampa Bay Rays (+3500)
- Chicago White Sox (+4500)
- Boston Red Sox (+5000)
- Minnesota Twins (+5000)
- Cleveland Guardians (+10000)
- Baltimore Orioles (+30000)
American League
The American League Wild Card race is wide open. In the AL Central, the Twins, White Sox, and Guardians are all fighting for a divisional title. Without that title, the other two teams could be on the outside looking in when it comes to Wild Card slots.
The Twins currently lead the division with 50 wins but the Guardians and White Sox each have 46 wins and are close to the Twins in the division.
Anyway, currently, the Rays, Mariners, and Blue Jays would be the three teams in the postseason with Wild Card spots at this very moment. Meaning that the Red Sox, Guardians, Orioles, and White Sox would miss out. This is a heavy race and one that seems unpredictable.
MLB Best Bets
If you’re looking to root for a bet in October, you’re going to want to look at betting on those five teams mentioned above. Each one of those teams will be making a big push for the playoffs and will essentially make moves at the trade deadline to improve.
In the American League, I believe the Astros are the deepest team in the league. Meanwhile, in the National League, the Mets will have Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom in their rotation, which could help lift the Mets to a World Series.
However, if you’re looking for value, I’d stick to the National League side and bet the Giants at +6000 with one of our top-rated sportsbooks. There’s so much value there, for a team that literally won the NL West last season with 107 wins. The Giants are currently just .5 games out of the Wild Card and should be getting healthier as the season progresses.
Calculators
