2019 American League West, East, and Central Predictions, Pick, Odds

The Major League teams standings are shaping up with the All-Star break approaching. So far, the New York Yankees are the best team in the American League, with the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox still struggling to find consistency at 7th place. The Yankees are also the betting favorites to win the AL East while the Astros and Twins are expected to top the West and Central divisions respectively.

Here are the odds to win the American League’s East, West and Central divisions. Odds were taken from Betonline.ag as of 6/25/19 while stats are updated as of 6/24/19:

2019 American League East Winner

New York Yankees -265
Tampa Bay Rays +275
Boston Red Sox +650
Toronto Blue Jays +100000
Baltimore Orioles +200000

The New York Yankees have a five-game lead in the American League East division as of June 24th and their closest pursuers aren’t their rival Red Sox but the Tampa Bay Rays. New York’s 435 runs scored this season is tied for second best in the majors and are just five off the Twins league-leading mark. The Yankees are also tied with the Twins for fewest road losses this season at only 14. New York’s home run streak is now at 27 games, tying the record set by A-Rod’s 2000 Texas Rangers.

The Rays had a chance to take the lead in the AL East but instead, they got swept by the Yankees. Now they are 2-7 versus New York this year and that’s not a good sign if they want to beat them to the division title. I like how they’ve played this season but with all honesty, I feel that Tampa Bay is more of a wild card contender rather than a division winner.

Boston is trying to turn it around this month. After going 16-11 in May, the Red Sox are 13-8 in June but then again, they lost a series to the Blue Jays over the weekend. Xander Bogaerts is so far having his best season in terms of WAR while the struggling Mookie Betts is still worth 3.2 bWAR in his first 76 games of the season. If they get enough bullpen help, the Red Sox have the capability to turn things around.

All things considered, this looks like the Yankees’ season in the AL East. The Yankees are 21 games over the .500 mark despite all the injuries they have suffered this season. With the return of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, who wouldn’t like their chances? Prediction: New York Yankees

Place Your Bet Here

2019 American League West Winner

Houston Astros -5000
Texas Rangers +1600
Oakland Athletics +1800
Los Angeles Angels +3300
Seattle Mariners +20000

The baseball betting gods have installed the Astros as the highest-priced favorite in the AL right now. The Astros have the 4th best record in the majors and are 19 games over the .500 mark as of June 24th. Houston has a six-game lead over the Rangers and their +95 run difference is thrice the number of their closest rival.

Their 310 runs allowed this season are the second-fewest in the AL, behind the Rays’ 274. The Astros are 3-7 in their last 10 games but that’s not something to worry about. They are simply in a bad stretch right now but the Astros are still a very good baseball team at the end of the day.

After they were swept by the Astros in a four-game series last May 9-12, the Texas Rangers have lost just one series and are 25-14 SU during that stretch, the best record in the AL West over that span. They are six games over the .500 mark but have never gone more than that this season.

The Astros have managed without Carlos Correa and George Springer and that’s a sign of this team’s depth. It’s that depth which should carry them past their current rough patch and put them back on track to win the AL West. Prediction: Houston Astros

Place Your Bet Here

2019 American League Central Winner

Minnesota Twins -2500
Cleveland Indians +600
Chicago White Sox +5000
Detroit Tigers +200000
Kansas City Royals +200000

Everyone expected the Minnesota offense to be very productive. But the pitching has been a really good surprise for the Twins this season. Jake Odorizzi has allowed not allowed more than two runs in 10 starts this season and his ERA is an impressive 2.13 beginning May this year.

Likewise, Minnesota’s catcher combination of Mitch Garver, Jason Castro, and Willians Astudillo have given the team very valuable production both with the bat and the glove. The Twins have the second fewest losses this season at 28, just one off the Dodgers’ mark. I don’t think they’re going away anytime soon.

The Indians are 7.5 games behind the Twins but when you compare their run difference, it’s a whopping 81 runs. But considering how they’ve dealt with the injuries that have struck them, you have to laud them for giving a good fight. Winning the division is another thing though.

Minnesota is 18-9 against their division rivals and the next best team in the AL Central is five games back. They have the best road record and the second-best home record in the AL and they are hammering home their point. Prediction: Minnesota Twins

Place Your Bet Here