It wasn’t that long ago that Major League Baseball only saw games between American and National League teams in the World Series. That meant that teams might be located in the same city but never meet unless they won their respective league’s pennant. The Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians are only separated by a few hours’ drive in Ohio, but until interleague play started, the teams had never met. In 2023, all 30 teams will face one another for the first time, as each team will only play 52 games against divisional opponents, down from the traditional 76. Even so, there are some terrific rivalries in the National League, so let’s break down some of those as you consider your MLB betting for the 2023 season.
MLB News: Top National League Rivalry Games for 2023
N.Y. Mets vs Atlanta Braves
These two teams have gone back and forth in the National League East, but it’s unusual for them to be good at the same time. In 2022, the Mets led the division for almost the entire season, starting a few days after the opener and ending, tragically, at game 161. The Mets did snag a wild card, but they were eliminated by the San Diego Padres. The Mets had added Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha before the 2022 campaign – as well as ace pitcher Max Scherzer – but it was not enough. The Braves added Spencer Strider, who told Mets fans that they were “lucky” when the Mets happened to beat Atlanta. Ironically, though the teams each won 101 games in the regular season, they combined for just one playoff win, as the Mets fell to the Padres, 2-1, while the Philadelphia Phillies swept the Braves right out of the playoffs.
Matchup Dates: April 28-May 1 (in New York), June 6-8 (in Atlanta), August 11-13 (in New York), August 21-23 (in Atlanta)
L.A. Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants
This is the most storied rivalry in all of baseball, dating back to 1889, when they first played one another in what is considered the first World Series, which the Giants won, six games to three (things were best-of-nine back then). When they met in a National League Division Series in 2021, they had already met more than 2,500 times in the regular season, and the Giants had edged out the Dodgers to win the division. However, the Dodgers made it through the wild card and also beat the Giants in the Division Series. The San Diego Padres have also emerged as a force in the division, but they are latecomers in a rivalry that started in New York (the Giants started in New York City, and the Dodgers started in Brooklyn, which would not join New York City until 1897) and moved west in the 1950s. The Dodgers have the edge in talent going into 2023, but the Giants are the ones with three titles in the 2010s.
Matchup Dates: April 10-12 (in San Francisco), June 16-18 (in Los Angeles), September 21-24 (in Los Angeles, September 29-October 1 (in San Francisco)
Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals
This is another rivalry that dates back into the mists of time, as the Cubs and Cardinals first met in 1892. They have played 2,490 times, with the Cubs winning 1,259 of the regular-season meetings and the Cardinals winning 1,209. Eighteen games ended in ties, and four of the games occurred in the 2015 National League Division Series, which the Cubs won, 3-1. However, the Cardinals have 11 world championships, while the Cubs have just three, even though the number of pennants won is much closer (the Cardinals lead, 19-17). The Cardinals have won the last four games in the rivalry and are closer to contending in 2023 than are the Cubs.
Matchup Dates: May 8-10 (in Chicago), June 24-25 (in London), July 20-23 (in Chicago), July 27-30 (in St. Louis)
MLB Betting Odds
Love betting on baseball like in the MLB? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date MLB betting Odds for all Regular Season, Playoffs, and World Series games.
