It’s time to update our online betting thoughts about the outcome of the 2021 MLB season. There are some teams that have performed as expected, such as the Dodgers and the Padres, who have put together solid seasons in spite of injuries. Other teams did not perform as expected, such as the Giants, who lead both the Dodgers and the Padres in the NL West, at least for now, thanks to some terrific starting pitching and some overperforming, at least against predictions, from some players who looked to be on the downward side of their careers.
Let’s look MLB Odds at how we see things going down the stretch.
MLB News: Midseason Review — Updated World Series Picks
American League East
Current Standings: Red Sox, Rays, Blue Jays, Yankees, Orioles
Predicted Finish: Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles
Boston is excelling despite the fact that they only have one starting pitcher who should be anything approaching dominant, and that is Nathan Eovaldi. They need to give him some company atop the rotation before the trade deadline. They also need to add a slugger at first base — an interesting name, connected to a number of teams on the trade wire, is Joey Gallo from Texas, who plays outfield but could also go to first base on a contender. The Yankees have crazy talent, but manager Aaron Boone may simply have lost the room, as the team is finding new ways to lose every week. Tampa Bay is terrific in terms of pitching, and they keep hitting. This was a team with just one All-Star that is almost a shoo-in for a wild card. How crazy is that?
American League Central
Current Standings: White Sox, Indians, Tigers, Twins, Royals
Predicted Finish: White Sox, Indians, Twins, Tigers, Royals
Minnesota was the favorite to win this division, but they lost Byron Buxton for extended periods of time, and their pitching had signs of trouble from the start — and those signs have become reality. Cleveland has enough decent pieces to sniff a wild card, although Oakland and Tampa Bay are likelier to snag that. Detroit has gotten great play from Rule 5 selection Akil Badoo, but they will settle back down to fourth place as the season wears on.
American League West
Current Standings: Astros, A’s, Mariners, Angels, Rangers
Predicted Finish: Astros, A’s, Mariners, Angels, Rangers
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is the most entertaining player in the sport, but even though he pitches and hits, he can only do so much. One wonders if he wishes he had picked a different West Coast team when he signed his contract. Houston has a phenomenal offense, and their pitching is decent enough to help them contend. Oakland’s pitching has them in first place in the wild card race right now. Seattle is interesting, but their win-loss percentage is not sustainable on the basis of their other metrics. Texas is about to post more consecutive losing seasons than what they sported during their dreadful phases in the 1970s and 1980s, but you don’t see any humility in their ticket prices at their new stadium.
National League East
Current Standings: Mets, Phillies, Braves, Nationals, Marlins
Predicted Finish: Phillies, Mets, Braves, Nationals, Marlins
The Phillies have come on lately and are challenging a Mets team that seems determined to play below its talent level. The Braves are suffering the loss of Ronald Acuna Jr for the season. The Nationals might make a push, but it’s hard to tell how hungry they are. The Marlins are looking to rebuild.
National League Central
Current Standings: Brewers, Reds, Cubs, Cardinals, Pirates
Predicted Finish: Brewers, Reds, Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates
It sounds like the Cubs are sellers now, heading into the trade deadline. The Brewers have gotten terrific seasons from starting pitchers Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff. The Reds have Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos bashing the ball all over the park. The Cardinals have yet to catch fire, and the Pirates are in rebuilding mode.
National League West
Current Standings: Giants, Dodgers, Padres, Rockies, Diamondbacks
Predicted Finish: Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Rockies, Diamondbacks
Yes, the Giants have a lot of quality, and they should win a wild card. However, the Padres and the Dodgers will get healthy, and their winning will pick up. The Diamondbacks are in a rebuilding process, and the Rockies are busy trying to save as much money as possible despite the unexpected revenue boost they got when they were given this year’s All-Star Game at the last minute.
Predicted Division Winners
AL East: Boston
AL Central: Chicago
AL West: Houston
Wild Cards: Oakland, Tampa Bay
ALDS Winners: Houston over Tampa Bay, Chicago over Boston
ALCS Winners: Chicago over Houston
NL East: Philadelphia
NL Central: Milwaukee
NL West: Los Angeles
Wild Cards: San Diego, San Francisco
NLDS Winners: San Diego over Philadelphia, Los Angeles over Milwaukee
NLCS Winners: Los Angeles over San Diego
World Series Winners: Los Angeles over Chicago
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.
