The smell of cut grass and freshly cooked hot dogs is finally back at a ballpark near you.
What better way to celebrate the return of the MLB season than by placing some futures bets you can enjoy all summer long?
The BetSided team has made its best bets for each division winner this season and a few of these picks might surprise you!
If you’re feeling bold, you might even want to consider parlaying some of these picks together to shoot for a big payout this fall.
Without further ado, here are our best bets to win each MLB division:
AL East Odds and Predictions
Toronto Blue Jays +200
The Blue Jays sacrificed some offense this offseason, which they had plenty to spare, to give themselves some depth. Daulton Varsho and Brandon Belt will give them some much needed left-handed bats. Additionally, Chris Bassitt will strengthen their rotation and Chad Green will bolster their bullpen.
The Blue Jays finished seven games back from the New York Yankees for the AL East title last season, and now with a much deeper team, they’re going to give them an even better run. Let’s also not forget how young their core is, with guys like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. You can expect those guys to take another step in their progression this season, and if they do, the Blue Jays will be the team to beat in the AL East. – Iain MacMillan
Tampa Bay Rays +340
Three years ago, the Rays won the AL East with a 40-20 record (COVID season) and went on a run all the way to the World Series, eventually losing to the LA Dodgers in six games.
Tampa Bay then followed that up with a 100-win campaign in 2021 in which they ran away with the AL East and finished with the best record in the American League.
So what happened last year? A whole lot of unlucky injuries.
The Rays finished 86-76 last season as they saw several key players miss big chunks of time.
Starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow made just two starts in the regular season. Starting second baseman Brandon Lowe was limited to 65 games due to injury. Face-of-the-franchise and starting shortstop Wander Franco played in 83 games, also limited by injury. Outfielder Manuel Margot’s season was cut short at 89 games due to a freak injury. Now-closer Pete Fairbanks was limited to just 24 innings out of the bullpen.
Glasnow and Franco are already dealing with injury concerns this season, but the chances of Tampa having that type of luck again in 2023 is hard to imagine.
But let’s say the injury concerns are an issue again. This Rays team can still win the division.
Tampa signed starting pitcher Zach Eflin to a $40 million contract (most expensive free-agent signing in team history) and will have a full season of Jose Siri’s defense (7 defensive runs saved last season) in center field.
The team also has a couple of exciting prospects on the cusp of an MLB promotion.
Curtis Mead, an infielder, has a 65-grade hit tool (excellent) and a 55-grade power tool (above average). Kyle Manzardo, a first baseman, has the same hit and power tool ratings as Mead.
Tampa also has a promising pitcher – Taj Bradley – on the cusp of a call-up. Bradley is the No. 20 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He sports two plus-pitches and exceptional control.
Expect one if not all three of these players to make a debut for Tampa Bay by the All-Star Break and drag this team back to the top of the division. – Vinnie Portell
New York Yankeees +130 – Josh Yourish
New York Yankees +130 – Peter Dewey
Toronto Blue Jays +200 – Reed Wallach
Tampa Bay Rays +340 – Joseph Summers
AL Central Odds and Predictions
Cleveland Guardians +130
The Guardians were MLB’s surprise last season, taking the league by storm with the youngest roster in the sport. With another year of development under their belts, I expect even better results for Cleveland this year.
José Ramírez is a bonafide MVP candidate while Steven Kwan, Amed Rosario, Andrés Giménez and others give the offense a contact-heavy lineup that keeps pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses.
While the rotation isn’t spectacular, it’s one of the most complete top-to-bottom. I believe Triston McKenzie will continue his development into a star (pending his current arm tightness), while Shane Bieber is still one of the American League’s better pitchers. Throw in a stout defense and one of the best bullpens in baseball to go with a weak division, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a second consecutive AL Central crown. – Joseph Summers
Cleveland Guardians +130 – Vinnie Portell
Cleveland Guardians +130 – Reed Wallach
Chicago White Sox +250 – Peter Dewey
Chicago White Sox +250 – Iain MacMillan
Chicago White Sox +250 – Josh Yourish
AL West Odds and Predictions
Seattle Mariners +320
I’m going to take a shot on an up-and-coming Seattle Mariners team that showed at times it can play with the best teams in baseball en route to making the playoffs last season.
Seattle has a strong and young rotation, headlined by Luis Castillo (this time for a full season), Robbie Ray, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert.
The Mariners are going to need some young bats like Jarred Kelenic to reach their potential, but the Houston Astros lost quite a bit with the departure of Justin Verlander this offseason.
Houston always seems to find a way to win this division, but I think this Seattle team is the best competition the Astros have had in years. – Peter Dewey
Houston Astros -185 – Iain MacMillan
Houston Astros -185 – Vinnie Portell
Houston Astros -185 – Joseph Summers
Houston Astros -185 – Reed Wallach
Houston Astros -185 – Josh Yourish
NL East Odds and Predictions
New York Mets +170
Does anyone remember who led this division for most of last season? The Mets led the Braves by as much as 6.5 games in August before eventually surrendering the lead for good over the final weeks of the season in September.
Pitching is often what separates good teams from great ones, and I think that is what will make the difference in this division.
The Mets have two of the best big-game pitchers over the past 20 years in Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, along with Japanese sensation Kodai Senga to lead a deep rotation that also includes Carlos Carrasco, David Peterson and Jose Quintana, if he returns from injury later this season.
Yes, Edwin Diaz is lost for the year, but that doesn’t mean New York’s chances have taken a drastic hit.
David Robertson and Adam Ottavino both had sub-2.50 ERAs last season and you know Steve Cohen will spend on the bullpen if it’s a persistent issue.
The lineup has never been in question. New York tied for the fifth-most runs in MLB last season. This offseason, the team retained all of their key hitters while also adding Tommy Pham for some outfield depth.
The Mets have been known to choke down the stretch, but they can’t do it every season. Bet on New York’s prized pitching additions and solid core to lead them to a division title. – Vinnie Portell
Atlanta Braves +105 – Peter Dewey
Atlanta Braves +105 – Iain MacMillan
Atlanta Braves +105 – Joseph Summers
New York Mets +170 – Reed Wallach
New York Mets +170 – Josh Yourish
NL Central Odds and Predictions
St. Louis Cardinals -125
It’s chalky, but I think these odds are underselling the state of the NL Central.
St. Louis has by far the best lineup in the division, headlined by reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt and slugger Nolan Arenado, but also has depth that includes Tommy Edman and the NL Rookie of the Year favorite Jordan Walker.
There is some concern about pitching depth as the most reliable arm is 41-year-old Adam Wainwright around often injured Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz, but I believe the lineup and a top-10 bullpen can offset that.
Not only did the Cardinals run away with the division last year, but the Brewers, the biggest threat to the crown, are seemingly beginning their start of a rebuild. They seem determined to call up several prospects to get big league reps in 2023 and are not as deep in the bullpen after moving Josh Hader last season. Given that the team moved on from Hader last trade deadline, maybe they look to move the likes of former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes this summer to potentially not spend big on him in the coming years, either.
The other three teams: Cubs, Pirates and Reds are still rebuilding and don’t have the depth to push the Red Birds for 162 games.
-130 implies 56%, but I believe this should be priced closer to -150 ahead of the season and there are several indicators that this division is wrapped up early in the summer with the talent in St. Louis. – Reed Wallach
St. Louis Cardinals -125 – Peter Dewey
St. Louis Cardinals -125 – Josh Yourish
Milwaukee Brewers +175 – Iain MacMillan
Milwaukee Brewers +175 – Vinnie Portell
Milwaukee Brewers +175 – Joseph Summers
NL West Odds and Predictions
San Diego Padres +120
The San Francisco Giants won the NL West with 107 wins in 2021.
Other than that, the Dodgers have won the division every year from 2013-2022. They’ve been the absolute class of the National League in the regular season for years and years, but oh baby did the Padres LOAD UP on talent. Last year, San Diego won 89 games and sputtered down the stretch after swinging big to bring in Juan Soto at the trade deadline. So, instead of deciding to run it back, they went out and got Xander Bogaerts to slot in at shortstop next to Manny Machado for the best left side of the infield of any team in baseball.
They added a shortstop with a 5.9 WAR last season and that’s before even mentioning that they’re getting Fernando Tatis Jr. on April 20th to just throw in left field. Ya know, the guy who had a .975 OPS with 42 home runs and 25 stolen bases and was worth 6.6 WAR in 2021. They should also add some potential veteran pop from Nelson Cruz and Matt Carpenter who they added this offseason.
Pitching is obviously the question, but this lineup is juiced and the rotation and bullpen are not bad at all. Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove are a good one-two at the top and Josh Hader at the back of the bullpen sounds good to me. In response to all of this stockpiling, the Dodgers added J.D. Martinez and Noah Syndergaard? Then they lost Gavin Lux to a torn ACL in Spring Training.
It feels like the Dodgers are the favorites because of the name on the front of the uniform and the LA on the hat, but when you look at who’s wearing those uniforms and hats, it just doesn’t stack up to the talent in Slam Diego. – Josh Yourish
LA Dodgers -110 – Peter Dewey
LA Dodgers -110 – Iain MacMillan
LA Dodgers -110 – Vinnie Portell
San Diego Padres +120 – Joseph Summers
San Diego Padres +120 – Reed Wallach
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.