Steve Starr
- BetOnline still lists the Los Angeles Dodgers as a -200 favorite to win the NL West
- The San Francisco Giants (+400) have built up a surprising 4.5-game lead in the division
- Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres (+285) are also still in the mix
The San Francisco Giants celebrated the reopening of one of baseball’s most beautiful ballparks on Friday with a 2-0 victory against the A’s. It’s safe to say that when the season began none of the 36,928 spectators in attendance would have expected the club to have a 4.5-game lead in the National League West when the night came to a close.
Bruce Bochy’s club claimed three World Series titles in a span of five seasons between 2010 and 2014, but had fallen on hard times recently with four-straight losing seasons. Is it possible the underdog Giants can hold off the defending champion Dodgers in the NL West?
Let’s check the latest divisional odds And, as always, be sure to refer to our MLB 2021 betting guide for further wagering tips and advice.
Odds to win NL West
 |
|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | -200 |
| San Diego Padres | +285 |
| San Francisco Giants | +400 |
| Colorado Rockies | +200000 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +400000 |
Giants still lead the division
The Giants (+400) are the only club in baseball that’s leading their division and not favored to win it – but then again, the NL West is the only division housing the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers (-200). Still, considering they have not lost two games in a row in nearly a month, San Francisco seems to be undervalued by oddsmakers.
With almost half the season in the books, the Giants have the best record in the majors and continue to rack up wins despite the absence of Evan Longoria. The club ranks at the top of the entire league in categories like RBI, OPS and home runs. Amazingly, they’re on pace to hit a franchise-record 241 long balls, which would surpass the 2001 team’s 235 that benefited from Barry Bonds’ 73 dingers.
“Welcome to Oracle Park! As of tonight, we are finally open at full capacity, and the timing couldn’t be better as we kick off Welcome Home Weekend, and the annual Bay Bridge Series.” 👏 pic.twitter.com/ErmCHN3AI6
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 26, 2021
San Francisco is also getting solid pitching with a major league-leading 10 shutouts this season. While Bruce Bochy’s club doesn’t have name brand stars in his rotation or bullpen, they certainly have enough pitching to hold on to the division lead over the second half if their bats stay red hot.
Dodgers and Padres in pursuit
The Dodgers (-200) lost four-straight games last week but oddsmakers believe the return of stars like Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager will give the team a boost after an injury-riddled first half of the year.
Los Angeles could certainly catch fire and start to better resemble the club that has appeared in three of the past four World Series, however, it’s important to point out that they now trail the Giants in run differential and Pythagorean record
Dave Roberts could feel the energy of the home crowd waiting for something positive to happen. An AJ Pollock go-ahead homer, one of three Dodger home runs in a 6-2 win, started the late surge to end a four-game skid. https://t.co/J3rakZJBJA
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) June 26, 2021
It’s impossible to rule out the Padres in the NL West – Fernando Tatis Jr. has a National League-leading 25 homers after belting three in a win over the Diamondbacks on Friday. Surging of late, San Diego has also finally started to see signs of life from highly-paid third baseball Manny Machado and offseason trade acquisition Blake Snell.
The NL West promises to come down to the wire but, at +400, why not bet on the division-leading Giants?
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
