Steve Starr
- Bet Online has updated its 2019 World Series odds with the playoffs starting on Tuesday
- The Astros (+225) and Dodgers (+300) are favored to meet in the Fall Classic
- The Athletics (+1600) welcome the Rays (+2500) in the AL Wild Card, while the Nationals (+1200) host the Brewers (+1600) in the NL
There were a lot of bad clubs in Major League Baseball this season. Four 100-loss teams (tying a record for the most ever) and five more 90-loss squads.
The good news is, on the flip side, a record four teams reached the 100-win plateau. And these powerhouse clubs, the Astros (107), Dodgers (106), Yankees (103), and Twins (101), will eventually have to square off in October.
With the playoff field set, let’s review the latest World Series odds at BetOnline and go over the matchups for the Wild Card Games and the Divisional Rounds.
2019 World Series Odds
| MLB Team | Odds |
| Houston Astros | +225 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +300 |
| New York Yankees | +450 |
| Atlanta Braves | +700 |
| Minnesota Twins | +1200 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +1200 |
| Washington Nationals | +1200 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +1600 |
| Oakland Athletics | +1600 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +2500 |
AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFF PICTURE
Tampa Bay (25/1) and Oakland (16/1) have the longest odds on the board despite winning 96 and 97 games, respectively. These are good teams.
Charlie Morton (16-6, 3.05 ERA) will reportedly get the call for the Rays with 6-foot-8 fireballer Tyler Glasnow available on normal rest.
On the other side, the Athletics are expected to go with Mike Fiers (15-4, 3.90) or lefty Sean Manaea, who has only allowed four runs in five starts since returning from shoulder surgery in September.
Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow went from a 7.69 ERA to future Cy Young potential.
How? With meditation and analytics ?♂️https://t.co/xDSagcPnGC pic.twitter.com/7xAJGkhNMY
— Bleacher Report MLB (@BR_MLB) September 25, 2019
The winner of Wednesday’s contest will have to travel to Houston to face the AL’s two top Cy Young contenders, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, on Friday and Saturday. It won’t be easy.
The Yankees and Twins will meet in the other American League Divisional Series, which is fitting considering their season-long home run battle went down to the wire.
Minnesota entered the last game of the year one long fly shy of New York, but blasted three out of the park to set a new single-season team record with 307 dingers; 40 more than the 2018 Yankees, who previously held the record with 267.
Twins, with 307 home runs, narrowly beat Yankees for single-season team recordhttps://t.co/TdPQbheuQY
— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) September 29, 2019
It will be interesting to see if the Bomba Squad and the Bronx Bombers turn the ALDS into an October version of the Home Run Derby.
NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFF PICTURE
The Brewers looked dead-in-the-water after losing reigning MVP Christian Yelich to a fractured kneecap. But, thanks to their pitching (an MLB-best 2.74 ERA in September), the club rallied down the stretch to lock up a playoff berth.
Milwaukee wouldn’t seem to have much of a chance in the Wild Card round against three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer (11-7, 2.92 ERA), but the Nationals ace has a 4.73 ERA in seven starts since returning from injury.
The survivor of Tuesday’s game will head to Dodger Stadium for the start of the NLDS on Thursday.
MLB postseason: Max Scherzer will start Wild Card Game, but Nationals say ‘all hands will be on deck’https://t.co/xCGhopWguB pic.twitter.com/W45jC0BlyH
— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) September 28, 2019
Atlanta will host St. Louis in the other NLDS. The Braves won the season series 4-2, but that was way back in May before the Cardinals went on a second-half tear (47-27) to win their first NL Central since 2015.
The Redbirds ranked third in the NL in both rotation ERA and bullpen ERA and finished second in the senior circuit in Defensive Efficiency Rating.
That might be a recipe to upset Atlanta, especially if 21-year-old superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. is still feeling the effects of a groin injury that cost him a chance at becoming the fifth member of the 40-40 club.
