Caleb Wilfinger
While the 2025 MLB season got underway in Tokyo earlier this week, the official start to the season is just around the corner for most teams. Opening Day is on the horizon and the marathon of the 162 game regular season is near. In this article, I’ll be predicting the winner of all six divisions in the 2024 regular season and identifying some best bets to make in each division. While some of the value has been extracted by the market over the course of the offseason, there are still a few bets to make before the start of the campaign. Make sure you also keep an eye on our MLB picks for predictions throughout the 2025 season!
American League West
AL West Winner Odds
- Houston Astros +125
- Texas Rangers +225
- Seattle Mariners +250
- Los Angeles Angels +3000
- Oakland Athletics +3000
AL West Winner Prediction: Texas Rangers (+250)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing.
While the Astros are used to be the top dog in this division, Houston enters this season with a bit of uncertainly. Gone are the days of Carlos Correa, Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander, and it’s a new era for the Astros in the AL West. Therefore, if I were to make a bet in this division, it would be on the Texas Rangers. This is still a team that has nearly all of the pieces from its 2023 World Series run, and Texas is more than capable of putting together a terrific season at the plate with its deep and talented lineup. However, I do still have some questions about the Rangers pitching staff, so I’ll ultimately stay away from making a wager on this division.
Our expert has 2025 MLB World Series picks, including one at +2500 odds!
American League Central
AL Central Winner Odds
- Minnesota Twins +210
- Kansas City Royals +270
- Detroit Tigers +270
- Cleveland Guardians +300
- Chicago White Sox +25000
AL Central Winner Prediction: Detroit Tigers (+270)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing.
For my money, the AL Central is by far the division with the most variance on a team-to-team basis. Despite missing the postseason last year, the Twins are the favorite, and deservedly so considering their roster heading into the season. The Royals and Guardians are eager to replicate last season’s success, but it’s the Tigers that I think will hold the AL Central division crown come the end of September. Detroit’s additions of Gleyber Torres and Jack Flaherty bolster a roster that has steadily improved over the past couple of seasons. The Tigers also have a litany of younger players who are eager to make a splash, including Kerry Carpenter, who already had a major postseason moment in Game 2 of the ALDS against Cleveland last season. Ultimately, I’m staying away from a bet in this division, but I’d take a shot on the Tigers if I had to make a wager.
American League East
AL East Winner Odds
- New York Yankees +135
- Baltimore Orioles +270
- Boston Red Sox +350
- Tampa Bay Rays +750
- Toronto Blue Jays +1300
AL East Winner Best Bet: Boston Red Sox (+350)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing.
While this number has come down a bit in recent weeks, it’s for good reason. For starters, the Yankees are in the midst of a Spring Training from hell, with New York already losing ace Gerrit Cole for the season, in addition to receiving negative injury news on the likes of Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt in the starting rotation. New York is also going to be depleted in the batter’s box without Giancarlo Stanton for at least a few months as well. With the division favorites vulnerable and the Baltimore Orioles losing their ace and a couple of key bats from last year’s team, the door is open for a rejuvenated Red Sox team to seize the moment.
Boston has actually gone out and spent some money in the offseason, signing former ace Walker Buehler to join a rotation that features Tanner Houck and newly-acquired ace Garrett Crochet. Boston wasn’t done making moves, however, as the Red Sox also added Alex Bregman to a lineup that now has the potential to be one of the better units in the American League. With that in mind, I actually think we still have a bit of room to run with the Red Sox at the current number, making Boston to win the AL East one of my favorite bets on the board heading into the 2025 season.
National League West
NL West Winner Odds
- Los Angeles Dodgers -450
- Arizona Diamondbacks +600
- San Diego Padres +1000
- San Francisco Giants +1800
- Colorado Rockies +25000
NL West Winner Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers (-450)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing.
The headliner of the NL West is by far the World Series favorite Los Angeles Dodgers. After already capturing the World Series title last year, the Dodgers proceeded to have the most active offseason in MLB, adding international free agent starter Roki Sasaki, acquiring ace Blake Snell, and adding some massive help in the bullpen in the form of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. Even if Shohei Ohtani doesn’t pitch as much as we anticipate this season, this is still clearly the best roster in baseball and the Dodgers rightfully the heavy favorites to win another division title.
Outside of Los Angeles, the Arizona Diamondbacks present a bit of value as a team that should qualify for the postseason. Once October rolls around, Arizona’s deep rotation — now bolstered by the addition of Corbin Burnes — could be a force to be reckoned with in a short series format. However, as it pertains to the regular season, there’s no need to force a bet on any of the other teams in this division. The NL West is the Dodgers’ to lose until further notice.
National League Central
NL Central Winner Odds
- Chicago Cubs +125
- Milwaukee Brewers +260
- Cincinnati Reds +650
- St. Louis Cardinals +650
- Pittsburgh Pirates +700
NL Central Winner Best Bet: Cincinnati Reds (+650)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing.
The NL Central is one of the more fascinating divisions in the sport this season, as the market is giving every team at least an implied 12.5% chance of winning this division. That signifies that this is a wide open division, and I completely agree with that sentiment. With that said, I’m going to take a stab on the Cincinnati Reds to rise from relative obscurity and unseat the Cubs and Brewers at the top of the division. While the Reds didn’t add a lot of marquee names in the offseason, I’m of the belief that the pieces they did add solidified a roster that already had real blue-chip talent. The likes of Austin Hays, Brady Singer, Taylor Rodgers and Gavin Lux aren’t big names on their own, but they all fit nicely on an everyday roster that’s built to win regular season games. Terry Francona taking over the reigns as the manager also gives me some belief that Cincinnati will compete in an NL Central that doesn’t have a singular dominant team. Let’s take a shot with the Reds at the current price.
National League East
NL East Winner Odds
- Atlanta Braves +120
- Philadelphia Phillies +215
- New York Mets +240
- Washington Nationals +6500
- Miami Marlins +25000
NL East Winner Best Bet: Atlanta Braves (+120)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing.
Much the Dodgers over in the NL West, the Atlanta Braves are one of the only favorites in their division that I think still holds actual value. For starters, Atlanta should see some positive regression with the health of its top players, which is a major part of why the Phillies were able to capture the NL East crown a season ago. Even though Philadelphia should be as strong as ever this season, thanks to a pitching staff that should be one of the best in baseball, I don’t see much value on the Phillies to repeat as division champions now that we’re getting Atlanta at a plus-number. And while the Mets are sure to be a popular pick following an offseason in which they signed Juan Soto to a massive deal, I have zero trust in the New York pitching staff to stay health for an entire season, giving this team little to no value in a regular season market. All roads point back to a Braves team that is still clearly the best overall roster in the NL East and should bounce back from their injury crisis in 2024.
