AL West Division Winner Odds and Best Bet

• The Houston Astros are eyeing a fourth-straight AL West title
• Oakland has won 97 games in consecutive seasons while the Angels added Anthony Rendon
• Can either team overtake Houston in a shortened season? Bryan Thiel analyzes the best value in the AL West odds

Cheating scandals aside, the Houston Astros have dominated the AL West since winning the World Series in 2017.

Despite the fact that they were expected to face hostile crowds and get hit by a lot of pitches, they were always the favorites to take the division in 2020.

But while they likely won’t face either hostile road environments now, a 60-game schedule presents its own challenges, and a unique opportunity for the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels.

2020 AL West Odds

Odds as of July 17th.

Since February, the Astros’ odds have been suffering a slight but steady decline. With the season set to begin, this is the closest they’ve been to the rest of the AL West in the 2020 MLB Divisional Odds.

The A’s odds have improved the most; their rise up the odds has been just as slight, but also as steady. So can they get past the Wild Card hump?

Athletics’ Bullpen Depth a Strength in AL West

Liam Hendriks, who’s done everything from start to finish in Oakland, locks down the back end. Hendriks had a top-15 K/9 among relievers and the ninth-best HR/9.

His ERA (1.63) trailed only Kirby Yates and Will Harris last year, and FanGraphs projects Hendriks to finish top-five in ERA again.

His set-up crew was a little iffy in 2019, but the A’s bullpen also ended up with the highest Leverage Index in the league. They were definitely challenged.

A’s 2020 Starting Rotation Projections

Rookie Jesus Luzardo is a big question mark. He will undoubtedly make this rotation better, but he’s one of many who have contracted COVID-19. He’s also reportedly going to be limited upon his return.

Robbie Grossman on facing AJ Puk ain a sim game with little time to prepare:

He gets up on the mound & it feels like he’s throwing from Mt. Davis!

Puk is 8 feet tall.

— Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) July 15, 2020

That potential rust could be crucial. Mike Fiers has had his ups and downs in the AL West, while the talented AJ Puk has yet to start in the Majors.

Astros Have Their Own Rotation Questions

Houston lucked out, as Justin Verlander appears healthy and ready to go for the regular season. That wouldn’t have been the case in March.

So while Houston is fortunate in that regard, they still need some luck with their rotation.

Astros Starting Rotation Experience

With a nearly four-month delay, it’ll be curious to see if it has any effect on veterans Verlander and Greinke. Houston has to hope intrasquad games are enough to have them hit the ground running.

Austin Pruitt- Pruitt has developed inflammation in his right elbow, @brianmctaggart of https://t.co/wznV8oM89I reports.

Pruitt was vying for a possible rotation spot in place of Jose Urquidy in the #Astros rotation.

— Fantasy Baseball Injury Guru (@mlbinjuryguru) July 15, 2020

The same can be said for McCullers, who hasn’t pitched in a year, but was excellent in 2018. The four and five spots are where Houston misses the mysteriously absent Jose Urquidy.

James and Valdez don’t have a ton of experience starting, and there isn’t a lot of depth behind them.

Does Rendon Change AL West Picture?

It seems the theme in the AL West this year is to have a dynamic lineup and questions about your pitching.

The Angels’ 2-3-4 of Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani will make the Astros and A’s rotations sweat. But their lineups will do the same to them.

Cam Bedrosian walked one and struck out another in his 20-pitch 4th inning.

Also, Anthony Rendon is such a good defender. Has already made 2 elite plays tonight. Making the difficult seem routine, just like his buddy to his left.

— Trent Rush (@TrentRushSports) July 16, 2020

LA likely has the fourth-best rotation in the AL West with Texas ahead of them.

If lineups are the deciding factor, then we’re backing Houston. But throwing some money on Oakland wouldn’t be a bad idea. The back end and depth concerns of the Astros’ rotation could leave them looking up at the A’s.

The Pick: Houston Astros (-130)