Indians’ 2020 Playoff Odds Opened at +150; Cleveland Now Favored to Make Postseason at -121
- Cleveland now has the fourth shortest odds to make the playoffs in the American League
- The Central projects as the weakest division in the AL, and Cleveland has the second softest schedule in baseball
- Read below for analysis on if Cleveland is a good bet to make the postseason at its new price
Cleveland missed the MLB playoffs for the first time in four seasons last year, but online sportsbooks certainly don’t expect that to happen again in 2020. The 2016 World Series finalists have seen a major shift in their postseason price over the last few months, and are now favored to be playing October baseball.
2020 AL Playoff Odds
| Team | Odds to Make Playoffs at FanDuel | Odds to Miss Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles | +2500 | -10000 |
| Boston Red Sox | +270 | -355 |
| Chicago White Sox | +210 | -265 |
| Cleveland Indians | -130 | +106 |
| Detroit Tigers | +2500 | -10000 |
| Houston Astros | -480 | +350 |
| Kansas City Royals | +2500 | -10000 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +225 | -290 |
| Minnesota Twins | -215 | +172 |
| New York Yankees | -800 | +520 |
| Oakland Athletics | -120 | -102 |
| Seattle Mariners | +1800 | -8000 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | -138 | +112 |
| Texas Rangers | +730 | -1300 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +730 | -1300 |
Odds as of July 16th.
Cleveland’s 2020 MLB playoff odds opened at +150 back in March, and have been getting shorter ever since. They’ve had a .562 winning percentage or better in each of the last four seasons and they’ll have the benefit of playing a very favorable schedule in 2020.
Cleveland Crushes Soft Competition
Cleveland will play 40 of its 60 games in this year’s shortened season against its Central Division rivals, which just happens to be the weakest division in the AL according to FanGraphs’ projections.
https://twitter.com/Indians/status/1283561060704956424
They posted a .631 winning percentage against divisional opponents last season, and were 18-1 against the Detroit Tigers alone.
Cleveland’s remaining 20 games will come against NL Central opponents, which projects as the worst division in baseball. No NL Central team is currently projected for a winning percentage above .533, and only the Cincinnati Reds are among the top-12 World Series contenders at online sportsbooks.
A Talent Rich Team
The most compelling reason to bet on Cleveland is the talent they’ll roster in 2020. Mike Clevinger anchors a staff that also features reigning All-Star Game MVP Shane Bieber and former 18-game winner Carlos Carrasco. Both Clevinger and Bieber are top-seven Cy Young candidates, and the backend of the rotation is filled out by promising sophomores Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac.
In case you haven't heard …
🗣 MIKE CLEVINGER HAS INCREASED HIS VELOCITY!#RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/crnlmyrxM8
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 1, 2019
Francisco Lindor headlines a dangerous offense that also includes Carlos Santana and Jose Ramirez. Ramirez in particular will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2019, and return to his form from the previous two seasons.
Jose Ramirez Last Three Seasons
| Year | AVG | H | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | .255 | 123 | 23 | 83 | 24 |
| 2018 | .270 | 156 | 39 | 105 | 34 |
| 2017 | .318 | 186 | 29 | 83 | 17 |
With Lindor and Santana batting in front of him, Ramriez will have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs and if he gets off to a hot start, he’s already shown that he has MVP upside.
Just what the doctor ordered!
Jose Ramirez pounds a solo shot to deep left in his third home run in the last two nights 🐐 #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/9gu0qsjcqN
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) September 26, 2019
With a potent attack and arguably one of the best starting rotations in the league, Cleveland should win plenty of games but there’s still one more reason to be bullish on this club.
No Substitute for Experience
The 2020 season is going to be a sprint to the finish line, and who better to navigate a promising team to the playoffs than a manager who’s seen it all? Terry Francona is well equipped to deal with all the variables that will pop up over this challenging season, and you can bet he’ll have Cleveland ready for every contest.
terry francona is 100% the reason that the indians have been “successful” for the past few years, not the dolans. fact.
— gabb (@gabbgoudy) July 4, 2020
He’s a two-time Manager of the Year, and has guided his teams to the postseason in nine of the past 15 seasons. When you add up his experience, with a wealth of talent and a soft schedule, it’s pretty easy to see why Cleveland has such short odds to get back to the playoffs.
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
