As Indians Implode, Who’s the Best Bet to Win 2019 AL Pennant? Astros (-120) Have Best Odds, Rays (+1200) Worst
By Robert Duff in MLB Baseball
Updated: January 6, 2023 at 6:02 am ESTPublished:
- Sportsbooks list the Houston Astros as the odds-on favorites (-125) to win the AL pennant
- The New York Yankees (+250) are second
- Should bettors back a favorite or a team with longer odds, like Oakland (+1000)?
When it comes to the American League pennant race, Houston isn’t the one with the problem.
The Astros own the American League’s best record, and they are also the odds-on favorites to win the AL pennant and return to the World Series for the second time in three seasons.
On average across the leading sportsbooks, Houston is listed as the -120 chalk in the 2019 AL Pennant odds. Oddsmakers rate the Astros as -125 favorites to carry off the AL flag.
2019 American League Pennant Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Houston Astros | -125 |
| New York Yankees | +250 |
| Minnesota Twins | +650 |
| Oakland Athletics | +1000 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +1200 |
| Cleveland Indians | +3300 |
*Odds taken on 09/27/19.
Houston won the World Series in 2017, but lost in five games to the Red Sox in last year’s ALCS.
With the Cleveland Indians falling two games out of the Wild Card race with just three games left to play, the updated odds show that only five AL teams have a realistic shot at the Pennant.
Astros Winning the Arms Race
Success in the baseball playoffs is all about starting pitching. And no team has starting pitching as deep as Houston.
The Astros can open a postseasons series by sending Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Zack Greinke to the hill on successive days.
Cole leads Major League Baseball with 316 strikeouts and leads the AL in ERA (2.52). Verlander is a 20-game winner with a 2.53 ERA and another no-hitter on his 2019 resume. They are going to finish 1-2 in Cy Young voting.
Greinke, meanwhile, is 18-5 and flirted with his own no-hitter in his last start, settling for a two-hitter over 8.1 innings in a 3-0 win against the Seattle Mariners. Since joining Houston via a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Greinke has posted a 3.02 ERA and 154 ERA+ in 62.2 innings.
New franchise record 🤘#TakeItBack pic.twitter.com/EYt4CjQJSa
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 26, 2019
Houston has won a franchise-record 104 games.
Oh, and they can hit the baseball, too. Houston’s weighted runs created plus (wRC+) is 125, just a shade behind the 1927 New York Yankees, who had Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and were a pretty good ballclub.
Yankees Embrace Next-Man-Up Philosophy
The Bronx Bombers have impressively kept rumbling through a never-ending rash of injuries this season to post the second-most wins in the AL (102 to-date). They’ve crushed 299 homers, second in the majors.
Who is more in danger of losing in the ALDS: Astros or Yankees? pic.twitter.com/nclHE4OxWY
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 27, 2019
The Yankees have improved dramatically in the pitching department as the season’s gone on. James Paxton has won 10 in a row and Luis Severino looks to finally be healthy.
Yankees vs Astros in the ALCS would be epic. It could be better than the World Series.
A’s Are the X-Factor
If there’s a team that could throw a monkey wrench into the form charts, it’s the Oakland Athletics. They’ve done okay (8-11) against the Astros this season. Their starting pitching is better than it was expected to be. And they can hit the long ball.
Oakland will have to get through the AL Wild Card game, but then the A’s would face off with their AL West rivals from Houston.
That could also prove to be a compelling postseason set.
Back Houston For AL Pennant
Go ahead, try to find a flaw in the Astros.
Houston finished the year with the best home record (60-21) since the 1998 Yankees went 62–19.
The Astros lead the AL in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. They walk the most and strike out the least. They’re second in homers and third in runs.
Just a couple 🐐🐐@GerritCole45 // @JustinVerlander pic.twitter.com/C7NPVY2def
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 22, 2019
The Astros own the best OPS against right-handed pitching and the second-best when facing lefties.
Houston is the best team in baseball.
Pick: Houston Astros (-125)
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
