Outside the Atlanta Braves, the National League is still wide open. The jumpstart Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds have been fun to watch, but do they have enough to fend off the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers?
Below we will use DraftKings Sportsbook to provide current American League winner odds.
National League: Heavy Favorites
Atlanta Braves +160
Los Angeles Dodgers +275
Seeing the 60-win Atlanta Braves as the favorite to win the National League is no shocker. Their offense is electric, headlined by NL MVP favorite Ronald Acuna Jr. The Braves also house sluggers Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Ozzie Albies, not to mention shortstop Orlando Arcia is having a career year. The rotation is equally impressive, with strikeout artist Spencer Strider vying for a Cy Young Award. Injuries are likely the only thing keeping Atlanta from falling out of the top spot in the NL.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have the second-best odds despite entering the All-Star break tied for their division lead. Unlike Atlanta, which has an 8.5-game advantage in the National League East, The Dodgers sit tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks atop the NL West. They have one of the best one-two punches in baseball with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, but injuries to the starting rotation continue to pile up. Young star Dustin May is out for the season, Clayton Kershaw is without a timetable for return with a shoulder injury, and Noah Syndergaard is on the shelf with a finger issue.
Best of the Rest
Philadelphia Phillies +950
San Francisco Giants +1300
Arizona Diamondbacks +1300
Milwaukee Brewers +1400
Miami Marlins +1500
After a sluggish start to the year, the Philadelphia Phillies have played themselves right back into contention. The lineup is starting to come together, and co-aces Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola look to drop their ERAs under 4.00 in the second half.
The next two favorites to make the World Series reside in the National League West. The Arizona Diamondbacks are tied with Los Angeles atop the division, while the San Francisco Giants are 2.5 games back. Arizona has issues at the back end of their rotation, and San Francisco needs more power in the middle of their lineup, but a solid trade deadline could boost their chances to make a run in October.
The Milwaukee Brewers trail Cincinnati in the NL Central by one game, but Vegas must like their experience and starting pitching. Star Outfielder Christian Yelich is having a resurgent 2023, but the rest of the lineup has been inconsistent. Adding a slugger or two can only help them in the long run. Meanwhile, Miami has the worst odds amongst teams, with over 48 wins, and they have 53! Despite the great record, a -5 run differential suggests a lot of luck went into their first-half record.
National League: Darkhorse Candidates
Cincinnati Reds +2200
San Diego Padres +2500
New York Mets +3000
The Cincinnati Reds are taking the baseball world by storm. Rookie Elly De La Cruz looks like baseball’s future, but a shaky pitching corps limits their upside. Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres and New York Mets were the biggest spenders this offseason but underperformed in the first half. Each team has talent, but can they make up for such poor starts?
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