Baseball Odds Primer: MLB divisional odds

A few games might already in the bag, but the Major League Baseball (MLB) season really kicks off March 28 with a full slate of games. Before we get the season started, let’s take a look at some futures odds for who’s going to win, care of Oddsshark.com.

In the National League (NL) East, It’s a close race for the division champion between the newly stacked Philadelphia Phillies (12/5) and always disappointing Washington Nationals (12/5). The division could be up for grabs though, as the Braves (3/1) and Mets (11/4) will also have a decent shot. Don’t bet on the Marlins (66/1) though unless you like to live dangerously.

The NL Central looks like it will be a three-way battle between the Cubs (33/20), the Brewers (11/5) and the Cardinals (11/5). Cincinnati (16/1) doesn’t look like a threat, and the Pirates return to their familiar place in miserable failure (16/1).

The NL West, on the surface, looks like a lock for the pennant winning Dodgers (1/2), but don’t count out the Padres (14/1) who have added some top talent and have a strong young roster reminiscent of the 1994 Montreal Expos. Colorado (13/4) has a balanced club with a strong pitching staff, so they pose a real threat as well. The San Francisco Giants (14/1) never look promising on an odd year, and Arizona (12/1) looks a lot worse than last year too, so maybe not worth looking at.